Image: If I had something to say courtesy of re_birf

Life goes in cycles: Day and night, menstruation, economic and even political cycles govern a lot of our daily lives. And in much the same way, creativity has a life of its own. So occasionally the writer within goes into hibernation. For most professional writers, this is a problem. Some will tell you that you should just write until someting valuable comes out; others will suggest that you go for a walk and change your everyday environment. Plenty of others have made lists of things to try to wake up your creative self.

Me? I just embrace it. My living does not depend on my writing, so when writer’s block hits, I acknowledge that my creative juices come and go in cycles; I simply accept it as part of my reality. Of course, I care about my loyal readers, so I look for opportunities to highlight previous work; share unpublished poems; or simply take a break.

How about you? Are there things in your life that bug you, yet you’d be better off embracing, and letting them come back to you in their own natural time? I’d be interested in knowing your opinion, so feel free to leave a comment below.

Image: Puppies in the Puddle courtesy of Todd Huffman

You may be surprised by these news, but No: you do not need to be a Boy scout to Be Prepared‘ (Scouts’ motto) and Do a Good Turn Daily (Scout’s slogan). In this article we will tell you why you should create the habit of giving on a daily basis, and we will also share with you the ’secret weapon’ that makes this as easy as 1-2-3!

Why give on a daily basis?

The benefits of daily giving should be obvious, but let’s recount them:

• Giving on a daily basis will make you a better Christian / Muslim / Buddhist / <insert your religious denomination here>
• It makes you feel like you have contributed with something positive every day
• Give daily to those in need, and you will start to appreciate how much you actually have in your life
• Eventually, all that good may come back (If you don’t know about the universal Law of cause & effect or Karma, you can learn about it in this article)
• And would you believe that some forms of giving are even tax-free?

Ok, so now that you’re convinced of making Giving a daily habit, let’s move to the How.

How to give on a daily basis?

There are 2 things you need to remember to make Giving a daily habit in your life:

1. Remember that creating new habits is a difficult task, so be easy on yourself. Leo Babauta of Zen Habits has written a fantastic article that will help you remember of 13 things to avoid when changing habits. We strongly recommend you read it when you’re finished with us.
2. Make sure you’re ready to give when the opportunity arises. Most of the time we don’t give not because we don’t want to, but because it will take too much time, we don’t have change with us, or it simply happens at an inconvenient time. To combat these issues, we have a secret weapon: The PIF kit! What?! we here you say; Shhhhh…. it’s a cleverly guarded secret of us, committed philanthropists. But don’t worry, you can go to this Secret page to learn it all about PIF kits. It’s very easy! Take a look, and decide by yourself.

Smiles,
memories,
reflections,
routine.

The secret of happiness
staring us every day,
in every moment
every minute,
every second to eternity.

Thoughts are the seeds
to our actions of tomorrow.
Ideas, the fertiliser
that our mind constantly feeds.
Baby steps that germinate
and sometimes grow
into the reality we dream of.

Joy is in the now;
Not tomorrow.
In our thoughts that
lead the way
for a life we want ourselves.
Joy is in the now;
Not yesterday.
In our appreciation of the
lives we touch
every second
with our hearts,
our words,
our minds.

Joy is in the now,
a present of
eternal possibilities.
That sometimes gets
drowned in the noise
of our worries,
our plans,
our aspirations
and our guilt.

Background noise
that masks the reality
of our human self,
loving,
living,
ready for all
that life has to offer.

Joy is in the now,
Joy is here
Today.

For more poetry, visit the following links:

• Tomorrow - a poem inspired by Bradley Trevor Grieves book by the same name
• Reflections of a Peaceful Warrior - a poem inspired in a talk given by Dan Millman in Sydney (April ‘08)
• Loneliness - poetry in the Zen tradition
• Samsara - another Zen poem that explains the concept of Samsara
• Que es poesia? - a liberal translation into english of Gustavo Adolfo Becker’s famous poem

or you can visit The crazy Colombian’s new book Zen and the art of photographic story-telling

Welcome to my latest creation: Zen and the art of photographic story-telling, a story by The crazy Colombian. In this book I tell my story in the tradition of other Zen masters. In the process, I experimented with some emerging technologies such as Creative Commons licenses. I invite you to read the book online. Don’t have time now? Then download it and read it off-line. Don’t like reading on the computer? That’s fine too: Just order the book (available in soft- or hard-cover), and take it with you for your next holiday.

If you like the book, I encourage you to send it to people that you love. Did you feel that I touched a part of your heart while reading it? Then go to the last page of the online book, and share your story with the rest of us.

If you want to know why I am doing this, keep reading. In the remainder of this article I will explain why I chose to tell the story in the style of Zen; and how this book would not have been possible without the assistance of other generous artists who released their works using Creative Commons licenses.

Presenting your story with a bit of Zen

Less is More.

Balance rules.

Elegance is a wonderful master.

Design is king.

Some of these Zen principles inspired me to do things differently. I have spent most of my working life in the corporate world. I have refined my story-telling skills using Powerpoint decks. And it was only recently that I became aware that when you take many of my corporate stories, they share some unfortunate characteristics:

1. They have an excessive amount of text
2. They will attack your senses with too much detail and leave you confused
3. They turn the presenter (usually me) into a well-dressed parrot whose only jobs is to read from the slides

Recently, I learned it doesn’t have to be that way. According to best-selling author Garr Renolds there is a lot we can learn from Zen masters. In Presentation Zen Garr shows by example how elegance, balance,and Zen simplicity can dramatically improve any story; especially those that are to be told in front of an audience.

It was after reading Garr’s book that I started experimenting with his ideas; in this book, I made full use of his many suggestions. The final story is much more interesting because of him.

Photography in the new world order

How do photographers make a living? By restricting access to their creations; retaining all rights to copy and distribute their works; and using scarcity to increase demand for their art. Or at least that is how it used to happen. In the New interconnected world of the Internet, new business models have emerged. Some artists will release their images through stock photography web sites, and get royalties every time a customer purchases their work. Others are joining closed communities where their work is released and the users of those communities pay them via a voting system.

But the most adventurous ones are releasing their work using Creative Commons (CC) licenses. The most restrictive of these licenses allows viewers to ’share’ the artistic creation with friends for free, as long as they (a) Attribute the creation to its original author, (b) Keep the creation unadulterated, and (c) Derive no commercial gains while sharing it. What this means is that if I see one of these photographs in flickr and get inspired by it, I can download and forward a copy of it to my friends (as long as I tell them who took the photo) and still be acting within the realms of copyright law.

In the new world of CC licenses, there are some authors, musicians and photographers that are much more generous with their creations. In using the least restrictive version of the license, these artists will allow you to share and distribute their works under one condition only: that you give attribution to the original artist. That’s all. Do you prefer to change the saturation of the photo and make it all have a blue tinge? Go ahead. You have a great souvenir business and want to frame and sell the photo at tourist kiosks? As long as you provide attribution to the original photographer, you are allowed to do so.

Why would an artist do this? In some cases, it is because they are amateur libertarian artists. In others, because they are trying to showcase some of their best work and become better known. And in a few instances, because they have something that they believe needs to be shared.

My book was not only composed using photographs released under the most generous CC license; the book itself is released using this very same license type.

Story-telling in the 21st century

Mix these 2 concepts, and you end up with my book. Originally written in English, I have also now translated it into Spanish. Go ahead; visit zenphoto.crazycolombian.com (English) or fotozen.crazycolombian.com (Spanish) and see whether you like it.

Image: 1 courtesy of 18 55 Photography

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published by The crazy Colombian in the ‘Reflections’ section of his other web site Pass It Forward. We encourage you to visit this web page and learn more about this inspirational project that is changing the world with acts of kindness.

The parable of the hungry little boy

There once was a little boy who lived on the streets of New York and was always hungry. On Monday morning a senior executive from a hedge fund walked past him; The executive had received a free bread-roll with his coffee from the local Starbucks. Since he was on a low-carb diet, he carelessly tossed it away. Luckily for the small boy, the bread-roll landed on his lap (the boy’s, not the executive’s)On this first day the boy had something to eat, and did not go hungry. On Tuesday, a Social Security worker walked past this same little boy. His heart was broken by the sight of a young & vulnerable child on the harsh streets of New York. He decided to stop at the bakery across the road, and used the few coins in his pocket to buy a bread-roll for the boy. On this second day the boy had something to eat, and did not go hungry. On Wednesday a visiting politician from Washington D.C. walked past the boy, and saw a golden opportunity for some positive PR. He took his PR consultant’s lunch box, removed a bread-roll that was in it, and asked him to take a photo of him magnanimously giving the boy some food. On this third day the boy had something to eat, and did not go hungry.

Who was a better giver: The senior executive; the Social Security worker, or the politician? If you’re like most of us, you will say the Social Security worker. In our judgemental eyes, he was the only generous soul; the senior executive was simply careless, and the politician self-serving. Yet truth is they all gave a bread-roll away. To the small boy, all three acts of kindness were equal. At the end of the day, each and every one of them allowed him to avoid hunger in a cold, winter New York day.

So what?

In our current society, we often judge others’ acts of generosity on the basis of the giver’s intentions & motivations. We believe that giving must be done with love in our hearts to be worthy of praise. But wouldn’t it be even more admirable if you gave something even when you were not inspired; when you were not feeling generous; even when you simply did not feel like it? We all feel inspired by the person who has nothing yet gives much; in a certain way, that generosity is remarkable, and needs to be praised, if for no other reason than to recognise a selfless and generous spirit we have come across in our day. Yet we must be careful. Simply because giving with little in our pocket and a generous heart is a good thing, does not mean that we should fail to acknowledge any giving that does not come in the company of those admirable traits.

The greatest gift : giving in spite of yourself

We usually give when we are in a good mood, feeling either wealthy or generous. Yet we often feel unworthy to participate in the gift of giving if we feel motivated to do so because it has a positive impact in our taxes; because we feel just a tinge of guilt from our latest excesses; or because someone who we love is watching us and we do not want to be seen as too selfish. It has been said that many volunteers get a strong sense of purpose from donating their time, and that at the end of the day, they are giving not so much because they love others and want to help them; but because they love themselves and feeling useful makes them happy. Should we snub them and their efforts because of it? Or course not! Just remember that to those on the receiving end, your motivation makes very little difference. Next time you feel like you need to be in the right frame of mind before you give to others, get over your moralistic impulses and Just Do It. The person who benefits from your kindness will appreciate it regardless of your motivations!

Today I received a chain email with an inspirational message from George Carlin. As expected, it finished with the typical encouragement to forward it to other people. In this article I will tell you the story of how I nearly contributed to spreading false rumours; how I stopped myself from doing so by conducting some fairly simple research; and why I felt it was important to tell my tale. When you finish reading this article you will have learned why you shouldn’t just click forward when receiving chain letters; how to research hoax and chain letters; and you will have a wider repertoire of reactions to this daily event. Just to stir things a little, since the message that started it all was full of wise advise on how to stay young, I will finish today by transcribing the message for your reading pleasure anyway.

I hope you’ll enjoy the tale.

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Do you hate Spam? Look at your own habits before you judge others…

This morning I got an email message. It was from someone I respect, and contained advise on how to stay young. I was so excited! Its content resonated with me, so I decided to do what I typically advise friends & family against: Send it to everyone I have in my address book.

I clicked the forward button, selected most of the email addresses in my contact list, and just before I hit Send, I came back to my senses. What am I thinking? I Better check this before I pass it around! I saved it as a draft. I Googled the terms “George Carlin” and “How to Stay Young”. I studied the search results.

Many of the web sites presented by Google were simple transcriptions of the email; a few, however, discussed this particular chain letter and its origins. What I found out did not surprise me: George Carlin never wrote that piece, as he explained in an interview he did with A.V. Club as far back as 2005:

Here’s what I want people to know, and if I did nothing else in this interview, I’ll get this across: If anyone e-mails you something “by George Carlin,” there’s a 99 percent chance I did not write it. I didn’t write “Paradox Of Our Time.” I didn’t write “George Carlin On Aging.” I didn’t write a eulogy for my wife after she died. I didn’t write the New Orleans thing. I didn’t write “I Am A Bad American.” None of them. (source: Interview with George Carlin at A.V.Club)

With this realisation, I found myself in an uncomfortable position. Despite my strong dislike for Spam, I almost became just another spammer. Sure, I wasn’t trying to sell pills that enhance your performance in the bedroom, or convince you to give me some money so that I can send you just the right product to enlarge your manhood. But the harsh reality is that if I had sent this email around in an unsolicited manner, I could have clogged some mailboxes, becoming yet another unwilling player in the spam wars.

Don’t get me wrong: the advise I received on ‘How to Stay Young’ was wise and had merit; I still think it’s worthy of distribution. But attributing its authorship to someone who clearly does not want to be associated with it is just plain silly; and continuing the dissemination of misinformation on the ‘Net only helps to diminish the value of both the advise in the article, and the Internet as a media outlet.

As I reflected on my own actions, I recognised that I had let my guard down. Why? Because the content of the email resonated with my values. This simple fact almost made me forget my own advise, and pushed me to take the easy path of simply forwarding it to people I know. In discovering my weakness, I became more aware of the way I react to some chain letters, and increased my repertoire of options for how to deal with these type of messages in the future.

You too should Stop! before clicking the Forward button

At first sight, it seems a bit too silly to worry about just forwarding a chain letter. You’re probably asking yourself What’s the harm anyway? The Crazy Colombian is such a Wuss! Just send ‘em around, and allow others to enjoy the stories & messages!

Yet there are many reasons why perpetuating chain letters is not advisable; and in many cases it is just wrong, as some Internet evangelists often argue. Why?

• Because it is a waste of internet resources Forwarding chain letters sucks up valuable internet server & bandwidth resources in a wasteful manner. Assume each original recipient of the letter sends it to 10 more people (a very conservative estimate); by the time the ninth wave of forwarding happens, your message will have generated a billion messages. These messages take up hard disk space in mail servers, and consume invaluable internet bandwidth that could have been used for other purposes. If you like the content, post it on a web page, and send a one liner to people advising them of the message; it is a far more effective way of spreading the message. Have you ever considered why the price of net access doesn’t fall as rapidly as the price of other technology services? To some extent, it is because of the ever-growing need for storage and connectivity investments. Forwarding chain letters creates an exponential increase in the need for more space and bandwidth.
• Because it shows a lack of respect for others people’s time Every recipient of the chain letter will take up some time to open it, decide whether to read it or not, and either forward it or (in many instances) trash it. As we’ve seen, the amount of time wasted can easily escalate into the billions or trillions of seconds quite easily because of the compounding pyramid effect. Just think how often do you, your friends, family and colleagues complain of not having enough time for doing the things we love. Just stop for a second to consider of all the seconds you’ve robbed from them simply by forwarding those messages they didn’t need or want!
• Because it stops valid email from being delivered Many people have limits in the space allocated to their mailbox. Once the mailbox fills up, the system starts rejecting new messages. Consider how many important messages may not reach the recipient on a timely basis simply because one of these chain letters reached their mailbox just before it got full; not a pretty side effect, is it? Add to that the fact that spam filters are increasingly being used to stop unsolicited email (including chain letters), and these filters sometimes stop solicited messages; this double-whammy often means that messages that we need or want (heck, maybe even paid for!) will not reach us.
• Because it damages reputations For most of these chain letters, the person that allegedly wrote the original message has nothing to do with it. Many times this will have a negative impact on the reputation of the alleged author. The University of Oklahoma’s Police department explains that “Not only are these messages time consuming and costly, they may also be damaging to a person’s or organization’s reputation as in the case of the Jessica Mydek and the American Cancer Society chain letters” (source: The Police Notebook’s page on Chain letters)

Not enough reasons? Ok, how about because the Crazy Colombian says so?

Stop spreading rumours and leverage the power of the Internet

So how do we stop the continuous circulation of false information on the net? There is a powerful , easy to use tool at your disposal. You use it very often, quite likely every day, and best of all, it is Free. Its name is Google

Surprised? Don’t be! Next time you get a chain letter, this is all you need to do (it won’t take more than a minute):

1. Copy the subject line of the email (or a phrase that is unique to the message)
2. Open Google on your web browser
3. Paste the subject line (or unique phrase) into Google’s search box; You will want to make sure to enclose it within quotes, so the search engine will know it must look for the exact phrase.
4. Add the words ’hoax’ or ’chain letter’ to the search box
5. Hit enter.
6. Take a few minutes to study the search engine results.

Pretty easy, isn’t it? Doing this will only take you between 30 seconds and a minute, yet it will prove an invaluable investment of your time. 99.99% of the times you end up doing this, you will quite rapidly find out that the information in the original letter is misleading, or at the very least contains important inconsistencies. Isn’t it worth knowing what you’re dealing with before you aimlessly hit Forward? If you follow my advise, you can then make an informed decision about what to do with the message. Let’s take a look at some of the options you will have at your disposal:

1. Just press forward You may decide to allow the chain letter to continue its journey, despite any potential inaccuracies or inconsistencies. Maybe you believe there is enough truth into it; or you found it entertaining enough. Whatever your reasons, you may still decide to send it around after doing your ‘due diligence’. You still will be better off as a more informed participant in this activity, and will have a better understanding of the consequences that your action will have.
2. Add a disclaimer, then send it around Another option is to add a disclaimer, explaining what you found and the reasons why you still chose to send it around. By doing this, you will educate the people who receive it, and minimise the misinformation that goes around in the email. Go ahead, spread the good words, and at the same time make the world a bit less ignorant - George Carlin will probably thank you for correcting the misinformation!
3. Rewrite it before you forward it If the inaccuracies are too much to stomach passing them around, you can also choose to re-write the entire chain letter, so that it is more factual and accurate. Why not improve it? When you get around to hit the Send button, you effectively took some ownership for the message’s content, so why not take responsibility for your email, and improve the way it communicates the key messages to its recipients? Sure, it takes a bit more time, but it is better that to continue disseminating incorrect information, isn’t’ it? In this example, you could remove the pictures of George Carlin and any references to him, leaving the main body of the message. What the heck - you could even add an introduction where you explain what you did, and why!
4. Just trash it Is it worth spreading false information around? Maybe the best (and quickest) course of action is to just send it straight to the recycling bin.Over and done in just 1 second!

I am sure there are more options than those listed above, but now you have a better starting point. Next time you get a chain letter, do your research; educate yourself; take responsibility for your emails; and carefully consider your options. As we have illustrated here, there are more constructive ways for dealing with chain letters than ‘simply pressing forward’ without thinking about it; come to think of it, that choice is often the ‘default button’ in the software running amongst most people in your contact list. Why not lead by example and show that things can be done differently?

Ok, I understand you’re not convinced. Maybe you will feel better following Judy Vorfeld’s advise of on how to deal with chain letters:

“Any time you get a call to action, STOP! Think! Verify! Every time you’re tempted to click “FORWARD” and send a chain letter to others, think about it first. Create a new file folder for your incoming mail called “Chain-letters.” Put suspected chain letters in this folder. Let them sit a while or try some of the links below, using appropriate keywords. If it’s not an urban legend, you may want to send it. If it is an urban legend,delete it.” (source: The Chain Letter Challenge, by Judy Vorfeld)

But the letter says if I send it around I will get 10 years of bad luck. What if it’s true? I can’t take such a big risk!! If you absolutely MUST forward it around, then at least use the services of Chain Letters Anonymous. They will take your letter in paper or electronic format, and send it to volunteers who will destroy the messages upon receving them. That way, you don’t get any of the Bad Karma associated with stopping the letter. Do you feel better already?

On Aging & How to stay young (not by George Carlin!)

This is it: This is the piece that I got on my email which captured my attention. Despite the fact that George Carlin is not the author, I still loved the advise it contained. I particularly like the closing: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I hope you find some timeless wisdom that you can apply to your daily life.

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

“How old are you?” “I’m four and a half!” You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

“How old are you?” “I’m gonna be 16!” You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life .. You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re Just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80’s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; “I Was JUST 92.”

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. “I’m 100 and a half!”
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay “them..”

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them , at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don’t send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!

You didn’t stop when I suggested it, did you? tsk tsk tsk… Ok, here is your chance. To make sure you receive provocative and informative articles from this web site, simply click here and subscribe to my articles by email or RSS feed. Go ahead, don’t be shy! With an irresistible price tag (FREE) it is one of the best investments you’ll ever make!

Image: Opposites Attract, courtesy of Doctor Swan

Editor’s note: this article was originally sent to me as an email-reply to my previous article “The Law of Balance“. I asked the author (Lughan, a fascinating and talented artist - most famous for being my Mum) if she would be comfortable with me translating it from our native Spanish and then publishing it in this space. Luckily for us she agreed. The effort to translate & edit her original letter is now finished and ready for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

- The crazy Colombian

The best lessons come from experiences

I was intrigued by your treatment of opposites in your article ‘The Law of Balance‘, so I decided to send you this letter. Although you approach the topic from a different perspective than mine, I found a lot of common ground with some of the values & principles that I have embraced throughout my life. In my opinion, the polarity that arises from opposite ends of the spectrum is constant within our human condition; I have therefore devoted some time to studying it and understanding it.

All my studies and teachings on this topic were mere concepts until the summer of 1989, when I experienced the Law of Opposites (a corollary to the law of Balance) during my second concert-exhibition in Bogota, Colombia. Before I get to that story, I would like to share some of the events that preceded that important moment in my life.

The evolution of art into the 21st century

From a very early age I learned to play the piano, and I gave my first professional concert on April of 1986. Despite my extensive training, I soon realised I needed more than just music to thrive as an artist, so I started experimenting with other media. I wrote (fiction as well as non-fiction); took some lessons in how to paint; and learned to sculpt. Throughout this period, I also experimented with watercolours, mixed media, and teaching (I gave art history lessons for adults at my local community centre).

At some point in this journey, I reflected on the lack of multi-dimensional perspectives present on most traditional forms of art. Some would argue this is false. After all, all painters use techniques in perspective that will make any painting feel three-dimensional. Similarly, audiophiles will argue that music is sensed three-dimensionally when experienced at a concert hall , as opposed to the more two-dimensional experience we have while listening it through our iPods. Yet most artists confine themselves to one medium, and develop deep expertise on it. It is this deep specialisation that leads to what I call one-dimensionality.

With this in mind, I started asking myself some tough questions: Can an artist be good enough across a couple of disciplines to create an enriching and truly multi-media artistic experience? What would happen if I put in a painting my emotional reaction to the music I play in the piano? There was no other way to know but to give it a try. I always had told my son that I would love for him to become an astronaut, and explore the depths of space no one else has ever touched. In a way, I saw myself playing an equivalent role; the lonely artist that would explore the depths of mixing vastly different arts such as music, painting, and sculpture.

After about a year of trial and error I felt I was ready to perform in front of a public, and my first concert-exhibition was scheduled for the 16th of April, 1986 in my native Bogota.

So what exactly is a concert-exhibition?

It is a multi-art experience that is hinged around two traditional artistic performances: A concert and an exhibition. In my case, the concert came in the form of a piano recital, during which I used a slide-projector (yes, the old-fashioned type!) to show photos of the paintings or sculptures that were inspired by my feelings whilst performing that particular piece. The exhibition came in two shapes: the aforementioned display of photo-slides during the concert (call it a preview of the real thing); and a formal exhibition of my art after the concert was finished.

At the age of 41 I was a concert-exhibition virgin. That all changed that year when I performed 27 pieces composed by Schumann, Debussy and Villalobos. After receiving encouragement from my audience, I decided to repeat this type of concert three years later. On this second occasion I performed the 24 preludes by Chopin, and a series of 24 paintings inspired in each of those musical masterpieces.

Chopin’s 24 preludes: A study of polarity by a timeless musician

Why did I choose these pieces by Chopin for my second concert-exhibition? Part of it was due to the fact that of the 24 pieces, exactly half are dynamic, light, and written in an open mood; whilst the other half are darker, sometimes very quiet and at times very agressive, but always dramatic. Interestingly, the order of the 24 preludes makes it a unit in which a light piece is followed by a dark piece, which is then followed by a light piece, and so on. Actually the 24 preludes were composed in the 24 keys that exist in music, and the 12 major keys correspond to the lighter pieces whereas the 12 minor keys correspond to the dramatic ones. The pattern Chopin established (thus emphasizing human polarity with music) was that of a major scale followed by a minor scale, and so on.

On this basis, I painted 24 landscapes, of which 12 were full of light and movement, and the other 12 were dramatic in different ways. A part of me resonated strongly with this polarity, as I felt through this collection of music & painting that I was exploring the entirety of my soul, from my darkest thoughts and moments, to my happiest ones.

A difficult lesson

After the concert was completed, we (as usual) invited the audience to enjoy the original paintings on an exhibition hall adjunct to the concert hall. It was in these moments that my big learning arrived. I was surprised (almost hurt) by people’s reactions. In truth I should not have been surprised, but reality is that I was taken back dramatically.

What was the public’s reaction? They all loved the 12 pieces that were full of light and movement; yet at the same time they rejected (in quite strong ways) the darker pieces. Having approached the painting of the landscapes as an exercise on self-portraiture, I was deeply hurt by both the comments and the buying patterns of my audience. To some extent, I felt rejected, abandoned, lonely. Their simplistic reactions showed me that no one had really understood how much of my soul I had put into them. They ALL were self-portraits; and the rejection of half of my paintings made me feel like they only accepted me when I was at my best; and rejected me when I was not.

It was at this time that I truly realised the reality of the Law of Opposites. I understood why is it so hard for us to find love; to find happiness whilst living in a different country with a different culture; or to develop deep, long-lasting friendships. We often fall in love with the lighter side of people: the happy boyfriend; the compassionate husband; the devoted lover. It is only human to fall in love with those characters, as they are easy to love. Yet when the same person suddenly morphs into the opposite, we find it difficult to accept that it is the same person, and we start questioning our love. It is unavoidable that we will suddenly experience a moment when our partner is at the depths of his depression; at the height of his anger; or in the middle of a confusing moment that may lead him astray; and it is in these moments that we reject him for what he did to us. And in that split second, we decide that we can not love that person anymore.

Yet for us to find true love, we need to accept that our partner will be full of contradictions; that we will experience both his lighter and his darker side. For us to find true love, we need to appreciate his positive traits, whilst accepting his negative ones. To find true love, it is essential to communicate our appreciation for the good things our partner does for us, whilst constructively explaining the impact that have those not-so-good things he often does without even realising that he hurt us.

It is not hard then to see that it is in this balanced appreciation and acceptance of all aspects of our partners’ self that True Love finds its source; that as long as we continue to judge other people, other countries, other cultural, social, political, or religious groups from a perspective of polarity (”I am right, you are wrong”), we will continue to fail in creating a better world for our children.

It is not surprising that after this epiphany, my next artistic experience was to write a book. Can you guess the title? Go here* to find out.

*Disclaimer: If you follow the Amazon link above and purchase the book, the owner of this blog will receive a small portion from the sales of the book via the Amazon Associate program; your support of our efforts to keep this magazine free are greatly appreciated!

If you’re new to this series, make sure you visit our page on the Peaceful Warrior Series to read related articles.

We are made of 3 selves: Our Conscious self, where rational thinking resides; Our higher self, concerned with spiritual matters; and our basic self, home to our intuitive thinking. With the lastcouple of centuries dominated by scientific and commercial enterprises, we have grown accustomed to the predominant use of our logical abilities. Yet for those of us who have been willing to experiment beyond logical reason, it is evident that working across the entirety of ourselves can lead to a more happy and balanced life.

In this post we will explain why you should rely more on your intuitive self, and we will also teach you some simple yet powerful tools that will allow you to exercise your ‘intuitive muscles’.

Why should we practice intuitive thinking?

Have you ever been at a critical junction in your life, and said to yourself “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this just doesn’t feel right”?” That was your intuitive self speaking. If our rational thinking resides in our head, intuitive thinking resides in our gut (and spiritual thinking resides in our heart). It is well documented in business books that many of the most successful entrepreneurs make decisions in the absence of sufficient data, and use their gut feel to guide them through the maze of challenges they face along the way.

Using our basic selves more often is not difficult; since the beginning of humanity, we have had oracles, psychics, magicians, and other types that have tapped into what Carl Jung called as the Universal Unconscious. Yet many of us look at intuitive people as charlatans that have no fact-base from which to offer their advise. In many cases, it is this emphasis on facts and our five senses that blinds us to the reality that we all have access to a sixth internal sense that can be as powerful (if not more) than the external ones.

Trust your intuition

In order to tap into your intuition, there are some tips you can easily follow. Next time you face an important challenge in your life, spend some time in solitude, silence and stillness, and ask yourself What would be my decision if I already knew the answer to my problem? Then clear your mind as much as possible, and wait to see what comes into it. The more you resist your natural tendency to logical argument, the better your chances to connect with your basic self and get advise from your inner wisdom. If this technique doesn’t work, you might want to use some well-known tools such as time-lining; oracle cards; or the old and reliable I Ching.

• Time lining. Take a blank piece of paper, and at the top write the first course of action under consideration. Pretend you have followed this course of action, and then ask yourself: Now that I have chosen to do X, how do I feel, look, and be doing one day from today? Allow your imagination to answer, and write it on the piece of paper. Then ask again, but this time ask how would you feel/look/be doing one week after today, instead of one day. Repeat the process for one month, one year, five years, and ten years. Once you’re finished, move on to the second course of action, and repeat the process. Repeat as many times as options available to you. By the end of the exercise, put the piece of paper away and ask yourself So, what is the best course of action? Your subconscious will easily guide you to the right decision
• Oracle cards. There are many sets of cards that you can use to get guidance from your subconscious. Many people believe that those who read oracle cards can predict the future. That is an incorrect interpretation of what oracle cards can do. Since the answer to your questions often is deep within yourself, Oracle cards will guide you to explore and assess some specific areas; areas that when put under scrutiny, will allow you to gain valuable insights in your decision-making. There are many different sets of cards available to us, and each of them has a variety of readings you can do with them. You might want to try a few sets, and by trial and error find the one that gives you clear and accurate guidance more often than the others.
• I Ching. Also called ‘The Book of Changes’, the I Ching is one of the oldest classic Chinese books available. It;s ideas are based on the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change. The predictions are represented by 64 diferent symbols, which are constructed using three coins, thrown six consecutive times. Like oracle cards, you might want to experiment for a while and decide whether this tool works well for you.

These are some of the most commonly known tools available to tap into our intuitive selves. Remember that, in the end, they are training wheels. With practice, your ability to tap into your intuition and trust your instinct will quickly improve, empowering you to make more balanced decisions in your life.

• I, Cringely (link)
• Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits (link)
• Seth Godin’s blog (link)
• Randy Cassingham’s This is True (link)
• Dan Millman’s The Peaceful Warrior’s Way (link)
• J.D. Roth’s Get Rick Slowly (link)
• New Scientist’s Environment blog (link)

If you’d like to review what I’ve said about each of them, you may want to go to this page. For now, let’s get on to this week’s addition:

Brian Clark’s Copyblogger (link)

Is writing good ‘copy’ a lost art? Not when you subscribe to this blog about great copy-writing for online success. The brain child of Brian Clark and founded in 2006, this blog has quickly become a Mecca for aspiring internet writers and marketers alike. Full of good advice on how to get traffic; gain subscribers; attract links; and sell something (anything!), Copyblogger gives you the required knowledge to master the Art & Science of writing compelling copy.
If you have an online presence, and want people that visit your web site to respond in specific ways, Copyblogger is a must have subscription (and like all other entries in this Hall of Fame, it’s free)

• I, Cringely (link)
• Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits (link)
• Seth Godin’s blog (link)
• Randy Cassingham’s This is True (link)
• Dan Millman’s The Peaceful Warrior’s Way (link)
• J.D. Roth’s Get Rick Slowly (link)

If you haven’t visited their blogs, I strongly recommend you take a bit f time now and go check their writing. I will happily wait for you to come back. Want to know a bit more about them before leaving me for a while? Check this page where I give you a bit more information about every one of them.

Are you back already? Good. Let’s then get to this week’s addition:

New Scientist’s Environment blog (link)

Before the net was born, people read magazines to learn new things and stay up to date with new developments in most fields. In 1956, New Scientist magazine started its mission of helping people stay abreast of discoveries in the fields of Science & Technology. With the advent on the Internet, New Scientist decided to embrace the new technology and openeds its’ web site in 1996. Then in December 2006, the New Scientist Environment blog opened it’s doors to the public. Whether you simply want to become more informed about our environment; learn what impact is global trade having on our planet; or whether climate change is a conspiracy theory, NS’s environmental blog is the place for you.