Saturday, December 31, 2011

getting away from the mundane

I recently had a conversation with some of my friends about how couples tend to slowly get into a level of conversation that is very mundane, away from the elevated and uplifting that characterize the beginning of the relationship when everything is new and you want to find out as much as possible, discuss different points of view and see what the other's plans and goals in life are.

why is that so? maybe because in the beginning, there's so much investigation to do, so many questions to ask and different points of view to figure out. once the excitement has worn off, it's easier to get into the lull of "what do we need tonight?", "who should do the shopping?", etc. and then we just continue on our day...

but then this quote comes to mind:
Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk.
- Bahá'u'lláh
I'm not saying that the mundane conversations are unseemly, they're even downright necessary - consultation and communication about even the simplest things is key to a successful relationship. it's more the danger of getting stuck in these types of conversations, and not exploring new arenas of thought that is the worry. if the union in marriage is the foundation for a healthy society, shouldn't the couple be more open to new information?

so how can couples manage to get themselves out of the everyday and mundane? if we are to be able maintain a high quality level of conversation for an extended period of time, we need to expose ourselves to new activities and thoughts, ideas and conversations from other people - becoming outward-oriented in our thought and reach, spending time with those that may not have the same points of view as we do, just to get some new insights into life.

another way is to read. a lot. read different books, from various authors and sources, and then talk to people about them. share ideas and thoughts, reflections and learnings. it is a very good way of getting out of old thoughts and habits, ways and manners.

here is another insight from farnam street on what happens as we get older:
As the years go by we view our familiar surroundings with less and less freshness of perception. We no longer look with a wakeful, perceiving eye at the faces of people we see everyday, nor at any other features of our everyday world.
we have to be open to new impressions, and like a child be willing to constantly learn new things. so what if we don't figure things out at the first attempt or fail? let's try again!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

service and invention

I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent...
- Thomas Edison

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

why do we circumambulate?

oftentimes before going to pray at the Shrines, we circumambulate in silence and reverence, before going inside. recently, I've had the conversation with some friends asking why this is the case - why do we circumambulate? what is its significance?

according to wikipedia: Circumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object. reading the following quote might give a nudge in the right direction:
The spiritual world is like unto the phenomenal world. They are the exact counterpart of each other. Whatever objects appear in this world of existence are the outer pictures of the world of heaven. (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 9)
so what would be the spiritual equivalent of circumambulation? maybe it could have to do with the fact that when we circumambulate in the physical world, our center of attention is the Shrine and the Manifestation of God, and a reminder that we should try to do the same in the spiritual world:
The state of prayer is the best of conditions, for man is then associating with God. (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 201)
so in the same way that our physical bodies center around the physical remains of the Manifestation of God when we circumambulate, we should try to have our soul and thoughts constantly centered on the Manifestation, His life and teachings.

how to do that is another subject altogether...

Monday, December 26, 2011

interesting point regarding SOPA

while reading about the SOPA(*) hearing, there was talk about hastening up the process, despite it perhaps not being entirely ready yet:
Over and over again, opponents of the bill repeated the phrase that at the very least, the bill “wasn’t ready for prime time,” because it hadn’t included the input of technical experts, let alone addressed their complaints or concerns, and that there was no reason to rush it through the House.

Still, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), pointed out another reason for urgency.

“The House feels like it’s time to get something done, before we enter into election season,” Johnsons said. “That’s a legitimate political concern.”

However, he added: “I’m troubled we are making a decision without adequate data,” and said “haste makes waste.”
isn't it insane that election season dictates what can and should be brought up and when?

* wiki page on SOPA

Friday, December 23, 2011

google reader

do you go through your unread articles to just lower your unread counter, or to actually learn something? with the vast amount of information to be read, it seems oftentimes we go through articles and news just to feel good about not having such a high unread count. but let's say you had to limit yourself - which 10 feeds would you keep it to?

Monday, December 19, 2011

winding down

it seems that with people spending their last hours and minutes awake in front of the computer, skyping or chatting with friends, that there is very little to no time to wind down before going to sleep. how do you sort out your impressions and experiences of the day, if you are not allowing yourself some silent moments and time for reflection before sleeping? I think the last 30 minutes awake should be spent away from new impressions - TV, computer, etc. - and spent instead on prayer, meditation and reflection.