One Characteristic Of Greatness
Greatness is rare.
And I think in order to become great, you have to let go of good things. You have to say “No” to good things, at some point.
“Who’s All Going?”
If you’ve ever organized an activity or event, you’ve undoubetedbly had someone (perhaps many) ask you: “Who’s all going?”
This question can be frustrating and annoying to the organizer.
Diversity is God
I’ve been thinking about God lately.
It’s like a Snicker’s bar.
There it is, got the logo on the outside: Snickers! You know the rundown of assets: crunchy peanuts, smooth nougat, milk chocolate. Wrapped up. Delicious. You know what you’re gonna get if you want it — that is if you’re not more of a Milky-Way type, but shit, you might be one of those Almond Joy heathens.
Supermarket God. That’s what we dig. Illusion of choice. Illusion of uniformity.
These people = this. Those people = that. These people = caramel. Those people = terrorists.
Mozart’s Creative Process
I just came across a passage in Brewster Ghiselin’s The Creative Process, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart discusses his creative process. (The passage is actually a selection from Life Of Mozart (audiobook), by Edward Holmes.
Mozart writes:
In Motion
The pleasure in resting is more a feeling of relief rather than excitement. After a long trip, lots of physical activity, or just a full day running errands, sitting or laying down may sound quite nice.
But it’s just part of the process toward recovery. It’s just a matter of re-energizing.
To move again.
Lately, I’ve been watching people in motion. At parks, malls, concerts, and on the streets. And I’ve noticed that when people are moving — when they’re active — they seem to be focused, directed, and often times jubilant.
I’m not sure why this is. Maybe it’s because movement elicits direction — a sense of focus and purpose? Maybe it’s due to the release of endorphins? Or maybe movement just produces a feeling of freedom?
Growing up, I was an incredibly active person. I was just never home for long. After a few minutes of inactivity, I was out the door onto the next thing.
And I’m coming to realize that I’m still like this. I just love being active. I’m coming to realize that being active is a significant part of who I am.
But I feel like I’m in a world that’s continually pushing me to sit still more often (and for longer periods) as I grow older — in front of computer monitors, television screens, and mobile devices.
Ya know, I pray for health. I hope for happiness. But I want to move.
I want to be in motion.
One Read
1. Recent Scenes From Iraq (boston.com/bigpicture)
“Just over seven years since the start of the Iraq War, the scheduled withdrawal of American forces is now becoming more evident. Last year, Americans pulled out of Iraqi cities and are working toward the formal end of combat operations by September 1st, when the number of soldiers in Iraq is expected to go from 77,500 to 50,000, and the name of the operation will change from “Operation Iraqi Freedom” to “Operation New Dawn”. Iraq continues to face multiple challenges including home-grown problems and potential external threats. Political uncertainty and wrangling after elections in March has fostered greater instability throughout the country with fears of renewed sectarian violence breaking out as insurgents step up attacks in an attempt to exploit vulnerabilities. Collected here are some recent photographs from the Iraq conflict.”