Sounds of Silence

01.24.2013

When I was in college, I was a champion procrastinator. One of the most productive forms of procrastinating came in the form of ironing my just-washed pants and shirts. Before the days of cable television in each dorm room, I would often iron in silence, watching the wrinkles vanish before my eyes, and creating uniform crisp creases. The sounds of hissing, misting, and the bursts of steam were all very tranquil.

 

Once the dorms were wired with cable, I took to multi-tasking: watching TV while ironing, sometimes there was even a headset involved and I would talk on the phone and iron (craziness!, I know). The peaceful and repetitive motion of ironing clothes allowed me to relax and watch the game or a sitcom. Post college the idea of watching TV and ironing continued. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re all familiar with the scene in movies where the clairvoyant woman with the long fingernails will wave her hand over her crystal ball. She will be able to “see the future” or help her clientele recall an event from the past. Most importantly, someone is seeing something significant. What would it be like if you can “see” into the future, or go back to a past event?

 

The beauty of our brain is that it’s capable of many extraordinary things. If you close your eyes and think of the Eiffel Tower, most people will able to “hold onto” a mental image. Perhaps it’s an image from our last visit to Paris, or perhaps it’s based on a series of photos or drawings we’ve seen of the iconic tower. Read the rest of this entry »

“I want someone to love” or “I want someone to love me”…On the eve of Valentine’s Day, these declarations emerge along with aisles of heart-shaped boxes of assorted chocolates. How does one find love? Where does one find love? Is it internet dating sites? Being set up by friends/family.

 

In looking for love, I think we have to start with our selves: Do we love our selves? Do we treat our selves with care and respect? In other words, do we have a good relationship with our selves?

In a relationship being mindful of the needs of someone else and your self is not easy. You may find yourself giving more in a relationship, or you may find yourself taking more in a relationship. This inequality could eventually lead to problems where you’re neglecting yourself or the other person. So what’s love of self got to do with any of this?

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