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CLEMENTINES AND LUCA

January 2008

THIS MONTH's THEME:

A new beginning

Be willing to be a beginner
every single morning

Meister Eckhart


Sun energy joys

The new year started with a beautiful sunny day.
And with some of the most powerful solar engines on earth: clementines!
Those above are our first ones, the tree was planted by my father last year, so the pride is at its highest.
It is right in front of my window, I am looking so much forward to when it will become a full tree.
There are only about 10 clementines, and they look so nice, the tasting should be soon.

Isn't it enough to start a whole new year?


The will is there

Well, Meister Eckhart was an optimist: even if desirable, being a beginner every single morning struggles with another feature of the human beings: falling into habits.

But it is still possible: an interior attitude for being humble toward changes, about learning, trying new ways of solving the same problems, self-improvement, starting all over again.

As announced, enough with waiting for the world to become a better place to be. Time for changes and for putting wishes into action.

The beginning of a new year is a powerful chance, and this blog will be about all the big and small changes I wish to implement in my own life, and some more general suggestions to everybody.

We can support each other in keeping the promises. On my side, I am very determined, and I am already making some progress. We will have a look at this starting from tomorrow.


Luca's revolutions

So, what have been my own New Year resolutions?

I have really been expecting much from this year, so also my resolutions have been many and ambitious.
It is going very well, so far, and considering the conditions, which are still rather challenging.

The usual ones: more motion and improving my health in general. Not that I live that unhealthy, but there is always room for improvement. And I am doing pretty well: regular Yoga, and cycling. I had given a bit up, as the roads are so unsafe here, and was practically only cycling to the supermarket where I buy my organic food. But some country roads around here have been paved now, so there are more possibilities, for short trips at least. And I am working in the garden still, so that's always a hard training.

More resolutions: final rush with my work with music (and I am pretty close); having more time for all what I have been forsaking (still not done yet); more stability emotionally, and a new, possibly final, love relationship, (this is really wish-thinking, for the last part I mean); more social life (pretty difficult, as there is no one around here..). And many more, I can't remember right now, so they might be the most important ones...

Finally, writing this blog has been quite random lately. I wish then to write it in the morning, so that you can count on it. Well, time is close to 10pm right now, I think I have to work more on this... :)


The how-to

Any problem with keeping your resolutions?

As with anything else, there is people that is actually studying very thoroughly this issue. For ex. the psychologists Alan Marlatt and Elizabeth Miller, as reported in this article:
"How to keep up with those New Year's resolutions, researchers find commitment is the secret of success".

You can read the article, it's short, but I will report the main conclusion, that is, the key for succeeding is to:

  • have a strong initial commitment to make a change.
  • have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up.
  • keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the better you will do.

I agree, as I keep repeating: a very practical attitude at problems, and method in solving them, are the basic needs for succeeding, no matter what it is about.

You have got a whole week-end for assessing your progresses so far, and to project new resolutions, if you feel like. 'See' you again on Monday.


The all-times darling

What about health?

Yes, it is the King of Resolutions. Quitting smoking, for example. Not my problem of course, but it always reminds me of Italo Svevo's book La coscienza di Zeno (Zeno's concience).

ITALO SVEVO source: Wikipedia

If you want to meet this inconclusive psychoanalyzed man, Zeno Cosini, you can read the original Italian version here at Liber Liber,
or hear it as an
audio book here.
[please ignore the proprietary .mp3 format, and choose the free .ogg version].

May be one of your most dramatic resolutions is to finally learn Italian?
Incidentally, do not forget this is my mother tongue, and I have even been a teacher of it, in my life. As you know, I don't like much of Italy, but the language yes, I do.
Once more I invite you to use my Forum for this, it can really be a nice place for all kinds of exchanges and this can be one of them. I teach you my language, you teach me yours, isn't it a neat idea? Or suggesting your favorite books? C'mon, you know that no one is going to populate it, if no one starts.

There is one more reason why I quoted this book, not only its content about resolutions, but also because this is actually one of my resolutions: to finally have the time to read more fiction literature. As it is now, I read so much tech stuff, there is no time at all for the rest. I would like this to change, and re-reading the all-time's funny and instructive book by Svevo could be right the best start.

Have a nice reading.. :)


Real-time bummer

Being online all the time, as it is with the flat ADSL connections, brings sometimes a naive illusion that what is here is also there. I mean, I finally managed to write my daily blog entry in the morning, and was very proud of it, and then forgot to upload it...:(

So, you are actually reading my post tomorrow...


Some more banal tips

I feel like an American morning TV anchorman doing this, but I still insist even the smartest person needs to be humble and realize: it is simple and banal things that can make our resolutions to fail. So, I link to some more tips about how to keep resolutions.

That was one of those sites suggesting "an English muffin topped with a scrambled egg and a slice of low-fat cheese" for breakfast, or how to "conquer your shame" but isn't it great to have some fun, and snap some pills of practical knowledge, from time to time?

I know you will say you don't need this stuff, but read it, read it, I have always learned much from every single thing, even from pieces of paper thrown by someone on a street.

Knowledge advances both by mean of progressive accumulation, or by dramatic shifts, changes of paradigms, as Thomas Khun meant it.
Confronting yourself with worlds that are completely far away from yours can be a random source of those changes. Kinda like adding 'pink chaos' to your disciplined life.

And to close this entry I quote Khun:

“I am not a Kuhnian!”

 


So much happening behind the scenes

As you know, I have chosen this year to concentrate on the positive. And I stress "chosen" many times, as my view at the world hasn't changed one millimeter, not at all. I am not neurotically ignoring the realities of our existence. It is just that too much is too much, and I am so disappointed about this world, so disillusioned, so outraged, so furious, it was going to destroy me, as the first one.

I am still doing all what I can, in the background of this blog, as it to say. In fact, the main reason why I have often difficulties to maintain this site is that I am writing so much all the time, intervening in all kinds of blogs, discussions, journalistic sites on the net. I use a lot of time for it, plus all the rest I am doing, so at times it happens I finally sit in front of the computer to write these posts, and I have to give up.

What I am trying is in fact to contrast the landslide of ferocious and infamous destructive propaganda and appalling triviality, vulgarity, mindless violence, we all are bombed with daily. Both because of the media and because of some very conscious evil that everyone seems to ignore, but that is the major cause of the barbarian times we live in.

It is the connection: mercenary media / rich owners and their multinationals / far right politicians and activists / all kinds of big powers in the world, religious, political, ideological, nationalist / industrial-technological-falsescientific forces.

What people really seems to continue to ignore is how well organized evil is.

I have got no illusion I will be able to do anything about all that. Evil is winning, it is rapidly going to destroy this world, while people gladly clapping their hands.
But I am not like that, and I am not going to change.
I keep on cultivating the highest daily gentle evolution. And still open to nice surprises, rare but always welcomed.


I am singing in the Sun

Don't get depressed about what I wrote yesterday, it is Friday, and a whole week-end in front of you, how can anyone be depressed on a Friday? It's the most gorgeous day ever invented!

Seriously, yesterday I wanted to underline once more, and only once, that I am still exactly as I use to be, even more and more determined, but that it requires tons of energy to keep doing so in this world. I know I must be on the wrong planet, something went wrong on my trip to existence (not up-to date road maps perhaps??), but that's the way it is.

I need to recharge the batteries now, and I have a wonderful solar charger available here, like everyone else has too. It is life, in fact. It is pure fraud, but there are plenty of miracles in it to recharge those batteries, and this is exactly what I am doing.

While I write about this evil world, there is marvelous nature in front of me, it's a sunny day, the sky is blue, and the birds are singing wildly.
One must be far out, to be depressed today.

Have a nice week-end.


Half and half makes one

Already half of this month gone?? Well, there is still half of this month left!!

To see the glass half full or half empty is one of those life paradoxes we all deal with.

Interested in this fundamental differences in attitude toward life? You could read this article:
"What a speaker’s choice of frame reveals:
Reference points, frame selection, and framing effects".

Now, don't get scared by the usual funny language spoken by scientists, and the Psychologists Craig R. M. Mckenzie and Jonathan D. Nelson, (University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California) in this case.
It is about the glass half empty and half full, basically.

This is indeed one more of my New Year's resolutions, to finally dedicate more time to some renewed psychological studies. Going back to one of my strongest roots. It was 20 years ago last time I opened a psychology book, right from La Jolla might even be, so it is about time!
[after 7 years fully dedicated to psychological studies, I had kind of a live-life-instead reaction, that's why. But Psychology is still my dear wise best friend, do not doubt about it].


Hymn to Joy

I didn't even have to look for positive stories today, as the perfect one surfaced quickly and absolutely powerfully, all by itself.

Daniel Barenboim's got a Palestinian passport.
Who is he? An Israeli classical music director and piano player.

From the newspapaper Haaretz:

“Daniel Barenboim, the world renowned Israeli pianist and conductor, has taken Palestinian citizenship and said he believed his rare new status could serve a model for peace between the two peoples.

«It is a great honor to be offered a passport», he said late on Saturday after a Beethoven piano recital in Ramallah, the West Bank city where he has been active for some years in promoting contact between young Arab and Israeli musicians.

« I have also accepted it because I believe that the destinies of ... the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are inextricably linked,» Barenboim said. «We are blessed - or cursed - to live with each other. And I prefer the first.»
«The fact that an Israeli citizen can be awarded a Palestinian passport, can be a sign that it is actually possible,» he continued.

Former Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouthi, who helped organize Saturday's concert, said the passport had been approved by the previous government of which he was a member and which was replaced in June. The passport had actually been issued about six weeks ago, he added.

Argentine-born Barenboim, 65, is a controversial figure in his adoptive homeland, both for his promotion of 19th-century composer Richard Wagner - whose music and anti-Semitic writings influenced Adolf Hitler - and vocal opposition to Israeli policies in the Palestinian territories.

Asked about U.S. President George W. Bush's remarks last week on a visit to the region that a peace could be signed this year, Barenboim warned of the danger of raising hopes too high.

«It would be absolutely horrible if now, with good intentions, expectations are raised which will not be able to be fulfilled,» Barenboim said. «Then we will sink into an even greater depression.»

Though he dismissed any wish to play a political role, the former music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra took a dig at Bush's strikingly forceful call in Jerusalem last week for Israel to end, in the president's own words, "the occupation."

«Now even not very intelligent people are saying that the occupation has to be stopped,» Barenboim said.

Along with the late Palestinian academic Edward Said, he co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, made up of young musicians from Israel, the Palestinian territories and neighboring Arab countries. ”

 


Eeem..

In your state of positive exaltation you certainly didn't notice I disappeared for a couple of weeks... not really, I apologize.

It's a pity I had no chance to expand more on this important concept of this month's blog, but I simply did experience what acute stress can precipitate.

For weeks, and actually for months and years I did work all the time doing so many things at the same time. Multitasking, if you want, something that is causing more and more stress, in fact, to a growing number of people. Doing too many things at the same time, working too much, the digital possibilities, having too high expectations, and being surrounded by a world that doesn't match the same tempo and quality, for sure.

I have been able to work like this because carried forward by projects, goals, hopes. Something that is not easy to maintain these days. I am working so much in a very un-supportive environment, the Italian society to put it short, and what happened was that my mind frightening stopped working. Everything was disrupted for some days.

I had to finally stop doing a lot of things and relax, continuing with the physical activity but slowing down with all the rest. I am still not very well, but things are improving.

The major consequence has been I didn't feel like writing at all, as you have noticed as friends too, as I didn't answer back mails for some time. I continued to work a lot with music, as it is always giving me so many satisfactions and music has a therapeutic effect on me. So there are still lots of compositions on the way for you to listen to.

The main source of stress have been some local problems here. As you heard, our Romano Prodi government was killed by an obscene alliance of evil forces (right wing politicians, and their media, criminal organizations, tax evaders, the Vatican), and all the good work they were doing to change the Italian society has been abruptly stopped, that gave quite a big shot of frustration and desperation.

And even more local stuff: we are having big troubles with some people in the place where I live, who are doing lots of illegal things and making our life hard. Like throwing tons of toxic garbage in front of our house, yes literally, and building illegally, especially a big ugly construction also neighboring us. It's very heavy stuff, and difficult to solve, as everything is corrupted here, and anarchism and abuse is the rule, not the exception.

All in all, lots of problems to solve and so much work, but the positive attitude continues still.

I hope I have given some impulses to start a new year with a reinforced attitude anyway. Let's see if I will be able to be more stably writing in the next month's blog. Happy closing of this month!