Four Agreements

Talking to my friend Michael today I was reminded of the "Four Agreements", by Miguel Ruiz. New age hoopla aside, they are simple, powerful, and effective reminders for life. Being sick and stressed out today, I'm glad I was reminded of them...

Here they are:

agreement 1

Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

agreement 2

Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

agreement 3

Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

agreement 4

Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Quote of the day

True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own.

Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (1883-1957)
(via http://wordsmith.org/)

Think-make-think

Inspired by John Maeda.
You can buy it here.

On The Shortness of Life: An Introduction to Seneca

Great posting by Tim Ferriss, a great read to start 2010.
iPhone users can download an app / ebook here.

Quote of the day

Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.

-- Marcus Aurelius, philosopher and writer (121-180) (via wordsmith.org)

Quote of the day

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

Attributed to George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950) Nobel Prize (Literature), 1925.

Quote of the day

The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

Bertrand Russell

Site of the Day

Beautiful site, beautiful work.

Quote of the day

The practice of education is the highest form of intellectual philanthropy.

John Maeda, in his book "The Laws of Simplicity"

Thought for today

"Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth."
-Fyodor Dostoevsky, novelist (1821-1881) (courtesy of Wordsmith)

Reason

A three-part post about reason:

(1) I'm happy to announce that The Reason Project was launched yesterday. According to their website, "The Reason Project is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. Drawing on the talents of some of the most prominent and creative thinkers across a wide range of disciplines, The Reason Project seeks to encourage critical thinking and wise public policy through a variety of interrelated projects — all with the purpose of eroding the influence of dogmatism, superstition, and bigotry in our world."

(2) I'm reading Alan Alda's excellent "Things I overheard while talking to myself". In chapter 6 ("A passion for reason"), he quotes Thomas Jefferson:

"I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way."

(3) And since Jefferson is one of my all-time heroes, why not another quote, found on a wall in the underground of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.:

“Here, we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”

Thomas Jefferson, 1820

Edge annual question - 2009

Responses to the Edge question for 2009 (What will change everything?) are out. Among them, two optimistic short essays -- one by Chris Anderson, another by Haim Harari -- on the power of the web (and technology in general) to revolutionize teaching and education and promote large-scale changes.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2009!

In the words of Michael McAlister:

May this be an amazing year filled with uncertainty and wonder. And may each of us meet every moment with as much attention as we can possibly summon, and love until there's nothing left of us.

Ode Magazine's Top 10 positive stories of 2008

And speaking of lists, here is another one... for Intelligent Optimists...
:-)

Book list

Yes, it's that time of the year... Lists, lists, and more lists...

Leo Babauta (from Zen Habits) has just published a list of 20 essential non-fiction books. I've read only 8 of the 20, but agreed 100% with their selection for the list, which made me look forward to read the other 12...

"Is there a particular faculty or staff member at FAU who especially helped you succeed? Who and how?"

This is a question that FAU seniors are asked on the Graduating Senior Survey, one of the many useful instruments devised and maintained by FAU's Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis.

Survey results for 2007-08 have just been published and are available here (as well as results for previous years). 

Browsing through the survey results and thinking about the students who wrote their comments and the faculty and staff who impacted their lives for better is a great way to examine how it feels to be on either end of the equation. It is also a powerful reminder of why I chose to be a teacher in the first place.

Beginner's mind

One of my favorite quotes, by one of my favorite Zen teachers, via the Presentation Zen blog.

And another "moment of Zen"

... but not in the "Daily Show with Jon Stewart" way... 

Instead, another excerpt from the excellent "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" book, particularly relevant in this pre-election days in the US: 

You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. They know it's going to rise tomorrow. When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kinds of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt.

Quotes of the day

Two quotes by brilliant British comedian Ricky Gervais in this week's TIME magazine:

You hit an age and you realize, What is your legacy? And you don't want to waste your time on things that you're not proud of.

There's nothing more amazing than human kindness.

Ten Simple Truths...

...about simplicity, doing less, and still accomplishing more.

Very good stuff (available here), by Bill Jensen, the author of the excellent book: What is your life's work?