That, in a sentence, is what the website 10,000 Thoughts is about. I stumbled on this site yesterday and it’s quite charming. It’s another twist on the growing sea of social networking sites springing from the hope of making the world a better place. That’s not a bad thing. Basically, you create a little profile, with as much, or as little, detail as wanted and start posting your own intentions and gratitudes. You can also comment on what others have posted. The site layout is nice, but still in beta so they are tweaking out the kinks. Here is the creator’s explanation of what the site is about. Enjoy!
Archive for June, 2007
Spreading Gratitude and Intent to Garner Support for Same
19
Jun
Self-Inquiry: Open Source
18
Jun
It’s funny how life’s lines cross sometimes. As I’ve posted about before, I have recently re-discovered the seemingly endless resource of self-inquiry as offered to the world by Ramana Maharshi. The moment I decided to look for more teachings on the subject, teachers literally sprang at me from all directions. One who has been very interesting is John Sherman.
This morning, doing my standard daily RSS troll I cam across an interesting post over at LifeHack.org - Open Source Life: How the open movement will change everything. The ideas there are very, very ambitious. Leo makes the leap from free online encyclopedias to, well, basically free everything. A pleasant dream, but perhaps not quite realizable within the time frame he suggests of 10-20 years. Still, things happen faster, and faster these days.
That post sat in the back of my mind as I worked through the day and kept the practice of self-inquiry close at hand. Then, I took a deeper look over at RiverGanga.com and came across this blog entry by John Sherman – We must make Ramana’s simple, perfect teaching freely available to all.
To quote John -
I want to use the magnificent and magical methods and technology now available to fling the seeds of this simple teaching freely to the winds. I want to use the internet, the radio, television, personal contact, and every other means of transmission that we together can come up with to plant the suggestion in every human mind that it might be worthwhile to look and see for itself, what it is, really.
I think this may be one of the best dreams of how to use the power of the tools provided by this information age ever. It’s not the first time this sort of idea has been proposed, and God willing it won’t be the last, but the coincidence of finding these two posts on the same day put a big smile on my face.
And, I would like to do my part. I am putting together a wiki as a repository of online resources I find on the way. If anyone who reads this has any resources to share, please email me and I will put them in the wiki as well.
The path of self-inquiry is a great adventure, and it’s always nice to have friends along for the trip.
As John says, “May all Being, know itself.”
This is Nothing Short of Amazing – Children Practicing Mindfulness
16
Jun
If you at all believe, or hope, that there is an evolution of consciousness taking place in our world, then this is a hopeful proof -
In the Classroom, a New Focus on Quieting the Mind
A Fan Letter to Ben Davis
14
Jun
I sent the following email to Ben Davis today and wanted to post it here as well -
Hello,
I am now, have been, and will remain a happy and loyal customer of Ben Davis.
When I was 21 years old I tipped the scale at the doctors office at 396 pounds. At 5’6″ that’s a whole lot of waistline. 60″ to be exact. At that top weight I could just get into your size 60, but not only were they readily available, but they also actually looked good. Well, they did not make me look as BAD as every other brand I tried. You can imagine how grateful I was for that, and continue to be. When I got down to size 48 I tried Dickies. No go. I have only bought Ben Davis since (except when out to buy a suit with my wife) and have no intention to go back. With the exception of length, I have short legs, I have never has to have adjustments made on the pants. They always simply fit well.
I am down to 188 pounds, and 36 size waist now and Ben Davis still look the best. I am not sure how many pairs I went through on my down and up and down battle against the bulge, but I really don’t care. Whatever size I have been at Ben has been with me.
Thank guys. You rock!
More Story, Mom!
13
Jun
Leo, over at ZenHabits has another excellent post – Can You Spot These 10 Thinking Sins?
His list reads -
- I will be happy once I have _____ (or once I earn $X).
- I wish I were as ____ as (a celebrity, friend, co-worker).
- Seeing others becoming successful makes me jealous and resentful.
- I am a miserable failure – I can’t seem to do anything right.
- I’m going to beat so-and-so no matter what – I’m better than him. And there’s no way I’ll help him succeed – he might beat me.
- Dammit! Why do these bad things always happen to me?
- You can’t do anything right! Why can’t you be like Johnny?
- Your blog sucks. It’s super lame. You should stop writing, because you’re a moron and I hope you never reproduce.
- Oh yeah? Well up yours too!
- I don’t think I can do this – I don’t have enough discipline. Maybe some other time.
The great thing about this list is the one common thread through them all. They are all story. They are all completely made up and based on opinion. They have no fact. The great mistake of the thinking mind is the loop of thinking that its thoughts have reality and are not simply a tool for navigating what is. We get so caught into this loop that we can’t see out. The reality though is that the seeing is the container for the thoughts, the thinking and all those things which could be thought about.
We need story to deal with life, to survive, and to cooperate. But, we are not our story. We are beyond that.
