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| An unusual request from a Scotsman? |
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| Maud Adams in Octopussy (1983) |
Chris Knowles at the 'The Secret Sun' blog brought this squid story to my attention in one of his latest posts -
Sync or Swim: The Days of the Lords
I share it here because, like meditation, it's a daily practice that has had exponential impact on my anxiety.
To be honest, it is a form of meditation."
Have a Gratitude Ritual?
And as I was reading Sarah Wilson's book 'First, We Make the Beast Beautiful' she writes this about happiness and happenstance - "Ruth Whippman author of 'The Pursuit of Happiness and Why It's Making Us Anxious', reckons the search for happiness is making anxiety worse because "the expectations of how happy you should be are so high, you always feel you are falling short"."
"Whippman, somewhat acerbically, argues that our pursuit of happiness - including the recently fashionable route via mindfulness - is particularly privileged.
"It is a philosophy likely to be more rewarding for those whose lives contain more privileged moments than grinding, humiliating or exhausting ones.
"Those for whom a given moment is more likely to be 'sun-dappled yoga pose' than 'hour 11 manning the deep-fat fryer'."
Washing Up is Good for You?
Psychotherapy Encounters Yoga?
Sarah Wilson goes on to write - "(I've previously wondered if it's a privilege to even be able to question your anxiety as I do here - whether anxiety is a bourgeois affliction.
I don't anymore.
I think the issue has gone rogue - more on this to come - and while not everyone can book themselves into a meditation retreat in Sri Lanka for two weeks at a time, or flee to a shed in the Byron Bay hinterland, most of us really do benefit from knowing we're not alone and from trying out each other's simple techniques for accessing some stillness and peace.
"It is a philosophy likely to be more rewarding for those whose lives contain more privileged moments than grinding, humiliating or exhausting ones.
"Those for whom a given moment is more likely to be 'sun-dappled yoga pose' than 'hour 11 manning the deep-fat fryer'."
Washing Up is Good for You?
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| "Would you like fries with that?" |
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| Carl Jung helped to inspire the founder of AA. Coincidence?-) |
Sarah Wilson goes on to write - "(I've previously wondered if it's a privilege to even be able to question your anxiety as I do here - whether anxiety is a bourgeois affliction.
I don't anymore.
I think the issue has gone rogue - more on this to come - and while not everyone can book themselves into a meditation retreat in Sri Lanka for two weeks at a time, or flee to a shed in the Byron Bay hinterland, most of us really do benefit from knowing we're not alone and from trying out each other's simple techniques for accessing some stillness and peace.
But I digress ...)"
Big Ideas: Anxiety- is it Just Me?
Sarah Wilson continues in her book - "And here's another issue with the 'just be happy' approach of the past fifteen years: happiness is put forward as a choice, not a matter of luck.
Yet happiness literally derives from the Middle English word 'hap', meaning chance or good luck (thus 'happenstance' or 'perhaps').
We've twisted the meaning in recent times such that it's now something we just have to work hard to get to the bottom of.
It's as though it's an endpoint that exists.
We just have to sift through various options and decisions and choices.
But, of course, getting to the bottom of options is anxiety-inducing.
Whippman refers to stacks of studies that show that the more relentlessly we value and pursue happiness, the more likely we are to be depressed, anxious and lonely."
Osher Günsberg's Life is No Bed of Roses?
Looking Through Glasses?
Oddly enough, Osher Günsberg who wrote a book (pictured above) about his ongoing battles with anxiety, alcoholism and depression hosts a podcast and I was listening to his #171 podcast with Brisbane comedian and DJ, Stav Davidson, who once sang a song on radio to the lyrics I wrote for a suburban song competition I entered years ago and won $500 for my effort.
Julie McKenzie Enlightening the Ether
In that podcast Osher asks Stav about growing up in Glasgow, Scotland, and asks if you could get kale health shakes there to which Stav says "probably only deep-fried ones":-)
I couldn't help thinking of the similarities between Stav's childhood and Jimmy Barnes childhood, both leaving Glasgow with their family to grow up on the other side of the world in Australia -
A Sign from a 'Working Class Man'?
I guess the take-away from this post is that happiness is not something you can chase no matter how long your bucket list is, and that deep-fried food won't solve your happiness problems, either -
10 Times Happier?
My Happy Mess?
Sarah Wilson continues in her book - "And here's another issue with the 'just be happy' approach of the past fifteen years: happiness is put forward as a choice, not a matter of luck.
Yet happiness literally derives from the Middle English word 'hap', meaning chance or good luck (thus 'happenstance' or 'perhaps').
We've twisted the meaning in recent times such that it's now something we just have to work hard to get to the bottom of.
It's as though it's an endpoint that exists.
We just have to sift through various options and decisions and choices.
But, of course, getting to the bottom of options is anxiety-inducing.
Whippman refers to stacks of studies that show that the more relentlessly we value and pursue happiness, the more likely we are to be depressed, anxious and lonely."
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| Note: This is not me, I'm on a non-dairy vegetarian diet |
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| Osher Günsberg, Stav Davidson and the !hit 105 crew |
Oddly enough, Osher Günsberg who wrote a book (pictured above) about his ongoing battles with anxiety, alcoholism and depression hosts a podcast and I was listening to his #171 podcast with Brisbane comedian and DJ, Stav Davidson, who once sang a song on radio to the lyrics I wrote for a suburban song competition I entered years ago and won $500 for my effort.
Julie McKenzie Enlightening the Ether
A Sign from a 'Working Class Man'?
10 Times Happier?
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| It came from outer space?! |
I have read that at least here in the us of a, calamari can be pig anuses. we love bacon and anuses too.
ReplyDeleteI tried to read the cleaner book but it was too much for me. just the cleaning would have been iffy.
my link is tenuous and my comments are bot short haha. I love the area X trilogy, has a fine suction cupped sea beast.
ReplyDelete