Thinking Thursday : Your Life is Tetris, not Chess
art by Oliver Jeffers
Things I have found in my wanderings around the web this week that I think you might want to read and think about–or do something about.
MIND
Your life is Tetris. Stop playing it like chess: “Chess also introduced the idea of the “other”. Black versus white. Our school versus theirs. And every game was zero sum — there was only ever one point to score, either to be shared or taken in its entirety. No way to grow the pie.” Are you playing the wrong game? (I can’t let this go by without mentioning James Carses’s book, Finite and Infinite Games. Just read it.)
You’re going to want to take this Harvard course about world religions with me.
NPR’s searchable catalog of the best books for kids is a treasure.
I love this.
BODY
I bet if you made this and shipped it to me, it would arrive relatively intact. And even if it didn’t, what glorious crumbs!
You’re gonna wanna save this list. Trust me on this one.
20 tips to never have spoiled food again and cut your grocery bill in half. I’m all for that.
When people die, sometimes they haven’t made it clear what they would like to have done with their things, and their body. When my mom died, this was an issue, and I determined that John and I would revisit our plans for death and use the Five Wishes document to spell everything out for our kids. I ordered copies of Five Wishes to send to family and friends, and some to give away. If you would like to commit to filling it out, let me know in the comments below and I’ll coordinate mailing one to the first 10 people who comment that they would like a copy.
SOUL
51 meditations for tending the heart fire. For example:
Sacred Activism
- Ask yourself what moves you, what you would give your life for. Find a way to give back for future generations from your heart.
- Care for the earth, for your food, and for energy sources. Use natural sources of food, light, and energy and feel the difference in your energetic body. Unplug and take responsibility for your energy exchange in the world.
- Whatever your greatest difficulty is, apply the opposite and find someone to serve. If you feel contraction, offer a generous act. If you have wavering doubt, be a steady hand for someone near. When you feel overwhelmed, put your hands in the earth and serve what is needed right in front of you.
SPEAKING UP
Learn to speak up in my Intro to Racism course, starting March 8th. It’s a life changer.
WORD
“Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one’s hand.”
― Ezra Pound
