Cold Start

Jan 29, 2022 | Photos, Stationary Work and Travel, Updates

One month goes by quickly.

More so, when you constantly experience something new. And this month is not one that’s lost in time, quite the opposite.
I think I have done many things for the first time, in a way, and have taken unexplored paths inside my brain.
This might be the key to time: The more memories (memorable moments) you have, the more you have made of your time.

It is exciting to live in a different place and shape your life around new circumstances. And I have to say: Those circumstances are pretty neat and that I am grateful for.

Even though being in a new city, I have not gone out as much as I would have liked.
That is because of the cold and the grey that waits for you outside. But still, I have done a fair share of wandering and loved it so far.

I even went through the struggle of keeping my hands out of my pockets and on my camera.
The discomfort and pain paid off, which I would like to share with you today:

The days are still short, but on some there is enough light left after work to explore the sights around.

And oh, what sights they are!

I also have a nice hill to climb right on my doorstep and after going up in the dark once, I knew what would be a nice view in the day.

This one goes out to those who like to look at the stars and beyond.

 

In the end, the fierce winds blew me back inside, but I will face it again anytime for this!

Wide World – Small World

Jun 29, 2021 | After The Great Journey, Photos, Thoughts

The world we live in is wide.

Once we leave our confining spaces, the walls are gone and every step we take changes our perspective. We experience something new and find ourselves in new situations we can learn from and grow.

Sometimes the world seems so wide, we forget to pay attention to the details. These can be as small as one pixel, I like to call it.

Ever so often, when you look closely, the seemingly ugly and unpleasant thing can be of astonishing beauty and wonder.

Life works just like that: Sometimes there is twists and turns and you need to find something to focus on in all the hullabaloo.

Maybe you will find that these little things also reflect this wide and wondrous world, as small as they might be.

It is okay to explore the small world, to see what escapes the eye so easily, to understand the finer structures of the wide world we live in.

How to shape your reality

Mar 31, 2021 | After The Great Journey, Photos, Thoughts

Today at work I learned something about ease and unease and it led me to a rather topical topic I would like to share with you.

Sometimes I ask myself: What is happening these days?
Is anything happening? And if yes, is it good or is it bad? Do I like it or don’t I?

A silly old answer to that would be: It depends.

Thinking about it more, it starts to make sense to me. It just depends. But on what?
It solely depends on my perspective. How I look at things. How I interpret things and in which way my sensory apparatus reports back to the CPU.
You can apply this train of thought to grander and tinier schemes: Be it some triviality or something big, like the ugly faces of a lock-down situation.

Starting with the trivialities, I would like to lay out my favorite story on how to shape your reality:
Imagine yourself driving. You left home right on time for a moderately important thing. All’s well, music is nice, the sun is not blinding and your tummy rumbles in anticipation for what is to come.
Now there’s more cars on the road than yours alone and you approach a car from behind. Most times this happens when the other car goes slower than you do. And this one stinking does!
There is no way to overtake, no alternative detour, no chance it would go faster, no other way but following this slowpoke.

Some of you might already have taken the decision on how you feel about the situation. But guess what, you are one step ahead of me!
I still haven’t decided on what to make out of the situation:

  • Do I jump to the conclusion that this driver just wants to make me angry?
  • Do I bathe in thoughts of revenge and what gestures I will use, should I finally overtake?
  • Do I judge the driver by this only drive I must witness?
  • Do I assume things about him?
  • Do I know anything about him?
  • Do I know who he is?
  • Do I know where he is going or where he is coming from?
  • Do I know what he might be transporting?
  • Do I know whether he has a choice driving this slow?

Based on the answers I would give to these questions, I will go by one of these universal theories:

  • In the seat next to him is a huge bowl of dessert that he found no way covering. So he better drive slow!
  • He experiences a medical emergency, which got worse during the drive and he must be careful not to endanger others.
  • He is the best man for a wedding and has the splendorous cake to deliver.
  • He is scared to the bones because he just missed some deer crossing the same street and drives extra cautious, no matter what.

At the core of my message please find this: We all have a perfectly neutral choice to either be just mad or assume any of the benevolent theories.

Why can we do that so easily? Because the consequences of our reality-bending choice are free of any harm whatsoever.

In any situation making us feel uneasy, we can use this. For example:

  • Is something making you feel embarrassed for someone else and you positively cannot stop it from happening? Look away and don’t let it happen in your mind. Did it ever happen then?
  • Do you fear judgement of others and are you too afraid to ask about it? Pretend they do not judge you to begin with.
  • Do you have negative assumptions about something you do not understand fully? Assume otherwise. (that is a hard one)

So whenever you feel this window, when you indeed have the free will to assume something good or bad, choose wisely.
Only keep in mind the consequences of your choice. Does it affect nothing else than your own reality? Then go ahead and shape it to your liking!
But as soon as it affects the reality of others, be it through you telling others about your shaped reality or through other actions towards others, you have a greater responsibility to carry.

To the grander schemes, like a globally present situation or other things and events we don’t have much to say or to change about, we can apply this way of thinking as well.
Based on what we know and on the real life consequences of our way of thinking, we can assume any attitude we like best and which helps us the most.

Our thoughts are us. And what are we?

 

Pics unrelated.