This is the Part in Transition Which I Must Walk Alone

Saturday, Pacific Northwest -

it's chilly here as I began this day of reflection - feeling lonely, "Mean Mr. Mustard" comes to mind,

- issues with my family of origin with whom I'm triangulated with my biological mother at the apex of each triangle and whom I suspect is Narcissistic Personality Disordered,

- issues with my soon to be ex-fiance and her son with whom I'm triangulated,

- haven't heard from my son in quite some time (for him - he's surely "in love" as that's when I don't hear from him!), and everyone I used to know has moved on in their own lives. That's good.

- And I'm lonely. I'm alone. And I resist. It occurs to me, in that quiet little voice (that, for me, is my higher power, but we all have it and relate to it (or not) differently - mine, I've learned, is a quiet guide if I will slow down, calm down, enough to listen), that quiet little voice today is saying, "This is the part which you must walk alone. . . ."

So, Now That We Know . . . maybe we can stop putting energy into resistance - as the Borg would say, "Resistance is Futile."

Now That We Know . . . . jaz

Renewal for Regeneration

In listening to my daily "inspirational" tapes, Tony Robbins was on tap for today - an older program of his from just before the turn of the century. He makes a fine distinction in talking about our changed environment - we need to create completely anew - anticipating where things are going - not where they are or where they've been. I am so motivated that I changed the title from Transitions to Renewal (implying bringing back what is or was) to Transitions to Regeneration - to create something brand new. There's freedom in that paradigm, I believe. Now that we know . . . . jaz

News of the Mo'Fessor

Speaking of people I knew when the business was growing, I heard from the mailing list of one of the single most talented musicians I know, personally - the Mofessor - check this guy out - if you ever get to spend time with him, it's a privilege - plus he's just plain, an "alright guy," a regular joe, y'know? Which belies the powerful talent that he is on stage whether it's singing, playing bass, playing guitars, or playing the keyboard - when the Mofessor starts lettin' the music flow out, I've personally witnessed all conversation in the room stop and the heads turn to the stage to listen to where the awesome sound is coming from - including even the musicians!

His website is pretty cool. Check it out at www.mofessor.com He's got two tunes up to sample (if you have trouble playing the songs, keep your cursor over the songs after you click on them. When I moved mine, the songs stopped playing but started right back up when I moved my cursor back)) The newest song, "ScentoMeter," is a jazzy groove thing and then there's the Mofessor playing "Red Hot Boogie," which is, well, a boogie tune!

Presumably, all parts are played by the Mofessor and I'm sure Karen and MissyMo, the webmaster(s) will add that info when they get a chance. Ahhh, Yes! Mama, that boy can sure play him some music!!!

Know that we know . . . go check it out.

When "Tool" Realization Sets In

I subscribe to urban dictionary word of the day - it's pretty cool for us old boomers to be able to translate the upcoming generations' language. One word recently was "Tool" which meant something about a fool who was being used by others and was too stupid to realize that he was even being used and that was the only reason he/she was allowed to hang around.

This has struck a chord - why I've tried to maintain relationships with those folks I met while my business was still growing - prior to it's sudden demise (another post thread for later).

I honestly now believe that, in spite of the fact that these relationships have been one sided and have deteriorated to just short of mocking me to my face, I continue to return in hopes of maintaining my denial that these people were actually only my "friends" while I had a business which they could get something from.

In other words, my mother was right. Ouch.

Three Wet Pussies

As we move towards winter here in the PacNW - no hurricances, tornadoes, earthquakes or tidal waves (yet) - the rain has begun - this is the nice part, it's beautiful and calm. My three pussycats, Kidders, Sam, and Sebastian, all came in wet tonight. So, other than three wet pussies, we have no complaints here - a bit of a head cold which comes with the season and the change of weather is only something to sneeze at. Life is good tonight. Now that we know -

The Importance of Good Working Space - FC

Here's a subject that has always been a pet project of mine - especially since Landmark Leadership Training starting back in the early '90's - spaces which are specifically designed to be "perfect" for the purpose to which they are designated. You know, whether it's office space, recreational space, cooking space, bathing, sleeping, etc. Many people criticize those of us who insist on having space that is appropriate for the task/non-task at hand (except of course in emergencies, but that is the exception not the general circumstances). Read on from one of my current favorite sources, Fast Company Blog - which is on a roll for me lately:

October 21, 2005
The Secret Power of Space - Posted by Tom Kelley
If you're a Set Designer at heart, you probably have people tell you that office space doesn't really matter. "People can work anywhere," they'll tell you. "Just give them a desk and a comfortable chair." Those skeptics a haven't discovered the secret power of space.

One of my favorite metaphors for the power of space comes from the world of baseball. Growing up in northeastern Ohio, my “hometown” team was—for better or worse—the Cleveland Indians. Throughout my childhood, all the way through my twenties and thirties, the Indians were one of the sorriest teams in American baseball. The Chicago Cubs admittedly had a worse win-loss record some years, but at least the Cubs were lovable. And when Hollywood was looking for a sad-sack team to lampoon in the comedy “Major League,” the Cleveland Indians were the team they chose.


But in 1994, the Cleveland Indians went through a remarkable transformation. As far as I know, they had the same coach and mostly the same players that year. They played in the same town, and drew from the same pool of fans. But there was one big catalyst for change in ’94: the stadium. The Indians finally moved out of the gigantic and drafty old Municipal Stadium on Lake Erie, where they had capacity for 80,000 fans, but often played to less than a tenth of that. Abandoning that aging behemoth, the Indians moved into the endearingly compact and airy 40,000-seat Jacobs Field, known locally as “The Jake.” It was built right in the heart of downtown—and was filled to capacity on game day for the first five years. Suddenly Cleveland’s “Bad News Bears” had, for most of that season, the best record in American baseball. As luck would have it, the 1994 baseball strike cancelled that year’s playoffs. But in 1995 for the first time in more than forty years, the Cleveland Indians won the pennant, disproving the widespread theory among many Ohioans that the Indians were waiting for hell to freeze over before they’d get to the playoffs.

If the Cleveland Indians’ transformation from one of baseball’s worst teams to one of the best was catalyzed by changing their stadium—by changing the working environment of their team—then maybe what your team needs, too, is a fresh stage to find its inner greatness. It doesn’t matter whether your talent resembles the hapless Cleveland Indians of my childhood or the perennially mighty New York Yankees. If simply redesigning your work environment would make your team more of a winner, who wouldn’t make the change?

And while the Cleveland Indians have had their ups and downs since then, they very nearly won the pennant again this year, and the stadium has generated a lot of civic pride in Cleveland. Jacobs Field has become a part of a larger sense of renewal (like the Say Yes to Cleveland program that just toured the Silicon Valley).

Smart Set Designers can make a difference.

Posted by Tom Kelley at October 21, 2005 07:25 PM

So, for those of you who thought I was wasting precious daylight by clearing space and organizing so I could work more effectively, maybe you understand my point, -- Now that we know . . . . Thanks, Mr. Kelley - jaz

Saturday Morning Check-in

Back for a post - it's been quite a ride for the past couple of weeks but nothing like the folks who are going through the changes from the natual disasters. I went and saw George Carlin in concert - I've always been a fan of the way he sees things. However, his Concerts are getting more and more truthful about human nature and hence less and less funny to me, being one of those creatures he despises. Healing today - fire in the fireplace, meditative music on the stereo and trying to shake the early morning fog out of the brain. I'm still moving in and still adjusting to my newfound insights about prospective female partners - I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know before about what a mate can do to your soul if you are a giver - however, I'm no saint and there has to be a bit of laughter from the Karmic powers about how I've chased my tail with the women in my life of late given some of the heartache I (unknowingly) caused to sweet souls in my earlier years. The job search is picking up momentum but the dental work issue is beginning to weigh on my mind. I also understand that my youunger brother who was scheduled to visit at TXgiving has cancelled due to job demands from a new promotion. My household move-back-in project is coming along - the Fueng Shuei is improving daily and someday in the not-to-distant future I'll even get to the garage and the van! The music research which yielded my current Yahoo Plus subscription is better than I could have imagined. I've learned more and heard more new music in the past two months (11/2) than in the past 20 years! It is so great. I haven't spent a penny (yet) on purchasing any music to burn although I probably will as soon as I get work. MOre later from the Pac Northwest! Over and out for now!

The Graphic Art of Goals - From FC

Here's one from "Heath Row," a contributor over at the Fast Company Blog which I recommend checking in on everyday. Anyway, This looks like a great place for us Transitions to Regeneration Folks to start for a structure for the re-engineering portion of the process.

The Graphic Art of Goals - Heath Row

OK, one final tool along the lines of the project storyboards and to-do list and then I'll get off my planning and time management kick. (Interesting how certain things hit your radar more readily than they might otherwise when you're in a certain mindset!)

Lift International's goal map templates come across as somewhat new agey given their goal-setting speak, but the worksheet itself looks eminently productive. By dividing goals into subgoals and identifying what steps need to be taken, as well as what tools you need and who you need to work with, it'll be easier to map your path to a completed project. The worksheet could also aid the development of project proposals because it identifies all the moving pieces and necessary parts.

[via Occupational Adventure]

OK, Now that we know . . . . jaz

Seth's Blog - Something to Moo About

Here's a spot I commend to you for checking in on some cutting edge thinking to stimulate your own cerebrum or just keep up with one of the groups that thinks about such things as they:

Seth's Blog

I've listed it in my Dar-Links on the side-bar too, FYI, Now that we know. . . .

Like Father, Like Daughter

My youngest daughter has joined me in cyberspace by creating her first Blog right here at e-blogger. I could give you the name of her site but then I'd have to kill you! That's my job as a Dad, dontcha know!

I'm as proud as a group of lions and encourage her to keep it up and keep at it by sharing - she did a great job of setting it up, too. Ah, the joys of Fatherdom!

Now that we know . . . .

Giving our differing opinions

Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
- Albert Einstein

Seth Godin's most recent post talks about different perspectives on the same stimulae by different people - what one likes, another says "doesn't work for me." And, I'm reminded that we are each filtering the incoming info through our own history and current mood, etc.

For us as service providers to our customers and vendor stakeholders, we can still use the input ("it works for me" as validation and "it doesn't work for me" as possible areas that can be improved even more).

www.typepad.com/t/trackback/3341653

The Darwin Awards - Enhancing the Human Gene Pool

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." -Benjamin Franklin

These "Darwin" awards are given out to those who have "enhanced the human gene pool . . . by removing themselves from it!" I haven't seen this for awhile. My friend Bob Wright used to send it out annually and I ran across it. It's not for the squeamish and requires a (twisted) sense of humor - hence, I've linked it to my page! The Darwin Awards - Also check out the "What would Darwin do?" link on the page - cracked me up with the proposed "mottos" people have submitted, such as:

"It's nature's way of saying goodbye" - Chad Rogers

"If Teaching Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Evolve." -Ed Marble

"I saw a book titled "Sex for Dummies" and wondered why anyone would teach dumb people how to reproduce?" - Lynda-Marie Hauptman

or "One Gene short of a full chromosome" - . . .

So, Now that we know, keep your(gene)pool filters clean - jaz

Listen to the Whisper

Here's a great article from Fast Company about getting down to what really turns us on - not just what we think should, or what use to, but what really really turns us on, if we get past the shoulda-coulda-woulda's. Not a new concept but this article's title really brings it home - it's not the loud voices, it's the faint whisper behind them, that holds the key to our passion.


Fast Company Now

Now That We Know . . .(Family Update)

Well, while this site was down for maintenance, I went to the MSN "myspace" site and messed around - It's easier for me to use and make look good due to my basic beginner level of blogknowledge but it's hard for me to type on, this one seems to work better! Anyway, rather than repeat the day, it was a "Family Update" and interested family members or friends may want to check it out to see if I pissed anyone off or dissed anyone (I really really try not to, but we ARE dealing with human beings, as my brother reminded me during his last 'trip' out here). Here's the link if you want to check it out: Now That We Know . . .

Wet Monday

Well, another day of recovery from the day-to-day easy life here in the Pac.N.W. as Winter charges in - Summer ended the day after labor day and fall ended this past weekend - just like that - no hint that it was a hot summer just a few weeks ago or that fall even came through. The rain came out of nowhere and it seems to be so at-home like it had never left. My stbx came by for a nap between classes and of course we had to have a tiff about hugging, and money, and attitude and keys and yuch! Breaking up is hard to do - at least this way. At our age, you'd think we would be able to come up with a plan that would look mature and classy - but, nah! She's under a lot of stress with her school and crashing from the partying at the end of summer and from moving out. I'm not sure what my thing is today - still sleeping alot but that's to be expected after the wild weeks of past since Mid-august. But, I'm feeling a bit more normal today - Flylady.net is calling me to get back into routine so that will be a good use of time today to help regain some sanity. The folks down in the Hurricane Hell are probably still all shook up and that lets me know that it could be worse. Not much to talk about today except that it feels pretty good to be heading back to sanity, as much as I can do that. Ciao for now - jaz

Ouch - what happened?

Well, it's been a couple of more weeks since my last post and, yes, it's still a weird trip out here in the Pac.N.W. -- All of the local vampires and energy leeches seem to have come out of nowhere and dined on my energy -- until now, here I sit, alone (happily) and a bit dazed.

Ouch! What Happened?

My soon-to-be-ex (stbx) went into meltdown with her drugs of choice (booze) and we all paid the price for her panic. She finally settled back into her new house, it looks like, this week and so maybe I'll have some time to pick up some pieces again. Knock on wood.

That's it for now - hope I'm back for awhile now, we'll see - ciao, jaz