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Archive for January, 2024
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The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
– Marcel Proust –
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Songs of Trees
Just how much is in one tiny patch of forest? Biologist and author David George Haskell found himself visiting the same square meter of forest again and again over the course of a year, and then many years since. “When we walk into a forest, we’re not walking into a place that is full of separate interacting individuals … We’re walking into a living network, a place where every creature exists only through relationships with others … Every leaf on a tree has hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi living within its leaves. Without those other species, the leaf cannot function; it gets overrun by pathogens … What is true for a tree is also true for an individual human. Our bodies are made of dozens and dozens of interacting species — not just human cells, but bacterial and fungal cells and viruses and microbial components and so forth, and without the interconnections among all those members of the community, our bodies don’t function. But it’s also true at the level of culture. Culture is an extension of that network. So most of the ideas in our heads, and everything from the fundamentals of language to very sophisticated intellectual ideas, emerge from connections with other people. So our brain is a temporary locus, a temporary manifestation of a broader phenomenon, and that phenomenon is culture that connects across space and time.” { read more }
Be The Change
Carve out time to sit and observe a little area of your neighborhood. What do you notice that you did not see before? |
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If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.
– Albert Einstein –
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It Turns Out We Were Born To Groove
Newborns are naturally jamming to their own beat, according to a groundbreaking research first conducted in 2009, which revealed that newborns can discern a beat in music. This musicality, far from being merely cultural, finds its roots deep within our biology and evolutionary history. However, the initial results sparked some skepticism, prompting the research group to revisit the study in 2015. The findings provided solid evidence supporting the distinction between beat perception and statistical learning. This fascinating connection between music and our brains stands at the forefront of international research, embracing the complexities of our inherent musicality with promising possibilities. As the author and researcher Henkjan Honing concludes, “Music is not solely a cultural phenomenon but also possesses deep biological roots, apparently offering an evolutionary advantage to our species.” So next time you catch your foot tapping along to the rhythm, know that it’s more than just a catchy tune — it’s a part of who you are. { read more }
Be The Change
Share a meaningful piece of music with someone today. |
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This week’s inspiring video: The Secret to Living Longer May Be Your Social Life
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Video of the Week
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Jan 04, 2024 |
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The Secret to Living Longer May Be Your Social Life
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| The Italian island of Sardinia has more than six times as many centenarians as the mainland and ten times as many as North America. Why? According to psychologist Susan Pinker, it’s not a sunny disposition or a low-fat, gluten-free diet that keeps the islanders alive so long – it’s their emphasis on close personal relationships and face-to-face interactions. Learn more about super longevity as Pinker explains what it takes to live to 100 and beyond. What are your regular practices for happy, healthy living and better aging? |
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You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.
– Henry David Thoreau –
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Life’s Present: Visits with my Mother and Demenita
In a touching reflection, Jackie Bailey shares heartwarming and intimate details about caring for her elderly mother, whose demeanor has softened with age and dementia. She muses, “It’s not that mum has simply forgotten all her old beefs. Getting older is making her brain kinder.” Citing studies on neuroimaging and the release of oxytocin, she asserts, “older people are kinder than the rest of us.” In one neuroimaging study, the brain’s reward center (i.e. the nucleus accubens) showed more activity for 75% of people aged 55 and older when they see money going to a charity, rather than to themselves, compared with less than 25% of younger people. Sprinkled with wisdom, humor, and acceptance, Bailey’s story is a lesson in patience, love and understanding. Letting go of past pains and stepping into her mother’s reality isn’t just a part of aging – it’s an opportunity for greater compassion. { read more }
Be The Change
Practice accepting life’s subtle changes today. |
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Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.
– Stephen Hawking –
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Perseverance: Nasa’s Mars Rover Celebrates 1,000 Days Of Science
Recently, NASA’s Perseverance rover has hit a major milestone, celebrating 1,000 Martian days of scientific exploration. In that time, it’s managed to survey an ancient crater lake and gather rock samples that could be clues to past life on Mars. But its mission is far from over, as the rover now faces the challenge of returning these invaluable samples to Earth. Perseverance has thus far collected 13 rock cores, each telling a distinct story about Mars’s history. The next phase of its journey is to explore even more ancient terrains. As Dr. Lori Glaze, NASA’s director of planetary science, puts it, “It’s a pretty incredible achievement and we’ve done an amazing amount of science.” So much has already been accomplished, and this audacious robotic mission is only just beginning. { read more }
Be The Change
Look up at the stars, and allow yourself to wonder about the greater questions of existence. |
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Weekly excerpt to help us remember the sacred.
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May Your Cup Always Overflow
–John Paul Moore |
 I’ve never made a fortune,
And I’ll never make one now
But it really doesn’t matter
‘Cause I’m happy anyhow.
As I go along my journey
I’m reaping better than I’ve sowed
I’m drinking from the saucer
‘Cause my cup has overflowed.
I don’t have a lot of riches,
And the going’s sometimes tough
But with kin and friends to love me
I think I’m rich enough.
I thank God for the blessings
That His mercy has bestowed
I’m drinking from the saucer
‘Cause my cup has overflowed.
He gives me strength and courage
When the way grows steep and rough
I’ll not ask for other blessings
For I’m already blessed enough.
May we never be too busy
To help bear another’s load
Then we’ll all be drinking from the saucer
When our cups have overflowed.
May your cup always overflow. |
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| How do you relate to the notion that when everyone helps bear another’s load, our cups will collectively overflow? Can you share a personal story of a time you realized that you were rich enough and your cup had overflowed? What helps you see that your cup is always overflowing?
Add A Reflection |
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Inspiring Links of the Week
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About Awakin
Many moons ago, a couple friends got together to sit in silence for an hour, and share personal aha-moments. The ripples of that simple practice have now spread to millions over 20+ years, through local circles, weekly podcasts and more. |
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Bad things do happen in the world, like war, natural disasters, disease. But out of those situations always arise stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
– Daryn Kagan –
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66 Good News Stories You Didn’t Hear About in 2023
Did you know a record number of countries eliminated diseases, from hepatitis C to malaria, this year? Or that a “staggering uptake” of wind and solar energy is making an enormous difference? The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced in October 2023 that global fossil fuel use may peak this year, two years earlier than predicted just 12 months ago. Trees are faring better, too, with 2023 deforestation rates across nine Amazonian countries at 55.8% lower than last year. In education, UNICEF reports 50 million more girls are in school today than in 2015. And around the world, access to electricity increased this year. While sensational stories in the news often informs us of all that’s going wrong in the world, Future Crunch reviewed 400 favorite stories of progress to offer up their top 66 list of things that have gone right in 2023. { read more }
Be The Change
Share a story of something going right in the world. |
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Sangha of Auspicious Companions 