5/8/04 VS Chicago Meeting Notes

"People say, 'I want peace'.
If you remove I (ego),
and you want (desire),
you are left with peace."

-- Satya Sai Baba

VS Chicago Meeting Notes
May 8, 2004

Joe, Kath, Ross, Tom, Lori, July, Jill, Gerry, Woodie, Greg, Jim, Nancy and Colin shared the time together.

Are You Being Informed by The Media – Ross
Where do you get your news?

The FFC allowing a few huge media companies to dominate news outlets in various markets is a very important cause of decrease in free speech in the USA. Without free speech democracy will not thrive. Most people are aware that when they watch or listen to Rush Limbaugh or Al Franken they are getting biased opinions but they are not aware that Fox news is biased. Research shows that people who use Fox as a news source have a very different view of what is happening in the world than viewers of other sources.

Finding Time and Space for Personal Peace – Gerry

Sleep. Avoid this elate night tasks – you can't concentrate anyway. Shift your schedule to allow sleep.

Mediate – even on commute. Public transport only! 20 mins twice a day is a good chunk of time.

Make quality time. Gerry has a habit of spending Sundays in a coffee shop doing his journal when ever time allows, creating a peaceful space.

Prioritize time and do what you really want to do. Baby steps to start adjusting schedule etc.

You can "trick" yourself into making time by "missing a train" and giving yourself the time before the next one.

Don't spread yourself too thin. Listen to your bodies signs (tired etc).

Tracking time. Where did your day weekend/week go? Are you happy with that? Take some things off your list. You can't do everything.

What is personal space time? How is it different from non work time for yourself?

Take more walks as a time for reflection.

What active steps do you take to avoid time wasters?

There is a book on finding peace in an urban setting but no one had the title. There are ‘Finding Peace’ books available

Living life with more fun and adventure - Joe
To break out of routine, it could be as simple as taking a different way home from work or going to rummage sales, to more risky adventures like hiking out into the wilderness with no safety net. Taking risks is not always fun, but it helps us to escape the often mundane routine of everyday life.

Another attribute of adventure is not knowing what the outcome may be, which puts you in a different kind of "psychological" space. Examples include Improv, "Bad Art" parties, and traveling to a place where you do not speak the language.

Some people are resist solo adventures because of a fear of being alone, and of who they may find themselves to be. But by not working as hard and taking downtime to be introspective, you are able to make better decisions for yourself, your family, and the environment.

It really helps to find people who share your interests, or have done something that you want to do. Next time you are at a party, instead of asking ‘what do you do’, ask ‘what are your dreams’.

Living life more purposefully - Joe
Just like tracking where your money goes, it is often eye-opening to track where your time goes. Unless you stay focused on how you spend your time, you may get to the end of the week , wondering what the heck you did all week. It has to be a balance between being and doing. Too much being can be just as bad as too much doing. Since we are a very goal-oriented society, many experience frustration with ‘being’ since they are not accomplishing anything.

Similarly, those that have chosen not to work in order to spend time raising children may experience frustration over not having typical goals to achieve, and not using their skills. We talked about how it is human nature to have the "grass is always greener" mentality; when we are working, we often wish we were spending more time with family; and when we quit work to raise children, we often wish we were accomplishing goals in our career!

It helps to reframe, and think of time spent away from a former career as a suspension of activity, that can be picked up later.

Offshoring of US Jobs – Greg
The real impact on the US economy is both positive and negative. Prices are lower so the US benefits but jobs are lost so the US loses. The real people to benefit are a thin slice of society at the top. People in the developing world also benefit Certain activities are disrupted more than others and resource allocation within the US changes to suit.

Work Time Simplicity – Kath
Kath has just accepted a new position with more traveling involved. She was looking for ideas on how to deal with this.

Establish a routine. Have something to eat and read with you when you travel. Books on tape are good for in car travel and at airports. Watch DVDs on a laptop.

Carry a sleeping mask ear plugs and small pillow to allow napping on planes, in airports etc. Pack toiletries where they are easily available.

Know where yoga classes etc are in different cities. It all depends on your mind set! Try to include your spouse in travel plans, short vacations after the business is done at the location.

(Recorded by Colin)

Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!