Fear not.

Chris Hadfield's TED talk on his space walk

This was a great talk. It really was inspiring, as every TED talk has been so far, because it dealt with a concept that I (and probably most people) deal with rather consistently: fear. He spoke of how we can change the way we react by understanding the difference between perceived fear and actual danger. And he did this by giving an example of something a lot of people fear.

SPIDERS.

SCARY.

DANGEROUS.

Or are they?

He proceeded to talk about how many different types of spiders there are (around 700+ types?) and how many are actually venomous (maybe 12...maybe?). And then, he mentioned that in Canada (where he was giving the talk), there's only ONE spider you have to worry about. 

The black widow spider. And then he talked about the possibility of walking into the web of a black widow spider and how it's almost an impossibility because they spin their webs close to the ground in corners. 

Crazy right? Once knowledgeable, there's no reason to fear anymore. We have this instinct to frantically brush off a spider when, most of the time, they're as dangerous as a ladybug or a butterfly. 

Come on, we all know this feeling.

So, perceived fear vs. actual danger. This, like Hadfield said, can be applied to everything. While I don't think I'll be walking into spider webs to get over my fear of spiders (which is what his solution was...), I'll certainly be taking his advice to heart.

Thanks, Mr. Hadfield.

Vulnerability

Brene Brown on Vulnerability

Dare Greatly

This.

Man, I love TED talks.

Beautiful Insignificance

I totally thought that I would get back to this post much sooner than I have. I don't really remember anymore when I last looked at this entry and contemplated what I was trying to form into words. However, perhaps it was the universe's way of allowing me more time to grow and then revisit my idea of "beautiful insignificance."

This is what I had already written:

So I was on my way back to school from home when I suddenly had a whole slew of random, possibly connected thoughts...

You know, I never feel as beautifully insignificant as when I'm traveling.  Something about sitting in a moving vehicle as I pass and get passed by other moving vehicles... it kinda just...moves me (figuratively and literally...).  I look out the window and see that other person, driving or sitting in the passenger's seat, and I think, here's another person on their way to something.

As I sat listening to the overly-played tunes and obnoxious, sometimes amusingly so, commercials, I realize others in their vehicles might be doing the same.  Are they, too, contemplating the vastness of life or perhaps they're thinking of other thoughts entirely, more caught up in living than thinking about living.  I wonder which is more important in life...or if they are equally important.  How much of life is missed when you just contemplate on it?  And how much awe is missed when you don't contemplate the beauty?

_________


This is how I feel sometimes when I have these thoughts. Mind. Blown.

but then...

I'm like... aw man... Where did my coherent, deep thought go?!

Anyway.

Sometimes I think I haphazardly have thoughts that have the possibility to hit on the intricacies of the human experience. And while I try to grab at them and form them into tangible thought, I often fail and only get a part. But is that so bad? Perhaps the bits and pieces I get are enough at the time.

Anyway, even after all this time (I think it's been at least a year since I've looked at what I wrote for this entry), my thoughts haven't really changed on the matter. I am still so in awe of the very fact that I'm alive and breathing on this planet. And I feel so small. I often think of other people, living in their worlds and feeling, as I do, that theirs is an important story. They may not realize it, but I'm almost certain their minds are focused on their own human experience. I can't help thinking about them while they're living. I wonder what they're feeling, how their day is going, what their story is. And it humbles me. It truly humbles me. It makes me remember that I am not the only consciousness on this planet. And this feeling connects me to other people in a way that nothing else does.

A different canvas

I was watching this TED talk today (I've really been getting into them) in which an artist used something not so traditional as a canvas. (I'll let you watch it on your own if you wish).

Alexa Meade's canvas

And it made me think about how I typically view situations. Any situation a person is in can be perceived in a number of ways, just as art can be perceived in a number of ways, just as one can react in a number of ways. The struggle is when we can only see one course of action. We have blinders on and can't get out of the box. We can't, I can't, view a situation in any other light. What then? It's up to me to come out of it. We can choose how to see any situation we are in.

These thoughts actually have nothing to do with Alexa's message in her TED talk. But they certainly inspired them after watching it. Thanks, Alexa. =)

Artists and Musicians

I've always claimed to love art and music. I mean, who doesn't love pretty pictures and wavelengths of sound that make their ears tingle? But despite the enjoyment I get out of them, I've never taken time to really absorb these works into my being. I can't tell you names of artists or recognize a piece of work. I can't tell you names of musicians whose compositions blow me away and move me to my very core.

Yesterday, I was at a dinner party for Memorial Day, and I met an older gentleman who was...well, he was full of life and love of life. He loved food. He loved art. And he loved rock and roll. As I sat talking with him, he showed me pictures of food he's tasted, restaurants he's been to. We even talked about Jiro, the famous sushi chef in Japan! He also showed me a book of paintings from the Frick collection. And it was then, flipping through the pages of that book, that I made my first (and I truly mean FIRST) discovery of an artist whose work moved me enough that I made note of his name.

Johannes Vermeer. The painting: Girl Interrupted at Her Music



The description talked about young love, hinted at through the painting in the background of Cupid with his hand raised. But what really caught me about this painting was the girl's expression. It's like Vermeer captured the very moment when her eyes began to light up from seeing the one she loved, but her smile had not yet caught up yet. I loved it.

This morning, I watched a TED talk and discovered again. An American musician this time by the name of Phil Kline. If you get the chance, you should listen to this piece called "The Blue Room." Beautiful. Truly.

Ethel quartet performs "The Blue Room"

Kline's pieces are described as sculptures, and from this performance, I couldn't agree more.

On painful experiences

I was watching Ted talks today. And maybe I'll go more into this at some other time. But this man said something profound to me. I wanted to share it here.

"We don't seek the painful experiences that hew our identities, but we seek our identities in the wake of painful experiences."

~Andrew Solomon: How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are

Then, he called all of us to do something. "Forge meaning, build identity, and then invite the world to share your joy."

I won't forget it.

And here's the link to the talk itself. It really is inspiring. 

https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_how_the_worst_moments_in_our_lives_make_us_who_we_are#t-536911

Hello again!

So, I've been away for quite some time. And I'm back. I'm not sure how consistently I'll post, but certainly, as I have thoughts to write about, I will.

It's early morning as I write this, and everyone else is asleep. I'm looking out the window and I see the beautiful green grass in the morning light as the sun begins to cast its rays of yellow, warming all it touches. And I can't help but think about depressing things. I know. It's strange. I'm worried about our planet. I'm worried about our generation's future.

I took a class last semester on global climate change and it's changed me. My dreams for a hopeful future seem threatened by inaction, and by ignorance. I watched a video yesterday by Hank Green on climate change and at the end, he made a statement about not knowing why, despite what we know, we aren't moved to action. (It's a great video!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Jxs7lR8ZI

I don't know either... I know these things, and perhaps it's lack of funds, inability to truly enact change on my own, comfort... I don't know.

But I'd like to change. And I'd like our world to become a better place.