From the category archives:

SITE-seeing

Lookin’ for a little link love?! You may not have thought so but who can resist alliteration? Not I! Nor can I resist some well-placed love. The link lovin’ has been widespread lately, from Carolyn’s ingenious ‘Once Upon a Bloggy Night’ link meme through Harry’s excellent response to Bob’s thoughtful consideration of how best to do link posts. From the standpoint that there can never be enough love, I’m continuing the trend. This here first link post o’ mine will contain the blogs I read consistently via my personalized link aggregator; to wit, Twitter.

Failing to find the link from one “Found Fridays” post to the next? With a splash more alliteration & while speaking of linkage, I’m also taking this chance to reconsider my series of “Friday Finds.” The series/category was established to share each week’s found moments, either within or online. Although I am sharing my finds from week to week, there’s no consistency to the type of post it creates. I’d love feedback from those of you who’ve read more than one :shock: as I will be changing things up & will also be making Drink Deeply more interactive over time.

Take a tour of bloggers I follow on Twitter via the text links & discover the Twitterers behind the blogs via the avatars..

brettlegreefailing and vikings
Brett meets challenges bravely
6 Weeks at a time

Carolyn Bahmtweets, family, peeps
Carolyn Bahm‘s a dot com
reader, writer, friend

Brian ClarkBrian and his quotes
Copyblogger gives good guest
advice worth reading

Jamie Grovefictional finesse
expressing How Not To Write
Jamie keeps it real

inspiremetodayGail highlights our best
to Inspire Me Today™
with more to explore

IttyBizNaomi’s got game
telling insanity off
IttyBiz or not

Wendi Kellypositive ripples
Life’s Little Inspirations
Wendi’s finding them

LiveWorkDreamJim, René, Jerry
Live.Work.Dream. to love.laugh.teach.
all on seven legs

elle nissenrandomly helpful
Elle’s observations and finds
reveal Lolo’s Way

James Cpens wielded, blogs saved
front-man James trades barbs and wit
half the Men with Pens

Harrison McLeodbalanced by Harry
both wise and fantasy-filled
he lends mirth, reason

MindTweetsMindTweaks sought then shared
curious and questioning
Tori explores self

Lisa WinesOmyword! she’s fun
honest and hilarious
Lisa’s journeying

Paulo Coelhoquotes, queries, insights
Paulo Coelho’s blogging
ready to connect

Darren RowseDarren’s instructive
ProBlogger experience
humanly offered

remarkabloggerRemarkablogger!
Michael considers details
reaching past the page

RhodesTertho’ poignant at times
he couldn’t be funnier
that RhodesTer o’ mine

Dave NavarroDave’ll Rock Your Day
no holds barred nor punches pulled
just self-improvement

rogueink swordplay, grammar, drinks
straight-shootin’ Tei saves the day
with Rogue Ink to spare

spiritualtrampinterests galore
Scott’s Spiritual Tramping
brought his own angels

SwanShadowSwanShadow reflects
commentary, comic art
wry sense of humor

Bob Youncewriters are dreaming
via Bob’s Writing Journey
dreamers are writing

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
great people sharing
I’m found in and by these sites
ideas opened

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Time ConfusionTime is relative. Time is fleeting. Time is what we make of it. As all of these are true, time must also be changeable yet these are simultaneously true, all the time. This makes time largely a matter of perception, like truth, but those are different discussions. :smile: This relative truth about time is one we’ve all experienced; whatever our current perception of its passing, pass it does & time’s unfortunately finite in that we can’t recreate it. Each moment is unique & should be appreciated.

Living in the moment implies varying goals with various approaches to varied people. :eek: Although the underlying desire is to make the most of every moment, that means something different to each of us & something else again from moment to moment. The most common approach is trying to fit as much as possible into any given time at hand. Being a multi-tasker by nature, I’ve run that race & can get awfully excited at the prospect of accomplishing multiple things at once.

Racing against the clock is neither fun nor helpful, unless you’re actually racing. When our focus becomes time itself, we’re stealing focus from the task or discovery begging for our attention. In order to smell the roses, we must notice them first. It’s not so much about taking the time to stop & smell – that’s certainly nice, however, & I highly recommend it when the mood strikes – as the simple fact we enrich our world each time we look around. Case in point, my cat just interrupted me.

Interruptions are ours to make of them what we will. Mid-accomplishment, it’s natural to get frustrated if interrupted & easy to expend energy trying to keep the distraction from being distracting. Not only do we end up with excess negative energy that way but we can spend more time avoiding something than if we just took a moment to appreciate it. Between paragraphs, Shadow & I played which resulted in us both being happier with maybe a minute of writing lost before letting my foot be her plaything upon continuing.

Tori Deaux of MindTweaks shared a study wherein participants were given a simple, monotonous game to play:

Even though the participants were alert and focused on their task, parts of the brain usually associated with relaxation began to light up.

At the same time, parts of the brain associated with cognitive control and sustained attention began to turn off. So even though they intended to stay alert, their brain was shutting down, forcing them into a less focused state.

So even though the person was paying attention, their brain stopped paying attention.

Breaking up the monotony helps our brains stay alive & aware. Setbacks like losing our train of thought are aggravating but there are new thoughts & different perspectives awaiting our discovery. Instead of tracking how we’re spending our moments, taking the time to enjoy them :grin: will lead to accomplishing what we want rather than trying to tackle too much. Time spent appreciating the found joys in life is never wasted & seeking found moments doesn’t require putting everything else on hold.

Dave Navarro of Rock Your Day offers his 80/20 Rule of Balance as a way to enjoy your life right now:

For example, yesterday, our family had an enormous amount of work to do in terms of cleaning up the house / tackling maintenance projects.  The little ones wanted to go to the park, to go for bike rides, to play Lego for hours … but we didn’t have the time. In the past, I would have said, “there’s too much work to do … if we can get it all done, then we’ll have time to play.”

But yesterday I applied the 80/20 Rule of Balance and did this – every so often throughout the day I’d stop working and spend 15-30 minutes playing with the kids. It was rushed, I didn’t have the time I thought I needed to really “make it count,” but it didn’t matter. The kids were very happy. They didn’t need much – just a little time made a big difference. And I made some badass Lego spaceships.  Really badass.

Pursuing our goals becomes more enjoyable & sustainable when we are also spending time pursuing ourselves. Those pursuits are not exclusive but have an ebb & flow as they feed into each other. We’ll each have a different balance to strike but will universally benefit from allowing ourselves to enjoy the unexpected moments amidst the scheduled ones.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time
finds time on his side.”
~ The Talmud ~

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I’ve never understood the claim, much less concern, that the internet is anti-social since it’s also inherently social. As in the supposed real world – if the internet lacks reality for you, you’re not using it right – everybody has their own inclinations. Those who are anti-social personally will typically stay so electronically whereas those of us that simply can’t reach enough people offline are here to do precisely that, right along with our other endeavors; reach out. Although I’ve been online for nearly 15 years & even that late a start was predicated on being able to afford my first computer at the age of 25, I’m only now able to begin using it as intended all along.

With the continued emergence of Web 2.0, the tools are being developed that make all of this accessibility accessible. Then, thanx to the God-send of my own laptop at last [Talk about Good People!? Thank YOU, Mark!! *happy dance*], I now actually have access which means my wants needs as a human being, person with life experience & caring soul can all converge. I may not have information that’s being sought but I strive to share thoughts that are potentially useful, even if just to brighten your day, & I admittedly do the majority of my socializing online but I’m one of this society’s neo-orphans in that my support system is decentralized.

So used to living decentralized lives are we of the modern age that we’ve done the same thing online, as illustrated by Loic Le Meur of Seesmic.com, so it’s integration that needs to be the next step. Perhaps because I’m an avid Science Fiction fan, I envision an entirely connected world wherein the sharing of myself online is how I’m able to let people I meet offline get to know me as well. I already feel as though I know the people I’ve met online & even get to meet them in person at times. I’m hoping that will become more common for those who don’t have conferences to attend, spontaneously connecting instead, like many of Cali Lewis’ GeekBrief meetups.

People Quote

Short of an actual meetup, how about a meeting of minds? Blogger & entrepreneur – to say the least – with personality & wine-knowledge to spare, Gary Vaynerchuk, has not only offered a heartfelt thanx to his audience – whom he considers friends – but has made a declaration.. Today is “Good People Day” across the internet! :-D Via this hopefully widespread effort of appreciation, we who have not found a second home online but are blurring the distinction entirely hope to let ANYone & EVERYone taking the slightest notice of us herein know how VERY grateful we are!! When the internet is used as an extension of self, those sometimes nameless & semi-faceless people across the web are sharing the ultimate resource; themselves.

Thus, here I am, on this first annual Good People Day, pondering the myriad good great people in my life. From those who’ve used my blog to get to know me better to those who’ve thankfully reconnected with me through my online presence to the multitude I’ve followed for years but haven’t a clue who I am to the wondrous group who’ve commented here, I admit it; I’m in love with you all. Throughout my four decades of life so far, I’ve been alternately described as an opinion-junkie, psychology-buff, idea-seeker, philosophy-addict, conversation-craver & synchronicity-finder but all of that boils down to one thing; I can’t get enough of people. No soylent green, mind you, I keep my grokking more intuitive; it’s all the marvelous diversity merged with unexpected kinship & flaws intermingled with grace that rocks my world[s].

As for direct shout-outs, the list would overwhelm my blog so let me say this: If you were contacted by e-mail, have been listed on the sidebar, are being followed on Twitter (especially if you follow me ;-) ) or have ever read a word I’ve typed; you are my raison d’être!!!

(|_|*cheers*|_|)

“I think you have to work with people, and when I talk about managing relationships, don’t think the derogatory ‘managed relationships’. It is a question of sharing emotion and feelings. The common denominator of everything can’t be money, and it should not be money.” ~ Anil Ambani

PS: Inasmuch as the four people already included would be a brilliant start to my list of Good People that’s simply too long to make, I would like to dedicate this post to Nick & *Sparky* for they have each abruptly left the blogosphere entirely & my corner of it will never be the same without them. My ‘Nickpresso con Panna w/a SoCal sprinkle’ & his “Personal Paranoia” had a raw emotionality tempered by hard-won sensitivity that cut to the quick. Our sweet ‘Kentucky *Sparky* au Lait’ had “A Faerie’s Tale” to tell & was sharing magick in such a practical way she proved as enchanting, if not moreso, as her content. Goodbye & good luck my dear friends as you are both the epitome of good people; I know I need to delete your blog links from my sidebar but not today. :-(

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