新年快乐 / Gong Xi Fa Cai
Have a wonderful Year of the Dragon!!
Enchantment.
Random Bits from Walter's Life
Crystal Blue Persuasion
Okay, I gotta admit. I don't typically experience nostalgia for Tommy James & The Shondells.
And yet, when I finished editing this image, the caption that came to mind was "Crystal Blue Persuasion" – but I wasn’t really sure why! So, I checked out the lyrics and found optimism in them. So, I posted the pic with that caption. The song as an interesting genesis, and when I read the Wikipedia entry for it, I thought the inspiration for this caption was serendipity. Here's part of that entry: "James was actually inspired by his reading of the Book of Ezekiel where it speaks of the Blue Shekinah Light which represented the presence of the Almighty God and the Books of Isaiah and Revelation where it speaks of a bright future of a brotherhood of mankind living in peace and harmony." ...and here are the lyrics: Look over yonderWhat do you see?
The sun is a'rising
Most definitely
The Light That Burns Beneath
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I have always loved Zero 7's The Space Between - especially as originally done on their album. Still, it was a treat to find a live performance video - which brings some great energy.
While there is a sense of melancholy to this song. I find such truth in the lines:
No surface shines brighter Than the light that burns beneath it
Lately, as I've spent time with old friends, and made new ones, I find that what makes them special is the light that burns beneath the outward beauty they bring to the world. And I'm truly thankful for them.
Here's the video and the lyrics.
Now that you're older |
Thank You Steve
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. Most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. I have always wished that for myself. And now, I wish that for you." - Steven P. Jobs (Commencement speech at Stanford University, June 12, 2005)
RIP Steve Jobs
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iPhoneography: Some Recent Photos
Ever since I discovered Instagram, I've become a big fan of iPhoneograpy. I've seen really terrific photos from other people from all parts of the world. And their shots have run from quick snapshots to highly edited, almost surreal images. Still, what I've discovered is that lots of people see the world in beautiful ways - so whether they're using editing apps or not, there are lots of great images.
As for me, I've become a bit of an app junkie. Partly, it's because...well, okay,...I'm kind of a technology geek. Yet, the other reason is that I can take fairly ordinary photos and use edits to bring out some beautiful dimension that might not have been so apparant before.
In any event, here is a sampling of some of my recent photos.
Ain't No Rest...
Just heard a wickedly good song by Cage the Elephant aptly titled, Ain't No Rest For The Wicked. This video has the words:
I especially love the chorus:
There ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees,
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
I know I can't slow down,
I can't hold back though you know I wish I could,
No there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good.
Never, ever get too full of yourself...
As a personal branding and online identity strategist, it's my job to help people discover and nurture the qualities that make them unique in delivering the value they do.
Yet, uncovering one's personal brand is a process that goes on... and on. No matter how good you are, you can always be better. So, I was really delighted to discover this terrific sort video from Guy Kawaski who makes a great point about not thinking you've arrived.
...so much beauty in the world...
Don’t get trapped in some else’s story…
Attributed to American film producer Samuel Goldwyn, one of my favorite quotes is “When I want your opinion I will give it to you.” Yesterday, it struck me that in this famous malapropism, Goldwyn inadvertently touched the idea of controlling the narrative. What prompted this thought was an outstanding TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie, “The danger of a single story” that came my way via a Torben Bernhard (@torbenb) tweet.
Her talk is a brilliant discussion of how stories can narrow our view of the world. More importantly, she captures the reality that the stories that get told are a reflection of power – especially the power to tell the story of another person and make it the definitive story of that person.
Ultimately, I think it’s dangerous to accept stories at face value. And while this clearly applies to events in the world at large, I think there is a more “up close and personal” application of the ideas in her talk. Specifically, the need to question the stories about ourselves. While a little bit of feedback from others can be a good thing, it’s important to read it in the context of what we know about ourselves.
Knowing ourselves, of course, can take some tough introspective work. Yet, the risk of not doing it is to accept the single story view that others have of us. And that, means we can get trapped in a story that is not truly ours. So, own your life; find and tell your story!
Girl Talk: Sometimes It's Labeled “Parental Advisory”
Be Warned. This post has a Parental Advisory. Yes. It does.
So, there I was for my CrossFit workout, this morning, and the Trainer says he’s gonna put on a Girl Talk mix. Something inside me revolted, in that moment. I was thinking if I was going to do a hard-core work out, at least I wanted hard-core music – and not a musical journey to “mamby pamby land.”
Yet, sweetness and light is not what came out of the sound system. No. Instead we were treated to this provocative mash up. Yup. Great workout.
