Image courtesy of timeout.com
I’ve got more goodies for you this week. Whether you decide they’re gourmet or leftovers, please let me know what you think via twitter at @jamiesmartcom, on my Facebook page here, or in the comments section. At the end, I’ll tell you how you can get one of your #enthusiasms featured in a future edition.
1. A quote I’m loving
This week’s quote comes from writer, philosopher and generally cool dude, Alan Watts…
“The brain can only assume its proper behaviour when consciousness is doing what it is designed for:
not writhing and whirling to get out of present experience,
but being effortlessly aware of it.”
2. A podcast that cracks me up
I’m writing my next book at the moment, but when I fancy some light relief, I’m tuning in to Welcome to Night Vale. This podcast is a radio show for the fictional town of Night Vale, full of dark humour and strange goings on. The pilot episode will give you a pretty good sense of whether or not it’s your cup of tea.
3. A magic trick I love
I often talk about how the principle of Thought is the best special effects department in the world; a master of misdirection. I refer to this as the outside-in illusion. This video is of the excellent magicians, Penn and Teller, doing the classic “Cups and Balls” trick with a difference; they use clear plastic cups so you can see the magic of misdirection as it unfolds. I’ve watched this 20 or 30 times and still love it.
4. A practice I’m experimenting with in an attempt to be more bendy
OK. So I’ve been lifting weights for a year (yay!) but only doing some perfunctory stretching (boo!), so… I’ve decided to start experimenting with yoga. I’ve done yoga from time to time in the past, but after an enthusiastic and full-on start (yoga retreats etc) I’ve let it slide. So this time, I’ve decided to underachieve. I’ve been doing Adriene’s 30 days of Yoga and I’m typically bailing out at about 20 minutes in. That’s right. You heard right. I don’t feel any obligation to do the full session! I’m on day 4, but if you want to start at the beginning, you can find Day 1 – Ease into it here.
5. This week’s 3-minute miracle
Following on from last week’s airing of Fairytale by the Pogues, I thought I’d make my favourite music a regular feature. The decision came to me while sitting in a restaurant with my daughters when a cover of the seminal track Ever Fallen in Love by the Buzzcocks came on the stereo. My criteria for a 3-minute miracle is this; the first time you hear it, you love it, you’re sure you’ve heard it before and you can’t get it out of your head. You can listen to the Buzzcocks playing it on Top of the Pops here.
That’s it for this week. If you have questions, suggestions or want to let me know what you’re enthusiastic about, just tweet one of yours and put my twitter name @jamiesmartcom and the #Enthusiasms hashtag in there so I can find it. If I’m enthusiastic about something you’re enthusiastic about, it might just get featured in a future TTE.
Big love
Jamie
P.S. The next intake of Project Glasswing is due to kick off at the end of January 2016! If you’d like to be considered for the latest intake of the pilot programme – I’m looking for 36 very specific people:
– You are a coach, therapist or change-worker (Eg. Sports coach, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, business coach, bodyworker etc)
– You have at least one year’s experience of working with clients (either paid, pro-bono or both)
– You probably charge by the hour, but want use a “coaching package” model and increase your income
– You have room to work with at least one longer term contract client, starting in February
– You’re an enthusiastic, friendly people-person
– You have a coachable spirit, and are willing to step out of your comfort zone if necessary, and
– You can keep a secret
If that’s you, then email me at info@jamiesmart.com, and let me know where you’re located and a little about yourself (if you don’t know what to tell me about, look at the list above for inspiration). Change the subject line to “Project Glasswing”. I’ll be choosing people in the next couple of weeks. Talk to you soon! J