Mastodawn

scottnovis May 27, 2023

My Dad once told me, "I'll take the truth wherever I find it." Sometimes I highlight lines from fiction books because I do believe authors of fiction can have just as much insight into our behavior as any psychologist or scientist. We distinguish ourselves by the efforts we make... or don't make. I want to be the person who makes the kind of effort that matters. For me that means contributing to help others find a better way to solve their problems.
#Effort #Identity

scottnovis May 27, 2023

When I talk about Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) I tell people it's not a tool or a single piece of software. I say think like a Chef. A Chef understands how to use the tools of cooking to their best effect. With PKM, you learn to use all the tools available to the knowledge worker (you!) to their best effect. PKM is about rejecting the default organization of your tools and becoming a chef of ideas.
#PKM #SecondBrain

scottnovis May 26, 2023

I just love this quote. I mean Rumi wrote this like 1,200 years ago right? We have ALWAYS lived in an admiration world, seeking the approval of others. But what do we offer in return? I never met Mother Theresa, nor Nelson Mandela, but from what I can tell they did not have "customers", but gave everyone who met them a gift that transformed their lives.
#SpiritualGifts #Admiration

scottnovis May 26, 2023

This old proverb actually overlooks something about money that is staring us in the face. It can also make you lonely. Nearly all of our images of having a lot of money involve isolation - exclusive - is to exclude. Private cars, planes, a mansion on a hill, removed, and less relatable. Money might make you more of who you are, but it can also make you a lonelier version of yourself too if you're not careful.
#Money #Isolation

scottnovis May 25, 2023

There are two ideas here - words shape our thoughts which is why journaling is so powerful. It is practice thinking. Journaling exercises our ability to express our thoughts. Secondly, only we think our thoughts, implying we have the power to change our thoughts. Due to our sociable nature, it is easy to let someone else drive - ideas & emotions are contagious. When I find myself lost in negative thinking, I use present moment awareness to restart my thinking along healthier lines. #WordsMatter

scottnovis May 25, 2023

Many experts recommend "labeling" for dealing with strong negative emotion. It sounds simple, but if we can identify with the witness, it frees us from identifying with the emotion and getting lost in it. Simple, but not easy. To prepare I practice present moment awareness daily. Focusing on my breath for a minute, or giving my undivided attention to the physical sensations of my body for a few moments. This readies me to label negative emotions when they rise.
#PartX #Labeling

scottnovis May 24, 2023

This quote reminds me of the power of technique. Too often I try to brute force my way through problems. I sometimes need reminding that proper technique, like jujitsu, can produce better outcomes with less effort. This is the heart of Personal Knowledge Management for me - when I know better, I can do better. My goal is to know better faster, so I can do better sooner. It's like jujitsu of the mind.
#PKM #Technique #DoBetterSooner

scottnovis May 24, 2023

I love the idea of emotions pointing to deeper understanding, instead of being something I must take as TRUTH. When I feel upset, perhaps Judgey McJudgerson is in charge and I need to wake up Discerning Dan. Just because I think it, doesn't make it TRUE. Just because I feel it, doesn't make it RIGHT. I get better results from being curios over frustrated. The Bible warned against judging others but that warning runs so much deeper than I realized.
#Judgmental #Discerning

scottnovis May 23, 2023

This super long quote says, "How creativity is expressed changes constantly but how we generate creativity is as old as humanity itself." Creativity is a skill that can be developed over time. At the game studio, I learned creativity craves chaos... and constraints. It is along the boundary between the light and the dark in the symbol of the yin & yang that the creator walks. It is a path, not a destination. A path open to anyone brave enough to walk it.
#Creativity

scottnovis May 23, 2023

One of the greatest unexpected gifts I gained from meditation was the ability to fall asleep. Learning to quiet my mind, scanning my body into relaxation turned into a habit which allows me to fall asleep without aide of drugs. Also, if you're over 50 like me, learning to sleep with your mouth closed, can stop the need to get up in the middle of the night to pee. (See book Breath for why). I also use an Oura ring to track my sleep.
#MeasureWhatMatters #Sleep #Meditation