I remember the Vietnamese spiritual teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, right after 9/11, speaking in New York City. Somebody asked him what would he do if he was able to meet with Osama bin Laden. He said, "If he had his choice, he would sit down and listen to what Osama bin Laden had to say, … Continue Reading ››
All posts by Alexander
Selling fish in Seattle – and having fun
I've never been to the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, but people who have describe it as a joyful chaos. The fishmongers throw the fish and crabs around, catch them one-handed, yell at and with the customers and generally have a great time.
But things weren't always great. Yokoyama, the owner, describes … Continue Reading ››
But things weren't always great. Yokoyama, the owner, describes … Continue Reading ››
A new challenge
One of lifes biggest pleasures is doing stuff you don't know if you can. And this weekend I performed with some fellow instructors from Form&Fitness at Alt for Damerne Live.
The thought of getting on a stage in front of hundreds of women was terrifying, but once you're up there it's actually … Continue Reading ››
The thought of getting on a stage in front of hundreds of women was terrifying, but once you're up there it's actually … Continue Reading ››
Psychological test
Here's a riddle for you:
It is a story about a girl. While at the funeral of her own mother,she met this guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing, he was her dream guy, and she fell in love with him there but never asked for his number and could … Continue Reading ››
It is a story about a girl. While at the funeral of her own mother,she met this guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing, he was her dream guy, and she fell in love with him there but never asked for his number and could … Continue Reading ››
Transatlantic rhetoric
The current national and international bickering over Iraq really saddens me, because it shows how easy it is to let disagreement widen into a serious rift between friendly nations. There has certainly been a lot of heated transatlantic rhetoric these last months, and too little of it has been focused on common goals and purposes. … Continue Reading ››
National Novel Writing Month
NaNoWriMo is a seriously cool project: You sign up, and the idea is that during november 2003, you'll write a novel. To make it easier, there are no quality restrictions, only quantity: You must write at least 50.000 words. I LOVE the idea. This means no agonizing over insignificant details. It means you can't … Continue Reading ››
Book review: Flow
Everybody knows the state of Flow. Flow is when you're engrossed in doing something. You may forget time and place. You may forget to eat or sleep. You're doing what you're doing, and your entire attention is focused on that.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote a book about it back in 1990, based on many years of … Continue Reading ››
Rebuilding the food pyramid
The Scientific American has an excellent article about diet. It explains in detail what's wrong with the old food pyramid (you know, the one with meat and fats at the top and carbohydrates at the bottom), and gives us a new and improved version. Excellent stuff.
Book review: The soul of a new machine
Writer Tracy Kidder won a Pulitzer prize in 1982 for The soul of a new machine. It's the true story of a team of engineers at Data General who are designing the next generation of micro-computer.
I first read the book ten years ago, while I was still at university, and while it's still an … Continue Reading ››
The ultimate test for Open Space meetings
Harrison Owen has written an article about an Open Space meeting held in Rome, where fifty Palestinians and Israelis gathered to talk about themselves, their future, and the possibilities of peace.
It was certainly not easy, but hope emerged from the meeting. Which is a testament to the ability of Open Space meetings … Continue Reading ››
It was certainly not easy, but hope emerged from the meeting. Which is a testament to the ability of Open Space meetings … Continue Reading ››