One of comedian Al Franken’s more enduring characters is Stuart Smalley, an awkward man who wears pastel and stares into a mirror saying, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.” Superficially, the character is a parody of self-help “fake it ’til you make it” psychotherapy strategies, where it feels like…
Category: Inside My Mind
Movie review: Fired Up! (2009)
We’ve gotten far enough into the summer TV season that our DVR is persistently empty and we’ve used up most of the VOD choices available to us. This leaves us with having to wander the movie channels more emphatically than we do in the winter months. Tonight’s discovery was Fired Up!, a typical summer guy…
Wisdom of the Dalai Lama
Overview: I have a German language “Wisdom of the Dalai Lama” page-a-day calendar. Each day, I plan to translate the German into English, and discuss. Juli 4: Wir müssen durch unser eigenes Handeln ein Beispiel geben, denn wir können nicht hoffen, andere nur durch Worte zu überzeugen. We must provide example through our deeds, because…
Wisdom of the Dalai Lama
Overview: I have a German language “Wisdom of the Dalai Lama” page-a-day calendar. Each day, I plan to translate the German into English, and discuss. Juli 3: Wenn Sie schwierigen Lebensumständen begegnen, denken Sie daran, dass das Leid vergänglich ist. When you have troubles in life, remember that the pain shall pass. I believe I’ve…
Wisdom of the Dalai Lama
Overview: I have a German language “Wisdom of the Dalai Lama” page-a-day calendar. Each day, I plan to translate the German into English, and discuss. Juli 2: Wir sollten lernen, gelassen im Augenblick zu leben und uns von dem, was wir mögen oder ablehnen, nicht so sehr aus der Fassung bringen zu lassen. We should…
Wisdom of the Dalai Lama
Overview: I have a German language “Wisdom of the Dalai Lama” page-a-day calendar. Each day, I plan to translate the German into English, and discuss. Juli 1: Die Dinge sind, wie sie sind, und nicht, wie wir sie gerne hätten. Dies zu begreifen und zu akzeptieren ist der Schlüssel zum Glück. Things are as they…
There is no “try”
Do or do not, there is no try. — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back Yoda’s absolutism aside, there’s a significant kernel of value in this perspective. I consider myself a liberal, and I was raised in the “Free to be you and me” post-hippie glow. Even so, one aspect of that mindset that I feel…