On "Zen in the Martial Arts" - Melissa Hyams / LA Times (Nov 2008)

Uplifting (*) - Madrid Railway Station (Fri 09 Aug 2013)
Melissa Hyams (*) on the book Zen in the Martial Arts (*) by Joe Hyams (*):

[it] isn't really about martial arts. It's about life (*) and philosophy (*), and how to turn a negative (*) into a positive (*), how to defuse a situation by the way you handle it.

via Joe Hyams dies at 85; former Hollywood columnist, bestselling author (*) by Dennis McCellan (*).

I was given a copy of this book by Jan shortly after Jenny died (*).

I was recently reminded of it when I was putting some of my old books into a new bookshelf. Will reread it in the next few weeks, as I think in some ways (from what I remember of it) it has helped and guided me through these last 5 years. And, it has set a direction that is shown through in this little corner (*) of the Internet.

On Composition - The Art of Thinking Clearly / Ralph Dobelli (Aug 2013)

Gaudi's Score - a model of how the Sagrada Famillia ceilings were created - Sagrada Famillia (Thu Aug 2013)
Rolf Dobelli (*) writes On Composition (*):

The real miracle of music is, after all, the composition: the creation of sounds, moods and rhythms where previously only a blank sheet lay.

via The Art of Thinking Clearly (*) by Rolf Dobelli (*).

Bought this Book, The Art of Thinking Clearly (*), on a whim at Schiphol Airport (*) in Amsterdam. A fantastic read with lots of interesting observations on life and our decision making processes. Highly recommended.

Don't Wonder 'What If?' - Jenny Petterson - Pocketful of Sequins (book)

Don't Wonder 'What If?' - Jenny's Page - Pocketful of Sequins (*)
take a chance

step outside
your comfort zone.
give it a try.

don't wonder
'what if?'

Jenny 43 years old

“Don’t Wonder ‘What if?’” is a term Jenny coined for a book , titled A Pocketful of Sequins - Words from the Heart (*), which was published in 2005.

Jenny was asked to attend a workshop organised by the author, Joanne Fedler (*), where a group of Breast Cancer Survivors and Supporters were asked to talk and write various things about their experiences and journey with Breast Cancer.

It is a great little book and each person’s saying was annotated with a small painting made by an artist - Julianne Ward.

I have some photos from the Book Launch that Jenny and Joanne attended in late 2005. When I get a chance I will put them here.

Cover - Pocketful of Sequins (*)
Back Cover - Pocketful of Sequins (*)

Self-esteem - Wayne Bennett (“The Coaches” Book)

Wayne Bennett on Self-esteem (The Coaches Book from the SPORTS WISDOM REVEALED series):

Self-esteem is all about how an individual feels about himself or herself.

When someone doesn’t reach their full potential and their talent is wasted, it is likely to be through a lack of self-esteem.

The first part of that feeling comes from others around them, and the other part comes from within.

That’s why we need to be careful about who we hang around with and listen to.

My advice to my athletes is to look at all your positive attributes and don’t dwell on things that will limit your performance.

It is all about confidence and believing in your abilities. You either believe in yourself or you don’t! It’s not what you are; it’s what you think you are.