The Fifth Mountain - Book - Paulo Coelho

From The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho:

Tragedies do happen. We can discover the reason, blame others, imagine how different our lives would be had they not occurred. But none of that is important: they did occur, and so be it. From there onward we must put aside the fear that they awoke in us and begin to rebuild.

I read this book in early 2010 while on 3 months leave from work .

The Fifth Mountain is an instance (a computer term from Object Orient Programming) of Paulo's book, Manual of the Warrior of Light, which I have drawn much inspiration over the last 18 months or so.

Having read the Fifth Mountain after the Manual of the Warrior of Light I could see the Warrior metaphors in the story (surprised this has received little or no comment on the various online reviews/discussions I have read of The Fifth Mountain). And just to confirm my feelings about this, it becomes plainly obvious in the last few pages of the book.

Looking back now over the last two years, and in particular the time since I read the book, I can say it is an amazing book - probably the book I have learnt the most.

Strongly recommended if you have been where I have been, felt what I have felt and seen what I have seen (Do you see what I See?).

The Shallows - Water - Albany / Western Australia (Sun 18 Apr 2004)

Yin and Yang - Water - Fraser Island (w) (Sun 28 Apr 2002)

Yin and Yang- Water - Coral Sea - Kingfisher Bay Resort / Fraser Island (w) (5:47pm Sun 28 Apr 2002)

What is Mindfulness?

What is Mindfulness?

• Nonconceptual - Mindfulness is awareness without absorption in our thought process.
  
  We are aware of what we are experiencing during the race, rather than distracted by thoughts.



• Present-centered - Mindfulness is always in the present moment. Thoughts about our experience are one step removed from the present moment.
  
  Thoughts from the past or in the future are unhelpful for performance. We are best served being absorbed in the present moment, present stroke, present feeling.



• Nonjudgemental - Awareness cannot occur freely if we would like our experience to be other than it is.
  
  Pain, and distractions are not judged as good, bad, or overwhelming, but just acknowledged without removing your focus from your paddling.



• Intentional - Mindfulness always includes an intention to direct attention somewhere. Returning attention to the present moment gives mindfulness continuity over time.
  
  Your attention will wander, continually bringing it back develops the ability to maintain focus.



• Participant observation - Mindfulness is not detached witnessing. It is experiencing the mind and body more intimately.
  
  Brings you more in touch with the feel of the water and how you are paddling.



• Nonverbal - The experience of mindfulness cannot be captured in words, because awareness is always investigating subtler levels of perception.
  
  Mindfulness involves feeling and experiencing rather than putting things into words or judging what you are feeling.



• Liberating - Every moment of mindful awareness provides freedom from conditioned suffering.
  
  'Conditioned suffering' is a harsh term for unhelpful thought processes that may invoke unnecessary fear, sadness, anger or undermine confidence.

Taken from Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, Germer, Siegel and Fulton, with words in italics added.

Just found this amongst my Sydney 2007 emails. Will find appropriate credit for the paddling tips.

Frozen - Water - Perisher Valley (Wed 27 Jun 2001)

Floating Reeds - Water - Fraser Island (Sat 27 Apr 2002)

Floating Reeds - Water - Fraser Island (w) (Sat 27 Apr 2002)
One of my all time Favourite Photos. The arrow like formation provides a strong focal point and there are lots of little details worth looking for if the time is taken to explore the rest of the photo. In particular, the reeds floating on top of the reeds such as the two in the lower left forming an X. Also, love the fact that this photo was taken during the middle of the day, so it did not have the light working for it. Just goes to show that the early morning and late afternoon sun (so often sought after by landscape photographers) is often not needed to get the lighting right for a photo.

On Thinking - David Foster Wallace (21 May 2005)

Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about

"teaching you how to think"

is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea:

"learning how to think"

really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think.

It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience.

Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed.

David Foster Wallace (w) - Transcript - 2005 Kenyon College Commencement Address (21 May 2005)

Sculpture by the Sea - Bondi / Sydney - (18 Nov 2002)