A somewhat goofy mini-collection of stuff I’ve been reading, stuff I’ve been thinking about and oh, some completely random crap.
Basically the stuff that never gets mentioned here because I’m not the kind of person who can just make some teeny little point. Not into the whole brevity thing, as the Dude would say.
Actually, I’m under the strict compulsion to write ten pages about anything on my mind. So this is me. Practicing brevity.
Wednesday is the day I get goofy.
Actually, goofiness is a regular guest in my home on any day, but this is the day when I run around my blog and dance on tables and generally give myself permission to not be even mildly useful or entertaining, except by happy accident.
So of course it would turn out that Tuesday night the very thoughtful and inspiring Steve Spalding would write a post on his super famous blog about the blogs that inspire him.
And put me and Selma the duck up there with Seth Godin (be still, my heart) and the MIT Technology Review.
Which means a ton of people might show up today in the hopes of reading something brilliant and fascinating. But tough luck, because it’s Wednesday!
Oh well. Browse the archives, guys. I have been known on occasion to be highly informative and/or entertaining, I’m almost sure of it.
On the other hand, I’m linking to some pretty terrific reads today, so you can all go get inspired by them! Here we go.
Item! Post No. 7 in a series that doesn’t make sense even to me.
Item! My candle is better than your candle!
Or you could just curse the darkness.*
*Extra points for anyone Jewish enough to catch that reference. Whom am I misquoting?
Anyway, the lovely Char Brooks (no relation) sent me a delightful gift in the form of a gigantic white candle. I LOVE it.
It’s from the Bullfrog Light Company out in Michigan, and they put a lot of energy, effort and attention into explaining to you (in their little cards and on their website) that their candles are brighter than everyone else’s.
Of course if you’re like me, your response is … “Uh, it’s a candle. What are you talking about?”
It was only when I lit the candle that I realized oooooooohhhhh, I get it. Like, now I can just light one candle during my morning meditation instead of three.
It’s a really, really wonderfully bright candle. And the whole thing glows from the second you light it. And it’s super cheery.
But now I totally want to rewrite their web copy to explain that these bright candles are cheerier and useful-er and all around better than their regular old candle-ey counterparts. Features into benefits, people.
Anyway, despite the fact that they don’t do a very good job of convincing you, these candles are outrageously great.
P.S. Char is @CharTFirstStep on Twitter, if you want to follow her there.
Item! Auto-messages still suck!
I won’t go on my infamous “a pox on Tim Ferris for the scourge of the auto-response ‘personal’ email” rant today because that would take up the whole post.
And really, it’s not like you really need another reason why those autoresponder-ey “Sorry, I’m not reading your email” emails are stupid, evil and annoying.
But how hilarious is this?*
Thanks to Lisa for the link (if you’re like me, you probably think of her as @ZenAtPlay on Twitter)
Item! This woman is a kick in the pants!
I enjoyed the hell out of Mary’s Ray Worley’s power-to-the-people post that references my piece from way back when on the Art of the Ask. Really nice.
But other reasons why I adore her. For one thing, she’s from Madison, one of my favorite places in the States.
Also, take a look at her awesome Twitter bio and then run as fast as you can to rewrite yours:
Rabble-rousing progressive patriot, sing-along goddess, verbivore, Latina de corazón.
You already like her, right? She’s @MaryRW if you’re a Twitterite. And if not, stop trying to get me to explain it to you and just give try it for a month until you get it.
Item! The fabulousness: it is fabulous!
My work brings me into the path of some seriously kooky people, and I mean that in only the best of ways.
I could not have been more delighted to encounter Erika Harris from Life Blazing, who recently wrote a very cool post called Happy Reset Button! Where she also waxed rhapsodic about my wacky yoga brain training work.
She’s also been featured on my Shiva Nata blog, because when she does wacky yoga brain training, she does it holding Rice Krispies Treats. That’s how cool she is.
Hang out more with Erika. We like her.
Yes, she’s on Twitter too. @LifeBlazing. Get on board already.
Item! I’m not alone!
Someone else did a check-in!
Okay, so actually a lot of people are doing weekly check-ins, really really great ones. And they all say sweet things about being inspired by my Friday Chicken posts.
But this week I especially loved discovering this one from Nick Kempinski. Very real. Very sweet. If you absolutely CANNOT WAIT until Friday to read my next one, go read his!
I know you’re about to ask me if he’s on Twitter, so … yes. He’s @nkempinski.
Item! You need to do this thing!
My friend Bari Tessler from Conscious Bookkeeping is pretty awesome.
Her thing is financial therapy which basically means giving people super useful techniques and concepts for working through their money-related stucknesses, emotional and literal.
I’ve taken some of her classes and they’re absolutely terrific. There is a self-work, spiritual-ey component, but they don’t try to impose on you any sort of reality theory or try to wallop you into changing your beliefs or anything.
Very compassionate and very kind, with a huge dose of inspiration and a lot of common sense things you’d never have thought of.
Also, I had dinner with Bari in San Francisco once and boy is she ever a lot of fun.
Anyway … she’s doing a freebie teleclass on Monday, January 12th (this coming Monday) from 5:00 – 6:30 p. m. PST.
These pretty much always rock. And she’s full of integrity to the gazillionth power so, while she’ll probably talk about some of her programs as well as giving you ridiculous amounts of incredibly useful information, she doesn’t do the whole obnoxious pitch thing at all.
Here’s the phone number: 1-218-936-4700
And the password: 940061
Highly recommended. Tell Bari I say hi. Actually, tell her I said to get on Twitter. 🙂
Also, if you’re one of the people who is now hanging out at my Kitchen Table, we’re going to have our own private take-this-stuff-deeper class with Bari too.
We’re spending the next three months in the Kitchen focusing on money stucknesses in various forms and how to shift them, and Bari will be one of the scholars in residence.
Item! I have a crush on Jennifer Louden!
Okay, so this isn’t really news, but man, I love Jen.
She’s one of the rare people in the self-help world who doesn’t totally get on my nerves. She’s funny, she’s deliciously mean (sometimes), and she totally gets it.
Go hang out with Jen and enjoy this post because she says things like Uncertainty Rollercoaster. And because she once kissed Selma right on the beak. And because she’ll make you feel better.
That is all.
We are done with the goofy. No more exclamation points.
Until next Wednesday.
I’ll be here tomorrow being decidedly non-goofy. See you then!
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“If you’re not into the whole brevity thing” is one of my all-time favourite movie quotes. Nobody else gets it.
And well done for the Seth Godin related biggification! Rah!
Joely Blacks last blog post..Good news: I am not dead
Too much to read, check out….can’t keep up…brain spinning… oh, wait, my brain is always confused.
I am glad I get to meet such interesting folks in 2009. Sure beats 2008 and previous years where I was hanging around the “not-such-a-positive-attitude” folks. Definitely makes a difference in how ya feel personally.
Amy Mommaertss last blog post..Part Two: Harvest From Labor Painting Series
Item! Havi Brooks is succulent!
And generous.
May the love you spread boomerang. Big-bang style.
Erika Harriss last blog post..Joyful Work for Sensitive People
Conscious Bookkeeping. Cue the sunlight breaking through the clouds while the choir sings. Fantastic.
Cairenes last blog post..Just Ask Me
Love the items, as always. And thanks for the heads up about the Conscious Bookkeeping class.
Diane Whiddon-Browns last blog post..A bit about the hyphen…
Goofy random crap rocks! And thanks for the intros…
Ginas last blog post..un-driven
That Welsh road sign is hilarious – thanks for sharing and happy Wednesday!
Just got back from one of those bad-news dentist visits (is there any other kind?). As always your post injected some relief and perspective into a this-could-have-been-much-better day.
I may be one of the only readers honest enough, brave enough (or foolish enough) to admit that I remeber Wednesday as “Anything Can Happen” day (Mickey Mouse Club). Why rewrite history when you can reinterpret?
I subscribe to more than 30 RSS feeds (have to do something about that). I read every post from only four of them. Your’s is one. (Yes, SG’s is another, but his posts are really short.)
Thank’s for your blog. Please keep it up.
Wow, Havi, you’ve surpassed yourself – what a great collection of links! And a renaissance soul *and* a HSP – makes me feel all tribey.
And how did I not know you had a Shiva Nata blog? With a video! So excited to see it in action, and oh my god, it’s rubbing-your-tummy-and-patting-your-head-tastic. I really, really want to try it.
Kates last blog post..Alternative forms of meditation
These are all so great. Thank you for the brain candy.
Joce xoxo
Jocelyns last blog post..Take a moment to enjoy this
Thanks for the cheering on and the putting up with me and the following of rabbit holes with me.
@Kate – funny lady! Can I say “I told you so” yet or do I have to wait until you start doing it? Fine, fine, I’ll hold a class.
@George – I am *completely* honored. Thank you!
Internet hugs all around!
And…
I slowly sidled up to it – no running – but I did rewrite my Twitter bio (everything Havi says about Twitter is true – go try it).
And who *doesn’t* have a crush on Jennifer Louden?
Oh Cairene, many days I so do not have a crush on myself but so very very glad Selma does – or she wouldn’t have let me kiss her, would she?
Havi, love watching you in action – what a friggin delight.
Jennifer Loudens last blog post..How to Slow Down the Uncertainty Rollercoaster and Find Your Center Again
@Jennifer LOUDEN – Pffft! As if Selma would have a crush on you. Just because you accosted her! You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?
No, I have a huge, embarrassing crush on you as does everyone else in the world. But my duck? Indifferent at best. She really only cares about being on the front page of various papers (just saw the Oregonian …)
@Cairene – Hooray! It was such a happy, happy day when I saw you were on Twitter. Like … my favorite thing in the world Just. Got. Better.
A class? Really? Do, do! The DVD’s on my list of things I really want to buy when the amount in my bank balance no longer defines my precarious ability to stay in this country. (Which, let me tell you, is teh suxor. If anyone wants to marry or employ me, it would make my life a lot easier.) But a class I could probably pay for without getting The Fear.
Kates last blog post..Alternative forms of meditation
Ooooh, Havi –
That was so sweet of you to mention the candle – and I’m so glad you are enjoying it and it’s lighting up your life!!
I read your blog every day and somehow missed this post. Thank goodness Grace Judson told me to read it . . . thank you Grace.
As long as we’re sharing resources here, Grace and Jon Hansen are co-leading a teleclass called Finding Another Way. Having worked with both, I can only tell you they are top notch enlightened professionals who have a gift for helping others find their flow.
I’m not being as articulate as I’d like to about their course but here’s the webpage in case you want to know what it is really about:
http://www.therememberingroom.com/offerings/finding_another_way_group.html/
If for some reason that’s not the right webpage, go to http://www.therememberingroom.com and you’ll be able to link to it somehow.
Anyhoo, thanks again Havi – you’ve helped me in countless ways and it’s the LEAST I can do!!!
Adlai Stevenson? I’m not Jewish… but if I remember correctly…. I could be entirely wrong…. a statement about a politician?
melissas last blog post..Settle