Walker Percy in Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book or ...Why it is that of all the billions and billions of strange objects in the Cosmos - novas, quasars, pulsars, black holes - you are beyond doubt the strangest or ... Why it is possible to learn more in ten minutes about the Crab Nebula in Taurus, which is 6,000 light-years away, than you presently know about yourself, even though you've been stuck with yourself all your life....
I've written earlier about the importance of having a Zone of Indifference. Another area to recognize is The Procrastinator's Block. That barrier, which is often caused by an undue emphasis on timing, perfection, preparation or analysis, is used by every procrastinator in the world.
Some examples:
"Should I go to the gym now?"
"No, it will be too crowded."
[Result: You don't go at all.]
"Should I submit the project?"
"No, make one more review of the research to see if there is anything new."
[Result: You can keep making reviews without end because there is always something new.]
"Should I start this task now even though I don't feel like it?"
"No, wait until you are in the right mood."
[Result: The right mood is not likely to strike until three days before the project is due.]
These are common culprits, but at least they are conscious decisions. Here are other barriers that may be more subtle: - Entertainment. [Kill your television.]
- Worries about matters beyond your control. [Create a Zone of Indifference.]
- Undue caring. [Taking time for everyone but yourself.]
For Monday: The incomparable Nicholas Bate on making a change.
Is California the worst state in the nation for business? And guess which is the best.
If you're missing attribution for a commencement address or graduation column, just throw Vonnegut's name on there.- Fake AP Style Book
To celebrate Mother's Day, Kenneth Anderson took his wife and daughter to see "Jane Eyre" and, to his surprise, really enjoyed it, but...(Even with pretty much the only other guy in the theater seated two seats away – this enormous guy came into the theatre with a cooler, and midway through the movie proceeded to pull out a family size bag of doritos and consume the entire crunchy, crunchy, far more crunchy than popcorn, bag while slurping from a big bucket sized thermos, followed by some kind of cookies. I was distracted from the Divine Waifiness of Mia Wasikowska on-screen because a part of my brain could not help but calculate the calorie intake of the human cookie monster next to me. There is a reason I hardly set foot inside a movie theater.)
Back by popular demand: A part of Maurice Jarre's soundtrack for "Witness": "Building the Barn."
