Fetch

December 1, 2018 Will Simpson

My new puppy, Zivon, is learning to fetch. He’s doing great, but like all learners there are areas for improvement. Reading The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia B. McConnell has being enlightening. McConnell is an animal behaviorist that open my eyes to the obvious facts that my dog is not a human and does not do human things. He does dog things. My projection of human intentions and behaviors is no helpful. For example he doesn’t want praise and petting when playing a ball game, he wants the ball thrown. Things that delay this are not enjoyed. Another example, when I call him to come, he’ll come if he know good things will happen, he won’t if he thinks bad things will happen. But good and bad from puppy’s perspective not mine.

Two things I’ve been doing incorrectly when I play fetch are:

Throw the ball a quickly as possible once the dog releases it. Don’t hold on to the ball unless the game is over.
Move away as the dog approaches to encourage the dog to chase and play. Ignore dog and walk away if he plays hard to get or keep away.

Credits — The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia B. McConnell

I hope you have an awesome day!

This is a journal entry meant as a reminder to my future self. A reminder to him how to operate in the world with love and compassion and some tips put together in a moment of clarity to help him when he is less clear and caught up in stuff the he can’t control. Continue the conversation anytime: will@kestrelcreek.com.

Are you big enough to accommodate whatever arises, good or bad.

November 30, 2018 Will Simpson

Todays Lojong Slogan is "When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi.” which sounds so much like the Stoic virtue of transforming every obstacle into the path. This starts with yourself, which is hard because you are usually swept away in the moment and unable to focus on the work of awakening in every moment, good or bad. What makes this easier is a realization that we all are in this same predicament. We are all suffering and struggling to awaken to our lives in own ways.

This video I’d heard about but had not watched until recently. I squares with my experience completely. It shows us that we are not alone, only separate.

This is a convoluted note to myself connecting divergent ideas together. Ideas of using ‘evil’ as a path, the connection of evil and an obstacle, see others as fighting battles with their obstacles just like me.

Credits — Cleveland Clinic

Credits — The 59 Lojong Slogans - Atisha's mind-training techniques. Commentary by Judy Lief Tricycle Magazine 2010

I hope you have an awesome day!

Start by being kind to yourself

November 29, 2018 Will Simpson

Self love has a bad name. Too much and one becomes narcissistic.Not enough and one becomes burned out on life. Finding a balance is hard work. But starting with yourself takes the big task and makes it a bit easier.

Looking at your own foibles, ticks, dramas, and pains make it easier to identify with others sufferings. Remember you are not unique in the suffering department. Others may have more or harder suffering and there will be those with less, those more in touch and those out of touch. Comparing and keeping track is a fools game. Suffering is suffering and helping is helping.

Do your best.

Credits — The 59 Lojong Slogans - Atisha's mind-training techniques. Commentary by Judy Lief Tricycle Magazine 2010

I hope you have an awesome day!

5 Powerful Mental Models

November 28, 2018 Will Simpson

Incentives matter. If we’re incentivized to do good, we’ll do good.
Laws of reinforcement. What gets reinforced get repeated.
Cost/benefit ratio. Examining cost/benefit ratio makes us smarter with our money.
Zero-sum. Humans default is to think in terms of ’not enough for everyone’, ‘I have to get mine’. Negative.
Sunk Costs. Money spent is water under the bridge un all situations.

I hope you have an awesome day!

This is a journal entry meant as a reminder to me. It is a reminder to me how I want to operate and some tips put together in a moment of clarity to help when I am less clear and caught up in stuff the I can’t control. Continue the conversation anytime: will@kestrelcreek.com.

Caring

November 27, 2018 Will Simpson

Be careful that special care is given to the people close to me and be sure they don’t lose the preciousness that attracted me to them in the first place.

Caring comes in a couple of flavors. We sometimes cloud our caring with expectations, with ideas we have behaviors which we think are worthy of our caring. Our caring is rooted unconsciously in our biases. I do this. It is poison. I’m dealing with this now. I want to give space and care with the right intentions. This is work that I must do for myself. I want to see this as an opportunity. It is the ones closest to us which we have ideas about how they should act in the world. This short circuits connection and the love one want to foster with caring. It is especially sad when we do this with the one we so badly want to connect with.

I hope you’ve had a awesome, fulfilling day.

This is a journal entry meant as a reminder to me. It is a reminder to me how I want to operate and some tips put together in moments of clarity to help when I am less clear and caught up in stuff the I can’t control. Continue the conversation anytime: will@kestrelcreek.com.