I watched some ads while living in the UK.

They were not pleasant to watch, but, still, they were rather nice.

I watch almost every year some ads from the Super Bowl.

I don’t like them too much, but, again, they’re not that bad, either.

And here comes the ads from the televisions in Romania.

There are some things on the TV which are worth watching – news, some TV shows.

But the ads that interrupt them make viewing almost impossible.

It’s hard for me to imagine how can I watch a movie on the TV.

The movie can be good, but watching the movie interrupted by ads makes it a poor experience.

And some ads are really aggressive and are around products that are sensitive.

This happens everywhere, but in Romania it’s a bit too much for my taste.

Citește mai departeTV Ads

In a lot of modern movies, things happen quickly. Frames go quickly, scene cuts happen a lot.

Viewer’s brain, your brain, my brain, have to go through a lot of information, in a small amount of time.

“Quick! Look here! Now, here! Faster! Faster!”.

Sometimes, this can tire the brain.

There is a rush of information in modern times.

Lots of notifications, news go fast, someone expects an answer.

What’s to do? Focus on finding solutions to calm the mind.

Citește mai departeScene cuts

At times, I do have self-sabotage.

I think, to some degree, pretty much everyone does this, you can’t live a human life without experiencing it.

I don’t think there’s a huge problem with me, but, at times, I do set myself for failure.

That’s why it’s good to watch sports and get involved in competitive activities – it makes you want to win, it enhances your motivation.

Is there a solution?

The first step is acknowledging the issue.

The second?

Putting things into balance – yes, at times you’ll do self-sabotage, but it’s part of a paradox of life – you need both courage and fear, you need to take precautions and take risks, you need to be bold and to retreat, at the same time.

You need the full complexity of emotions in life, and self-sabotage can actually be healthy to some degree.

Just try and find the good measure, with this also.

Citește mai departeSelf-sabotage

I know more than a person who thinks that by talking to people you make them feel good.

There are quite a few persons who think that.

I think that, on average, people prefer to be noticed and appreciate being talked to, but there are exceptions.

Some people prefer a quiet atmosphere.

And, as hard as this might be to be accepted, some people might be annoyed by other people.

What’s the solution?

Do consider that most people prefer a conversation, but stay alert for signs that a person would prefer the conversation not to continue or even having started.

Citește mai departeThanking by talking

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”” (Mark 9:24 NIV)

What happens when you go from “I believe” (and you want to get some help to the lack of belief) to “I know” / “I am certain”?

Some things change.

For example, where do you put life’s values into the 10 commandments?

If you know, choices become simpler.

Even if belief can tend to give more liberties than take, sometimes it may look that belief tends to take liberties.

But I think it gives more liberties while helping you decide between A and B in simpler ways.

Is there a counter-argument? Sure it is, right from the Bible:

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)

So, while I do claim I have faith, and it’s gone from faith to “knowing”, there are some obstacles.

What are the obstacles? Mainly from the lack of resources and motivation.

You know God exists, yet you don’t fulfill the basic commands:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40 NIV

Sounds simple, right? Love God and people more than anything else. To me, it’s not that simple, and motivation is sometimes hard to get.

You want to do good, but sometimes you fail at it.

So, to knowing – there is a paradox – it’s hard to implement.

Is there a paradox to this, also?

It sure is:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

You need to try and get results.

How to do so? With the ambition to move the mountains, or with help from a mentor / coach.

Citește mai departeGoing from “I believe” to “I know”

I think I have a poor memory, I tend to forget things.

Sometimes, my life is like a movie: Memento (2000), I need notes and procedures to know what to do.

And that’s the thing – having a poor memory forces me to think a lot.

“OK, I don’t know where this object usually goes – but where would it go?”.

It’s far more tiresome to always think – “What’s the purpose of this object – than to know it, as far as I can tell.

But, all in all, there is a solution – associations (X is related to Y, which is related to Z) and procedures (X should be done like this, following this procedure, rinse and repeat).

Did I mention how great Google Calendar is?

Citește mai departeMemory associations

It is said that all that happens in this world is allowed, to some degree, by God.

Yet, some things seem paradoxical, “Why would God allow this?”.

One possible answer would be that if you get your pet to the veterinary, the pet doesn’t understand what happens to him/her, but it’s still a good thing for him/her, so it must be done.

But I have another analogy – it’s like AI bots in chess. Sometimes, their moves seem very weird, but they are to be considered top move.

Even if people will look puzzled by computer moves, they’re still the best.

You don’t understand them? That doesn’t mean they’re not good.

Citește mai departeAI Bots and God