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Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 pm on February 7, 2021
Tags: , blog, , , , , , ,   

A Blogger’s Diary 2/7/21: 2 Writing Reflections, Next Week, and Movies

Photo by fotografierende on Unsplash

Alright, we’ve now entered February and are approaching the 1-year anniversary of the pandemic outbreak here locally. Phew. Hard to believe, and, yet, not. Why?

Well, in some ways this past year has gone by really quickly, and, in others, not so much. Time is an interesting construct. One I will not go into right now, promise, though if you are interested in more of my thinking on time, please take a look at, The Social Construction Series Part 5: The Social Construction of Time.

I also wrote a poem on time once.

I digress. How about those reflections? Okay, here we go.

2 Writing Reflections

Photo by Faye Cornish on Unsplash

Hope

Alright, the hope elfje poem was a response to Sadje’s weekly WDYS prompt, and I loved writing it. There are times when I write a poem, and all the words just flow out of me and onto the page. There are other times, where it flows out of me, and then I sit with the poem a while, and make minor, and sometimes major adjustments.

The hope poem was of the latter variety. I originally conceived of this poem as a poem about fright. Yet, as I played with the words in my mind, and looked at them on my whiteboard, it occured to me that the poem was really about hope.

That, at times, we all feel like the darkness is enveloping us, and then when we are least expecting it, a ray of light, or hope, shines upon us. Beautifully fun.

Photo by Adrian Infernus on Unsplash

Shy

Well, what do I say about the poem shy. Hm. First, I wrote this poem two months ago probably, and just left it. I would occasionally go back to it, read and reread it, and then still leave it for another day.

Well, this past week, I read it again, made a couple minor changes, and thought, let’s post this this week. And, so that’s exactly what happened.

I was shy growing up, and was called shy and sensitive a lot. In the early 1980’s being shy and sensitive as a young boy was, well, difficult. And, I know for many young boys and girls this is still the case today in the US.

In the United States there is a fixation on being unemotional, which is, as we all know, quite toxic and unhealthy. Emotional balance and stability is needed and necessary, yet, when we shut our emotions away, we are ultimately harming ourselves and those around us.

Anyway, the poem shy was about me stepping into the light of my shyness and sensitivity. For me, they go together.

One of my blogger friends asked if the poem was about being shy or being introverted. And, well, I am actually quite extroverted, yet also have a very important introverted part of my life. A paradox? No, not at all.

Shyness, sensitivity, extroversion, and introversion, all live on a continuum, or spectrum. And, they can actually change over time and between contexts.

Writing the poem shy was a blast.

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Next Week

Looking ahead, I see more poems, and an article on time and energy, which is almost complete. And, then one, I think, on patience, something that I struggled with for a very long time.

In the coming weeks, I will also be working on the Leadership From Within Series. The posts in this new series will be shorter, and will be about the many things I’ve encountered the past 4 years in my role at the community college. Will be fun.

I will also be trying out some new poem forms, such as the Hexastich. Should be a lot of fun. And, movies? Alright, let’s take a look at a couple I’ve watched over the past two months.

Movies

I’ve always enjoyed movies, and though I don’t watch as many today, I still love to curl up with a blanket and take in a good movie.

Here are a couple I’ve watched recently.

I give all of these movies at least a 7 out of 10, with the Legend of Bagger Vance being my favorite.

Alright, that’s all for this week.

I wish you well in all that you do, and hope you have a wonderful week.

#poetry, #blog, #blogger, #bloggers-diary, #blogging, #leadership, #movies, #poems, #writing

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 pm on January 31, 2021
Tags: , beatles, blackbird, blog, , , , , , , , , ,   

A Blogger’s Diary 1/31/21: On My 2 Favorite Posts This Week and Music

Photo by Calista Tee on Unsplash

The end of January. Wow. It’s been almost a year since the pandemic broke out here locally. What a year. And, within 2.5 months of starting to work at home, my first blog post was published. Since then, I’ve created 295 posts, began following so many amazing blogs and inspiring people, and have now over 450 followers. Awesome, and so much fun.

Alright, let’s get to the writing part.

My 2 Favorite Posts This Week

I want to do something different this week, and for a few weeks. Instead of simply recapping all that I wrote, I’m going to choose my favorite 2 or 3 posts each week and provide some of the inspiration, thinking, and reflecting that went into the post. Ready? Good. Here we go.

Here are the two I’m choosing this week.

  1. Reminiscence
  2. Tanka #2

Reminiscence

The reminiscence poem was created as a multi-reflection on my marriage, my childhood, and having two beautiful boys. All three reflections combined in unique ways to create a poem about pain and joy, and recollections about simpler times.

One of the things I love the most about writing poetry, outside of the sheer exuberance I get when an idea flows through me, is looking back, reflecting, and putting on paper some joyous, and yes, sometimes painful life events.

Tanka #2

Tanka #2 was created as a reflection on my meditation practice, and the chasing we sometimes do as humans, trying to get to the next thing, and then the next. Reflecting on meditation and then the concept of chasing after things is a paradox, just like all of life.

The last two lines are a reflection upon creating the future from the present moment, with the knowing that already living inside of me, all of us, are the past, present, and future. As, they are one.

Alright, that’s my reflection on the reflections that inspired the two poems above. That was fun. Let’s now turn to one of my other favorite topics, music.

Photo by John Matychuk on Unsplash

Music

I’ve posted about my love for music before, though it’s been a while. I grew up in a household where music was always present. Whether that was through the TV and MTV, my dad playing his guitar, or sisters, mom, or myself playing the radio, cassettes, or an 8-track.

Yes, I did just reference the radio, cassette tapes, and 8-tracks in the same sentence. I did grow up in the late 70’s and 80’s though.

In this entry on music, I want to do two things. Show you the guitar I bought today, and embed a youtube of one of my favorite songs.

Alright, first, here is a pic of the guitar I bought today. As I mentioned, my dad played the guitar. Though I tinkered with the guitar as a child, youth, and young adult, it’s been years, and I am excited to take some lessons and begin to play.

Corvallis, Oregon 2021

Pretty, yes? Yes, I think so too.

Alright, now here is one of my favorite songs. I am present to it, because my oldest son played it on the guitars we looked at on Saturday. Was so beautiful.

Here you go.

YouTube

I just adore this song. Always have, and always will.

Alright, friends, that’s all for this week.

Remember, to keep breathing and take time for yourself. It’s important.

Have a great week.

#poetry, #beatles, #blackbird, #blog, #bloggersdiary, #blogging, #diary, #introspection, #intuition, #music, #poem, #reflection, #tanka, #writing

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 7:07 pm on December 13, 2020
Tags: blog, , , , , Haruki Murakami, , , , , , , ,   

A Blogger’s Diary 12/13/20: On Writing, Reading, Videoing, and Vulnerability

Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

Alright, another busy week, and, yep, also not busy. I’ve not started an entry that way before, have I? Nope. Why?

Well, it occurred to me this past week that in even the busiest times, when we feel like life is moving faster than we can follow along, there is always time. Now, granted, we have to create it, yet it does exist. In these pandemic days, I just wanted to make sure this is known. More time for yourself, for myself, is creatable.

Writing

Okay, now, into the writing that occurred this past week. Here we go.

  1. Tears
  2. Flight
  3. Ego
  4. A Developmental Moment #2: The 3 C’s of Authentic Productivity
  5. Silence
  6. The Reflection Series Part 6: Why is Creating Safety Important?
  7. Nature
  8. Breaking

And this week? Yep.

I’m currently working on a couple of new posts, which are.

  • The Social Construction Series Part 9: The Social Construction of Power
  • The Leadership Series Part 2.5: Why Developing the Self is Always the First Step in Leadership

I thought getting one of these published this week might happen, alas, that will not be the case. However, I do feel pretty confident about getting them both completed next week. We shall see. And, as I always say, or, rather, write, that is the fun part of the process. Not really knowing, and being at peace with that.

Now, let’s discuss the remote book club a little.

Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash

Reading

I’ve had so much fun with the remote book club. Last week, as we discussed in my last diary post, we finished Anxious People, and are now onto my choice, Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami. I’m a big Murakami fan, so I am super excited about this next book.

In my diary entry last week, I also wrote about connection and communication, and I’d like to report that having the additional connection and communication with the local folks in the remote book club has been amazing. Fun.

August, 2020

Videoing

Well, I’ve not written about creating videos in some time. Why? Well, I’ve been putting more time into my writing, and so the videos have been deprioritized. However, I have a whole new vision for video engagement, especially for LinkedIn, and so will be creating some new videos in the next quarter.

If you’ve not seen any of my videos, and are interested, due check out my Youtube channel. I’ve only had the channel for a short time, and find that creating videos is a beneficial way to connect with people from an audio/visual learning perspective.

You can also check out the videos on my site right here. Wow, I’ve not added a new video to the website since June. Phew. It’s been a little longer than I realized. Well, that just means there’s that much more to create!

Photo by Yukie Emiko on Unsplash

Vulnerability

I’ve written many articles on vulnerability. All of them intended to create the importance of actively being aware of how vulnerability can be transformational to both our personal and professional development. Seriously transformational.

I am resetting them here, as I do also believe that in the future we will need as much innovation as possible. And? Well, one of the gateways to unleashing creative potential is learning to be vulnerable. Alright, here are those articles.

  1. Vulnerability in Action: Three New Ways to Think About Vulnerability
  2. Writing and Life Series #1: On Writing and Vulnerability
  3. Living a Transformational Life: Authenticity and Vulnerability
  4. The Transformation Video Series – The 4 C’s of Vulnerability: Why Vulnerability is Transformational
  5. Vulnerability and Resilience
  6. 10 Reasons Why Embracing Vulnerability as a Strength is Important to Your Development
  7. The 4 C’s of Vulnerability: Why Vulnerability is Transformational

Wow. That’s fun.

Alright, that’s this week’s entry.

Please stay healthy and well, and have a wonderful week.

#blog, #blogger, #bloggers-diary, #blogging, #diary, #haruki-murakami, #innovation, #leadership, #leadershipdevelopment, #reading, #transformation, #videos, #vulnerability, #writing

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 8:52 pm on October 13, 2020
Tags: blog, , , , breakdowns, , breakthroughs, , , emotionalself,   

A Bloggers Diary 10/14/20: On COVID-19, Breakdowns, and Our Emotional Self

Right, so I was getting ready to write this post about something totally different. Namely, about Medium, the writing I’m working on this week, and one or two other topics. And, then?

Well, it occurred to me that I’ve not written about COVID-19 in a while, and I wanted to return, as if I’d ever really left, to the pandemic to discuss what some people are talking about, and some are not. Why? It’s hard.

Breakdowns, breakthroughs, and our emotional self. Hm. Alright, stay with me.

A couple of months ago I did a video and an accompanying blog called, A Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough, and then a few weeks ago I wrote the post, Experiencing and Coping with Our Emotions: There is A Different Way Why?

Because destigmatizing breakdowns is important. They happen to us all. Really. Even if we don’t have access to the language to know that we are in an emotional breakdown, for instance, they happen. And?

A Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough

Acknowledging and accepting our breakdowns is important to fully understand what’s happening within ourselves; and, to get to that insight delivered via breakthrough that will come on the other side of our breakdown.

Example? Sure. It’s very present for me.

In conversation with the team yesterday, well, some of the team, I received feedback that I didn’t see coming. Not at all. And?

Well, the feedback was excellent, and was timely and needed, yet the due date for the work that is affected by this new information is this week.

Phew. Pressure.

Right, so I went into breakdown, and stayed there for a couple of hours. What did this look like? Well, it looked like I was doing the rest of my day, driving to physical therapy, then to the store, then finally home.

When I got home?

Well, I showered, and then sat for my evening meditation. And? On the other side of my meditation, many insights occurred, which I captured for the following morning, this morning, in fact. And?

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

Well, getting back into the conversation this morning with new insight, a new perspective, and an additional colleague created a new way forward.

Yep. Did I see that possibility while I was in breakdown last night? Nope, not at all.

Yet, the more breakdowns and breakthroughs I go through, the more inner-knowing I have that an insight, or a combination of insights and perspectives, will deliver a solution to the issue.

Meaning that, yes, the changes that will need to be made will take time and coordination, yet there is workability. There is a way forward. And, there always is.

And, when we are in breakdown, we can’t always see these possibilities. And, that’s okay. Yes, scary at times, yet perfectly normal.

That, for me anyway, is the essence of a breakdown. Being unable to see far enough, due to my entanglement, in those moments, within my own self.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Being in touch with our emotional self has never been more important than it is today.

The pandemic has ushered in many more unknowns. Really. Many more unknowns for all of us. Personally, familially, organizationally, nationally, culturally, at every level. Every level.

Tonight I am very present to the beauty in accepting and being with my breakdowns as they occur. Staying with them, going inside of myself to see what’s there, and to the knowing that insights will come. They always do.

When you are feeling overwhelmed and a breakdown is imminent, remember, you are not alone. They happen to us all, and in the long run they are beneficial.

They simply mean you are growing as a human being. Growing into yourself, through yourself. Beautiful.

Be well, and have a lovely week.

#blog, #blogger, #bloggers-diary, #blogging, #breakdowns, #breakdowntobreakthrough, #breakthroughs, #covid-19, #diary, #emotionalself, #emotions

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 8:41 pm on September 16, 2020
Tags: badreligion, billieholiday, blog, , , , hamiltion, , huamnnessandparadoxes, , lemisarebles, , , onbeinghuman, punkrock,   

A Blogger’s Diary 9/16/20: On Music, Inspiration, Humanness, and Paradoxes?

Photo by Aditya Chinchure on Unsplash

Alright, so I’m driving home from the store about an hour ago, and it occurs to me that music, like many things in life, is a paradox. Well, that is, the music that one likes and listens to may be seen as a paradox. Do you know what I mean? No. Hm. Okay, let me try it this way.

What I actually mean is that human beings are paradoxical; and, that the things we think, feel, and do can be seen as paradoxes, which includes the music we like, and the music we listen to.

Let me show you.

Here is a band I’ve loved all of my life. As I’ve written about before, I was scheduled to see them play the month that my dad passed away unexpectedly. A difficult time.

Well, I recreated that possibility about 6 months later, so got to see them play in Santa Ana, California last fall. I love all of their albums, and songs, yet this one is more present for me today.

Bad Religion

Ah, yep, Bad Religion. I hadn’t seen them in, oh, should I say? Alright. It had been 20 years. That is a story for another day.

Anyway, as much as I love Bad Religion, I also love this.

Billie Holiday

Mm. Billie Holiday. Love that. Beautiful. And, let’s not forget about this.

Le Miserables

Oh, and then this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-JoG9GFNPM
Hamilton

Alright, alright, though there is so much more to add, I’ll stop now. 🙂

What I am writing about to you today, is to listen to what you love. Especially when it seems like a paradox. It’s for you, no one else.

Likewise, do what you love to do, be who you want to be, and cherish all the apparent paradoxes that you know and feel about yourself. They are a part of you. And, guess what?

They aren’t really paradoxes. Not really. Because they are a part of you, those things that you love, that inspire you, that move you, that touch you, they are one. They are you.

And, when you are inspired, everyone around you will also be inspired. It works like that, and is fun like that.

What are some of the apparent paradoxes that make you the human being you are today?

#badreligion, #billieholiday, #blog, #blogger, #bloggers-diary, #blogging, #hamiltion, #huamndevelopment, #huamnnessandparadoxes, #inspiration, #lemisarebles, #music, #musicals, #onbeinghuman, #punkrock, #selfdevelopment

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 2:24 pm on August 15, 2020
Tags: blog, , , , , , illusionofcontrol, , , , ,   

A Blogger’s Diary 8/15/20: 4 Months In

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Four months in, almost 100 blogs, and SO MUCH learning. Phew. What a ride. I’ve loved every minute of it. Every minute. What have I been up to lately? Hm.

Well, like most of you, writing, creating new ways to engage, and learning a lot about myself along the way. A lot.

I’ve finally made the decision to merge my two sites into one. It will take some time, yet it is time. My oldest son, Justin, will be assisting. Fun. So funny. When I started blogging in April, I created 5 websites. Phew. That was a lot.

Since that time, I have whittled them down to two. And, now there has been a natural confluence of the two sites. I am really excited about merging them in the coming weeks. It will help me focus, and I think it will be much more efficient.

This past week, I’ve been reflecting a lot about transformation. I’ll be doing a new blog series, actually it started today with, Developmental Growth and Transformation: A Distinction, and a new video series over the next several weeks.

Photo by Max Felner on Unsplash

The series will cover, change agents versus the status quo, integrity, vulnerability, communication, and a couple of other topics. I am also working on a new series on sociology called the social constructionism series.

Super excited about both of these series. I think they are very pertinent right now, and I hope you all get something from them. I know I will get many things from reflecting upon them and writing them. 🙂

And, here are a couple other blog topics I am currently working on.

  • The illusion of control
  • Confusion to clarity: order, disorder, reorder, order
  • Why letting go is so hard

Work? Busy. I’ve been working more on my social media presence, especially on LinkedIn. If you’ve not connected with me, and would like to, please do. You can find me here.

Photo by Kelli Tungay on Unsplash

We are almost ready to launch fall classes. We will have over 120 remote community education classes on offer. Pretty amazing. If you’ve never taken a remote community education class, and would like to, you can email me at fleschj@linnbenton.edu. Registration opens on 8/31.

Personal? Spending time working on me. Like many of you, I would like desperately to be with other people right now, yet know that is not helpful, or necessary. So, I am spending my time writing, reading, watching a show here and there, meditating, and going for walks and hikes while the weather is so nice.

Because the theme of the next couple of weeks is about transformation and the social construction of life, here are a couple quotes on these two topics.

“Yes, your transformation will be hard. Yes, you will feel frightened, messed up and knocked down. Yes, you’ll want to stop. Yes, it’s the best work you’ll ever do.” -Robin Sharma

Awakenthegreatnesswithin

“Transformation isn’t sweet and bright. It’s a dark and murky, painful pushing. An unraveling of the untruths you’ve carried in your body. A practice in facing your own created demons. A complete uprooting, before becoming.” -Victoria Erickson

Awakenthegreatnesswithin

“Human existence is, ab initio, an ongoing externalization. As man externalizes himself, he constructs the world into which he externalizes himself. In the process of externalization, he projects his own meanings into reality. Symbolic universes, which proclaim that all reality is humanly meaningful and call upon the entire cosmos to signify the validity of human existence, constitute the farthest reaches of this projection.80 b.”
― Peter L. Berger, The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge

Goodreads.com

Forgive the highly gendered language in the last quote. It was written a long time ago. Actually, let’s write it again, with more appropriate language. Here we go.

“Human existence is, ab initio, an ongoing externalization. As [humans] externalize [themselves], [they] construct the world into which [they] externalize [themselves]. In the process of externalization, [they] project [their] own meanings into reality. Symbolic universes, which proclaim that all reality is humanly meaningful and call upon the entire cosmos to signify the validity of human existence, constitute the farthest reaches of this projection.” (Berger, 1966.)

Alright, that’s it for this entry. I hope that you are all doing well, living well, loving well, creating well, and developing well.

Citation

Berger, Peter L, and Thomas Luckmann. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. , 1967. Print.

#blog, #blogging, #confusiontoclarity, #development, #diary, #growth, #illusionofcontrol, #lettinggo, #linkedin, #socialconstruction, #socialconstructionism, #transformation

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 8:08 pm on April 23, 2020
Tags: , blog, , , ,   

Creativity this week

I’ve been writing again, since the COVID-19 outbreak. The writing is one of the things that has “come back” with the extra time. It is interesting to examine human nature. We work very hard to stay as busy as possible, and yet inside of business, there is little space for creativity. Yes, you can be creative while leading a busy life. Yet, you can be even more creative when you stop to pause, ponder, and wonder.

So, then, this is the companion blog that I created this week as an outlet for the writing. No idea if it will go anywhere. And, really, the writing is not about it going somewhere. It is about taking that creative action, realizing that outlet, or manifesting that output. However you say it, matters less than taking those steps to do something different. Or, do something that you’ve not done in some time.

For instance, last week I played golf, while of course adhering to the social distancing order, for the first time in 3 or 4 years. That felt good. I played really bad. Again, that is not the point. The point, for me anyway, was taking the action, doing something.

Well, that is it from me for now. Before I go a question for you.

What did you create this week?

And, if you didn’t create anything, which I know you did, even if you don’t consider it a creation, what will you create next week?

Reply and let the world know.

Until next time…

#action, #blog, #covid-19, #creativity, #human-nature, #writing