John Corrigan

In this corner…

August 25, 2023 John Corrigan

Another day came with another conference and another speaker. This time the speaker was at the lectern promoting his office. He runs the organizations Project management office and when his organization completes a project there is not change but transformation.

The speaker wanted the listeners to be aware of this fact because, according to him change is different than transformation. If you are rolling your eyes right now then, we are kindred spirits.

The definition for the word transformation has the word change in it. I understand what the speaker was doing but, I think he could have used better words for this concept. The idea was that change can be fleeting but transformation is forever and all encompassing but see even this is not really true. The only reason transformation was all encompassing was that his office implemented procedures to make it that way.

The truth is we have to work at life and doing the best we can everyday. We cannot just make a few changes and transform into something wonderful or good

What’s tough is being good every day.

— Willie Mays

Knowing that change is not permanent brings with it good and bad news. Bad news is that you will always be an addict. People in recovery can attest to this fact. The idea of once an addict always an addict has little to do with science and more to do with a personality trait or an outlook on life.

Understanding that one can engage at anytime in addictive and destructive traits helps some people take some control of their day. For the one who believes they are always an addict everyday represents a choice and that is a pretty big source of power.

“Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.”

– Mark Twain

There is very little that we can control however we can control us and our choices and when we do it will be hard (like everyday) but, with the right choices life can be and is beautiful

More than just surface level

August 23, 2023 John Corrigan

Yesterday, I sat through a keynote speech. The speaker was the Teacher of the Year winner for the state that I live in. Part of the reason this teacher won the award was because of the impact she had on her students. The speaker spoke about how she teaches through having her students build or create things.

Some of the teachers students have created pdocasts, movies, and original songs.

The speaker mentioned that it is through creation that her students get a deeper level of education. This ideology has really resonated with me since, yesterday.

I have read a lot of instructions and how to documents but until I started cutting wood nailing and gluing I did not truly understand how woodworking works.

The world needs more builders and tinkers and we need and can appreciate a deeper education. Build something today you will be glad you did and so will the world.

Set them then set them again then…

August 18, 2023 John Corrigan

Welcome to Friday. If you are reading this post on the day I publish it and are not a day ahead or behind time zone wise, it is indeed Friday. If it is not Friday for you imagine that it is.

For two years now I have purchased a Legend weekly planner. The legend planner lets me create weekly goals, monthly goals, quarterly goals, and yearly goals. at the end of each work week (Friday) I take time to reflect on what goals were recorded and accomplished (in the planner these are called wins). Often my recorded goals get derailed. The goals are important and need to get done so I roll them over to next week with notes on why they weren’t accomplished.

Even if I don’t reach all my goals, I’ve gone higher than I would have if I hadn’t set any
Danielle Fotopoulis

Failure to reach goals is not a reason to abandon goals. As long as your failure is not a failure to try failure is acceptable.

The reality is: Sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens. And it happens when it needs to happen. And you need to embrace those things.
Beyoncé

Prior to using a Legend planner I used small notebooks and even a waiters pad to write daily and weekly goals down and I have always rolled goals over to the next day or week. Sometimes my goals have changed and morphed based on my situations and the world.

My goals have changed often however I have never changed the overall goal. I have always tried to be a better me.

Two things

August 17, 2023 John Corrigan

Yesterday evening, I was finishing up my work for the day at a site. As I was walking through the hall I noticed a bulletin board on the wall. The board had a rainbow and the words “be a RAINBOW in someone else’s cloud” written on it.

On the way home from this site I noticed some pretty dark clouds forming and I felt what I often do when I see the clouds like that a little foreboding then a little excitement. Storms are chaotic that way. Of course when asked everybody will say they want sunny and 70 weather its amazing and bucolic even. But storms come and they are in their own right pretty incredible.

Two songs came to mind when I thought about the bulletin board and the storm clouds. One was an REO speed wagon song called Riding out the storm. In the song riding out the storm, the band sings about times in life that seem like storms will come and it will be ok we will be ok if we just ride them out.

I also thought about A Doors song called, Riders on the Storm. In the song Riders on the storm the band sings about a chaotic life and what it is like to navigate this with help from friends and loved ones (kind of like being a rainbow). This is what I thought the Doors song was about however I did two things and went down a rabbit hole with the lyrics from this Doors song and totally forgot about the lyrics from verse one in the song. In my defense the song starts with the chorus so verse 1 was easily forgettable for me.

Verse 1

There’s a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin’ like a toad
Take a long holiday
Let your children play
If you give this man a ride
Sweet family will die
Killer on the road

Pretty dark right? I totally forgot about this part of the songs lyrics. I have found myself doing this often in songs and literature I read where I do not remember the all the parts. SO art is of course subjective and in a gestalt manner I find the song by the doors Riders on the Storm to be uplifting and what I said before. I am not going to try and dissect the song anymore because I don’t want to get any darker and part of me thinks that the writers of Riders on the Storm may have just dropped acid before writing the lyrics. The song was written by The Doors.

So enjoy the song that is both uplifting and a little dark as well as this trippy video and be some ones rainbow or girl that can save everyone be a rainbow.

Another great piece of work

August 16, 2023 John Corrigan

I have been watching the first season of the series named Foundation on Apple TV + and this is another great piece of work. The show is loosely based on the writings of Isaac Asimov. Asimov created a Foundation trilogy that later became a foundation series of books.

The Foundation series demonstrates how a society could explore and colonize a galaxy. Asimov wrote the Foundation series between 1942 – 1949. 1942 was the beginning of the second world war.

I cant help but wonder if the foundation serves as a warning for the ambitious societies that wish to colonize the world.

This month the G20 is holding its summit in India. The G20 is in no way an effort at colonization but partnership, however some of the controversies that the G20 face deal with problems that colonizers have had with countries or regions they have colonized. Besides being immoral and brutal colonization faced issues with governing nations around the world. Often times real issues were ignored by the colonizing states. The same is being said about the G20 summit. real issues are not being acknowledged at the summit or by the group.

Another big controversy concerning the G20 summit is its lack of diversity. Smaller countries in the summit are not properly represented in the summit and are facing some restrictive policies that cause the smaller nations to suffer.

Again the G20 is not colonization however if exclusion and ignorance continues to be the modus operandi of the G20 summit I do not think the G20 will accomplish the goals it has, which are:

international financial stability
climate change mitigation and sustainable development.

If humanity is to survive these to issues must be addressed globally.

How can it be done? With respect for all people no matter what nation they are from, race or religion. Until the people of the world look at all the people of the world as citizens of the world first and countrymen second. There is no way humanity will survive.

As a citizen of the world, I stand only with Truth and my conscience is my only leader. This is the only way to peace and justice on earth. To always do the right thing, be the right person, and stand with whoever is right always and forever
Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

A Global Citizen is aware of the fact that we all share one planet, one health, one common destiny. And that every one of us matters. Everyone can make a difference, by working together, finding global solutions to global problems
von der Leyen

I Wanted to Feel Better

August 15, 2023 John Corrigan

It was a long day for her and she had dealt with some stressful situations, as soon as she put on the dress she started to feel the stress melt away. It is called retail therapy and the act of shopping can and does release dopamine and make us feel less stressed. Let us back up one second dopamine is actually released prior to the purchase as well as during the purchase of an item. So, scrolling through Amazon comparing prices and not buying them can help reduce stress almost just as much as actually buying the product does.

There are many ideas as to why the act of shopping provides us with dopamine but one of the major reasons is that shopping gives us a sense of control and a reward.

Shopping addiction is not retail therapy and it can be pretty awful for individuals and society. Here is a pretty good online article that outlines the negative effects of consumerism. In the article the writer mentions that the current rate of consumerism is something unsustainable and that

If everyone lived like western consumers we would need 5 planets to support us.
The world counts. Available at: https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/state-of-the-planet/number-of-consumers

Consumerism may provide a quick high that helps us to relieve stress, but the cost of rampant consumerism is to much. Some great alternatives to retail therapy that also provide us with dopamine from control and reward include but are not limited to

Exercise
Building something
Reading
Spending time with Family and friends
Reading

Everything in this list gives you control, reward and releases dopamine. So why do we do it? Why do we consume? Well we are trained our whole lives to consume so there is the way we were raised. We have to buy food and supplies to live so we consume to live. Did you know that, impulse buys at the grocery store account for 62% of the overall sales?

Why not buy more while we are here? I do not need it and before seeing it I didn’t want it but, why not buy it? After that first impulse buy many many more can and do happen, its a slippery slope.

How can we avoid and reverse rampant consumerism then? I think to avoid this rampant consumerism we should first and foremost be thoughtful in our purchases. Asking why.

why am I buying this?

asking how much

how much will this cost me?
how much will it cost society?
how much will it cost the planet?

asking what else

what else can I do to satisfy this need?
what else can I do with the cost for this need?
what else can I purchase that will make less of an impact on society (a used car is actually much better for the earth than a new one and there are already many used electric vehicles on the market)?

No matter what you do know that you deserve to treat yourself to better mental health regiments than just a shopping trip.

Somewhere that is not here

August 11, 2023 John Corrigan

The rain had just started and was not in full swing. I have never been a fan of wearing wet clothes as such I put on my rain jacket. One of my colleagues saw this and asked why I was putting on the jacket. I let him know that I was not a fan of rain. He told me that perhaps I could imagine that I was dry and on a beach with sunny 70 degree weather and maybe the rain would not affect me as much.

I am a fan of visualization just as much as the next guy but I choose to wear the jacket.

Visualization is a powerful tool when it comes to dealing with anxiety and accomplishing goals.

Through visualization we can make our minds believe that we are not experiencing some trauma and actually put ourselves into a calm state.

Through visualization we can see our desired outcome and the steps it takes to get there.

To use visualization imagination is required and often as adults we tend to frown on imaginative folks.

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will.
George Bernard Shaw

It is a tragedy that we belittle those who have and use their imagination. Lets work hard today to not belittle anyone especially those using their imagination or stop from using our imaginations

Kintsu.. who what?

August 10, 2023 John Corrigan

Kintsugi is an Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using gold as the material for repairing the cracks. The philosophy behind Kintsugi is very similar in nature to wabi-sabi , which is embracing the imperfect.

There is a great song written by Trains lead singer Patrick Monahan and performed by Train and Ashley Monroe called Bruises.

The song deals with embracing our flaws as part of who we are. It can be tempting to cover up imperfections but it will not work. People can spot fake people a mile away.

It’s all right to make mistakes, you’re only humanInside everybody’s hiding something.
Dido Armstrong

Its important to put forth your “real self” flaws and all to the world, especially our family and friends. If your relationships are loving ones the family and friends will not only accept you flaws and all they will celebrate you with gold, flaws and all and, if they don’t they will eventually come around.

This is by no means a recommendation to hurt someone. It is ok to celebrate your flaws however it is never ok to break another person. Never

Hold your breath

August 9, 2023 John Corrigan

Last night I watched the movie Oppenheimer, I wasn’t really sure what to expect I am not usually a fan of bio pics but this movie was an amazing piece of work. If you get the chance you should certainly watch this movie.

The movie tells the story of how Robert Oppenheimer became the leader of the Manhattan project and than was involved in warning the world about the dangers of nuclear weapons and was basically kicked off the AEC for his warnings.

It seems impossible to watch the movie and think about how the science that moved atomic energy from theory to reality made a world in which massive destruction can and did happen.

Two cities with high civilian numbers were targeted and essentially destroyed. Low numbers set the death toll from the nuclear weapons at 110 000 people the higher numbers are about 200 000 people. To date the United States of America has been the only nation to ever use this technology in war to kill people. The devastation of these blasts are still felt today some 75 years later.

Today 9 countries have nuclear warheads and everytime one of those countries engages in war the world has held its breath. For 75 years the world has probably held its breath when the United States engaged in any type of armed conflict and there has been a lot of armed conflict from the United States.

In the last 75 years the United States has officially been involved in at least 46 military conflicts. That is 46 times the world has held its breath and waited for the devastation used in WW 2.

All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal,
Steinbeck

To me the villains in the movie and in the history of the world are not the technology or the weapons but the people that use the weapons and wage the wars and armed conflict.

NO interest in well…

August 8, 2023 John Corrigan

Islam, Christianity and Judaism all basically forbid charging interest on capital that is lent to people.

During my career as a student I took a few economic classes and came to the opinion that money is a pretty stupid idea.

Money is an imaginary made up of thing that should represent real value but often it does not. Capital does not represent value or the real cost of doing business. Let me explain as quickly as I can with a quote from a hat that I love to wear, so much so that the hat is faded and pretty rough looking.

You can’t eat money
a quote on Johns favorite ball cap

The ball cap quote is part of a bigger quote that is more profound and really demonstrates how stupid money is as an idea.

When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money
Alanis Obomsawin

Humanity seems to have the worst priorities among all animals. Humans actually are animals so my previous statement should read that, “when it comes to life and the earth, Humans are the animals that, have the worst priories.” Humans have put an imaginary made up thing over a clean and sustainable earth, over the welfare of living beings and humans partake in decadent over consumption at a rate that is not seen in any other species.

Photo by Frans van Heerden on Pexels.com

You will almost never see another animal species hoard a resource the way that a human does even the beavers dams and the ant hill are nothing compared with how humans hoard and consume food, and other natural resources. It is the hoarding and over consumption that have thrown the world into what seems to be an ecological disaster that may not be recoverable, unless we as a species learn from the other animals to re prioritize and learn quickly.

We can do it! We have good examples of stewardship all around us.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Jesus Christ