Chase The Kangaroo

" Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. " ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Editor's Note: Interesting article on our decision making processes and how we tend to view the world with bias.  Considering today's political environment, this article should help us step back and pause, regardless of which side we favor. By Julia Galef,  TED  | Repost Are you a soldier or a scout? Your answer to this question, says decision-making expert Julia Galef, could determine how clearly you see the world. Imagine for a moment you’re a soldier in the heat of battle — perhaps a Roman foot soldier, medieval archer or Zulu warrior. Regardless of your time and place, some things are probably constant. Your adrenaline is elevated, and your actions stem from your deeply ingrained reflexes, reflexes that are rooted in a need to protect yourself and your side and to defeat the enemy. Now, try to imagine playing a very different role: the scout. The scout’s job is not to attack or defend; it’s to understand. The scout is the one going out, mapping the terrain,...

"One man with God is always in the majority." ~Inscription on the Reformation Monument in Geneva

" We should be careful to get out of an experience all the wisdom that is in it. " ~Mark Twain

" As puppets are to men and dolls to children, so is man's workmanship to God's. " ~William Penn

Live Life at the Limits: How to Hack Your Flow  ~Art of Manliness  | Repost Editor's Note: I came across this article a few years ago, but thought it worthy of a post here on Chase The Kangaroo.  Full transparency, I still haven't read Kotler's, The Rise of Superman, yet as of the date of this post.  But I plan to read it soon. Art of Manliness Editor’s Note: This a guest post from Steven Kotler, author of The Rise of Superman. Researchers define flow as an “optimal state of consciousness,” a peak state where we feel our best and perform our best. Some of us know this state by other names—runner’s high or being in the zone or being unconscious—but whatever the lingo, the experience is unforgettable. If you’ve ever lost an afternoon to a great conversation or gotten so involved in a work project that all else was forgotten, then you’ve tasted this experience. In flow, we are so focused on the task at hand that everything else falls away. Action and awareness ...

gratitude Definition of the state of being grateful : thankfulness : expressed gratitude for their support " Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. " ~John Milton " Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. " ~Zig Ziglar grateful Definition of... a : appreciative of benefits received b : expressing gratitude grateful thanks a : affording pleasure or contentment : pleasing b : pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated " Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. " ~Joseph B. Wirthlin " Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is sel...

A Call for a New Strenuous Age, ~The Art of Manliness | Repost Note: All quotes, unless otherwise noted, are taken from  No Place for Grace: Antimodernism and the Transformation of American Culture , 1880-1920 by T. J. Jackson Lears “Push back against the age as hard as it pushes against you.” –Flannery O’Connor To look at various metrics of physical and mental health in the world today is to observe a rather gloomy picture. Life expectancy in the United States, which tends to consistently edge upwards, fell this year. It was the first such decline in over two decades, the last being due to the rise of the AIDS epidemic. The effects of obesity played a role, but part of the decline is also the result of a striking rise in deaths due to drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, and suicide. One in six Americans has taken at least one psychiatric drug, usually for depression or anxiety. And the suicide rate in the U.S. has reached its highest level in 30 years. It rose by 24% bet...