August 24, 2025
Civility Is Not Dead
Click on the picture to see the video.
How sweet is that?
August 23, 2025
Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
22 Comments
Hurray for Bluey!
She’s six years old, lives in Brisbane and might just be one of the best resilience coaches on television.
We’re talking about Bluey, the animated Aussie pup whose adventures have captured the hearts of families around the world.
But as our new study reveals, Bluey isn’t just entertaining kids, she’s modelling how to to deal with life’s ups and downs.
— Researchers watched 150 episodes of Bluey – they found it can teach kids about resilience for real life
Good for them! It reminds me of when Kaitlin was little. A friend of mine said the best way to teach manners wasn’t by lectures from the parents, but to read books together which modeled good behavior. So Richard Scarry it was.
That was one of the wisest pieces of advice I ever received.
August 22, 2025
Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
27 Comments
Hurray for Alerts?
Do you use alerts? I almost always turn them off, but last week Duolingo would email me in the evening if I hadn’t done a lesson that day. I was up to my ears in something so I appreciated the reminder. Then, as suddenly as the messages had appeared, they stopped. I had found it so useful I poked around to see how I could restart them. No problem, for only $25 a month Duo would start them again.
Sorry, Duo, they were nice, but not that nice!
August 21, 2025
Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
32 Comments
Hurray for Dr. Julie Smith!
Sunday and Monday’s posts reminds me of Dr. Julie Smith’s
I’ve been interested in personal growth all my life, and I’ve read a lot of self-help books. They often had good ideas, but they usually oversold how things would turn out. Nope, there are never any guarantees in life. For me it was knowing my values and focusing on playing my part well, hoping for the best but not giving up if things didn’t go my way. Dr. Smith understands that:
When you start to share things on social media or you write a self-help book, lots of people get the impression that you have it all sorted. I have seen a lot of authors in the self-help industry perpetuate this idea. They have to look as if the things life throws at them leaves no dents or scars. They suggest that their book contains all the answers — all the answers you will need in life. Let me demystify that one right now.
I am a psychologist. That means I have read a lot of the research that has been produced on this subject and I have been trained to use it to help guide other people in their quest towards positive change. I am also a human. The tools I have acquired do not stop life throwing stuff at you. They help you to navigate, swerve, take a hit and get back up. They don’t stop you getting lost along the way.
They help you to notice when you have lost your way and bravely turn on your heel and head back towards a life that feels meaningful and purposeful to you. This book is not the key to a problem-free life. It is a great bunch of tools that helps me and many others find our way through.
Hurray for her!
August 20, 2025
Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
20 Comments
I’m a Sucker for Puppy Eyes
Even if you don’t watch the whole video, the beginning shows some great examples of puppy eyes,
August 19, 2025
Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
22 Comments
ChatGPT and Perplexity on the Meaning of Life
After yesterday’s post I of course had to ask ChatGPT and Perplexity what the meaning of life is.
ChatGPT:
That’s the grand classic, isn’t it? Philosophers, scientists, poets, and late-night college students have wrestled with it for millennia — and there’s no single answer everyone agrees on.
Here are a few main perspectives:
1. Philosophical & existential view
Existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus would say life has no inherent meaning — you create meaning yourself through your choices, relationships, and actions.
2. Religious & spiritual view
Many traditions hold that life’s purpose is to serve, love, and connect with something greater — God, the universe, or the collective good.
3. Scientific & evolutionary view
From a biological standpoint, life’s “purpose” is to survive, reproduce, and pass on genes. But humans’ big brains let us seek purposes beyond survival — like curiosity, creativity, and cooperation.
4. Humanistic & psychological view
Psychologists like Viktor Frankl suggested that meaning is found in personal responsibility, purposeful work, love, and facing suffering with dignity.
5. The lighthearted view
As *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy* reminds us, the answer might just be “42” — but the real fun is in figuring out the question.
If you want the practical version: the meaning of life could be to live fully, love deeply, keep learning, and leave the world a little better than you found it. The details? Those are yours to decide.
Do you want me to give you a short, inspiring “pocket version” you could keep in mind daily?
Perplexity:
There is no single, universally accepted answer to the question of the meaning of life; philosophical, religious, scientific, and personal perspectives provide many interpretations. The prevailing view among contemporary philosophers is that meaning in life is not determined by one grand cosmic factor, but is pluralistic—found in the experiences, relationships, and values an individual cultivates.[4][5] Some philosophical approaches:
– Existentialism argues that life has no inherent meaning, and each individual must create their own purpose through choices, actions, and commitments.[3][4]
– God-centered views propose that life’s purpose is assigned by a divine being, and meaning is found in fulfilling a role within a cosmic plan.[5]
– Many philosophers now reject the search for a single meaning and instead point to sources like loving relationships, creativity, altruism, achievement, knowledge, and moral goodness as providing meaning in life, even without an overarching purpose.[4][5]
For many, the question divides into two:
– What is the meaning of life in general (the existence of humanity or the universe)?
– What is the meaning in my life (personal fulfillment, relationships, and values)?[4]
Asking about meaning “in life” leads to practical considerations—what gives your own existence significance, purpose, and value, regardless of whether the universe itself has meaning.[4]
Pop culture and satire have addressed the question, notably with Monty Python’s comedic take, which mocks the seriousness and ambiguity of searching for a grand answer, ultimately poking fun at the idea that such meaning must be “big” or mystical.[1][6]
Most modern philosophers and thinkers advise seeking meaning through pursuits that are intrinsically valuable, unique to each person, and shaped by personal experience—rather than expecting one universal answer.[7][5][4]
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085959/
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python’s_The_Meaning_of_Life
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[4] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085959/
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/Existentialism/comments/qhrf9q/what_is_the_meaning_of_life_why_are_we_here/
[6] https://philosophynow.org/issues/147/Why_Youre_Probably_Wrong_About_The_Meaning_of_Life
[7] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/
[8] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/monty_pythons_the_meaning_of_life
[9] https://yourmeaninginlife.com
[10] https://www.netflix.com/title/60029676
[11] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085959/
[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology
[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequentialism
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_review/Big_Bang/archive3
[16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetics
[18] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[19] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[20] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python’s_The_Meaning_of_Life
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[4] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085959/
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/Existentialism/comments/qhrf9q/what_is_the_meaning_of_life_why_are_we_here/
[6] https://philosophynow.org/issues/147/Why_Youre_Probably_Wrong_About_The_Meaning_of_Life
[7] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/
[8] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/monty_pythons_the_meaning_of_life
[9] https://yourmeaninginlife.com
[10] https://www.netflix.com/title/60029676
[11] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085959/
[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology
[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequentialism
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_review/Big_Bang/archive3
[16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetics
[18] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[19] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[20] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life
August 18, 2025
Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
22 Comments
Yesterday’s Post…
Brought back some great memories.
Over 30 years ago both my husband’s and my divisions were having trouble financially and there was a good chance we would both lose our jobs. Everyone was tense and worried at work, so I looked around and asked,
What’s the opportunity here?
The answer was obvious,
I could become an expert on stress management.
So I started wearing my
Life is uncertain, eat dessert first
T-shirt and started studying stress management.
Andy and I were both offered great early retirement packages, so we took them. He didn’t have any trouble finding some interesting consulting jobs, and I started teaching classes and leading groups in stress management, emotional aikido, dealing with difficult people, etc.
Since I was coming from physics and computer programming I got certified in Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) to give myself some credentials. Yesterday reminded me of two NLP ideas/quotes,
Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.
If what you’re doing isn’t working, try something else.
Plus a good question when a relationship isn’t working,
How long are you going to try drinking from an empty cup and complain that you are thirsty?
Powerful ideas, well worth remembering.
August 16, 2025
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Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
24 Comments
Autobiography in Five Chapters
I read this poem by Portia Nelson years ago and for some reason thought of it today. I still love it.
I
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost … I am hopeless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I’m in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in … it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.V
I walk down another street.
It makes me laugh every time I think of it.
August 15, 2025
Posted in Life As a Shared Adventure
22 Comments
