sweden summary 2.

The best thing about traveling anywhere, but, I believe, especially internationally, is the humanity of it all. 

It's a huge reminder that we are all humans, just trying to do our best. 

To eat. To see. To drink. To laugh. To cry. To meet. To understand. To talk. To form relationships and affect the world in a better way.

Yes, some of us are doing life better than others. Some have been given more to work with than others. Some have been handed tragedy since their first breath and some have been handed wealth and opportunity since theirs. 

But, no matter where we go, we find more humans, trying to do human things and we are always reminded that we are much more similar than we are different. 

sweden summary 1.

There are so many directions to go with our amazing trip to Sweden and Denmark but two things seem to wrap up how I felt. 

First.

There is an abundance of calm. It could be felt everywhere from restaurants to subways to airports. Maybe it's slower, maybe it's a few more smiles, or maybe it's a sub-conscience thing. Maybe it's just in my head. 

But, the entire family said they felt it. The energy in both countries felt more chill (not Hawaii chill though) than life in America which seems a little more hurried and, generally, afraid. 

god bless...

God bless China.
God bless Russia.
God bless France.
God bless North Korea. 
God bless Australia. 
God bless the United States of America.

Do each of those feel the same to you? Or do some feel better than others? 
Do you think God blesses countries? If so, what's that mean? 
Are any of those countries more blessed than others? 
How do you know? 
Are you blessed? 
How do you know? 

culture words.

It seems like most every culture has a word that can be used to summarize that culture. 

Hawaii. Aloha. Welcome, goodbye, breath, love. It captures a way of life. 

Sweden. Lagom. Not too much not too little. Again, a way of life that embodies Sweden. A middle ground that spreads the wealth and is content with enough. 

Denmark. Hygge. Warmth. Comfort. Again, a way of life that embodies the sense of candles and high heat on a cold dark day. It's a tone. 

Japan. Wa. Not sure on this one but it seems to work. Harmony. The greater good is more important than the individual. A way of thinking... 

Which brings us to the American culture (I realize Hawaii is in America but its culture is not.) 

What's the USA word? What represents our way of life? 

Freedom came to mind as a potential good word. 

More and fear came to mind as potential not so good ones. 

Your ideas? 

good does win.

I was flying on a German airline to a German city while reading Man's Search for Meaning - the famous (for good reasons) book about a man who survived Nazi concentration camps. It was a bit surreal as the German flight attendant asked me if I would like another glass of wine. 

In Stockholm, Sweden I went to an army museum that chronicled the numerous wars that Sweden has been through in its hundreds of years of history including numerous wars with Denmark, its now- friendly neighbor to the south. Sweden was neutral during World War II and remains neutral as of today. 

In Copenhagen, Denmark (the now friendly neighboring country) I went on a tour of a palace with a history that crosses hundreds of years and includes its own share of battles - and kings who would hold such extravagant balls when the country had no money that he had to raise taxes on the poor people - just to pay for the dinner events. Denmark still has a queen (as does Sweden) all of whom still live in castles and palaces but are fairly well loved. 

Upon returning, I listened to a podcast about the new China, the country that is now one of the leading contributors to the United Nations peacekeeping fund (ironically while the U.S. pulls funding) and contributing trillions of dollars to infrastructure in Africa and Asia (much like the U.S. did in Europe post-WWII). 

My point? 

It might be a long time getting there, but good is winning. Slowly, yes, but it's winning.

While it's tempting to become consumed with the evil, don't. Keep fighting for the good, instead, insuring that those wins come even sooner. 

open the window.

It's my pet peeve, I realize, but it serves a greater point. The lady behind me closed her window shade on takeoff and opened it when the flight attendant told her she had to for arrival. She missed Greenland, sunshine over the Canadian rockies, and a stunning approach into Seattle. 

But she didn't miss the movies she was watching the whole time. 

Yes, you can leave your literal window shade closed if you need to. But, for God's sake, don't miss everything happening outside the metaphorical window so that you can watch your Netflix in the dark.

secular countries.

Well today we head home from our epic adventure to Sweden and Denmark - two very secular countries that seem more Christian than the Christian country we are returning to. 

Isn't that the way it usually is though?

Beautiful things don't ask for attention. Neither do spiritual things.

let change.

If change is truly the only thing that remains the same in the universe it's also true that the best way to bring about change is to realize that you don't have to force it. 

new. new. new.

It's a new year for new experiences, new failures, new successes, new passions, new adventures, new attitudes, new perspectives, and new relationships.

Only if we choose.

Otherwise, the only new thing will be the numbers 2018.  

of course. but.

I recently heard a mom say to one of her children, "Of course, I will always love you. It's everyone else I'm worried about. I want them to like you too." 

And this much better explains any morality we believe to come from God. Of course, God loves us. But there might be some guidelines as to how we might live that better help us to like each other as well. 

forgetting...

Increasingly

Going
Arriving
Climbing
Accumulating
Chasing
Pleasing
Moving
Trying

... 

Forgetting
Ignoring

Being.

the much harder work.

It's hard work to create a system that works. It takes effort and time, blood, sweat, and tears. 

The much much harder work is to then demolish that system for one that might be better in the next 5 years. Waste all that work? Waste all that effort and time, blood and sweat and tears for more work and effort and blood and sweat and tears? 

But, it's working. 

For now. 

Ask Blockbuster how long it will keep working though.

the conflict.

When empire and idols meet unity and love. 

They just don't exist together. 

Who do you let win? 

the two most healing things in the world.

Unity and Love. 

Seeing Us in the Other and Caring for the Other as We Would Ourselves. 

the two most dangerous things in the world.

Nations and Religions. 

(Empire and Idols.) 

christmas.

Merry Christmas! The day we celebrate the story of the gods showing up in a baby. 

But, you already knew that part. 

It's also the day we celebrate the gods showing up as far from empire, religion, power, persuasion, and wealth as possible. 

Merry Christmas. 

eve.

Eves are the best. (Not as in Adam and Eve but, arguably, even then.)

The night before. The anticipation. The hope for what's next. The excitement. Eve is almost always better than The Day.  

They say that Americans love Fridays more than Sundays, even though we work on Fridays and we don't on Sundays. Fridays are the Eve of the Weekend. Sunday is the Eve of the Workweek. 

Enjoy the anticipation. Enjoy the actual. Enjoy it all.

And what would happen if we lived every day as though tomorrow were going to be as amazing as today? 

testosterone / women.

Andrew Sullivan has been and remains one of my favorites. 

His recently article is a must read. Not for the Mueller stuff... but for the sexual assault, misogyny, and testosterone stuff from the perspective of a gay man. 

Men have ten times as much testosterone as women, and testosterone is deeply connected with aggression, power, ambition, drive, pride, stubbornness, strength, and violence. In every species, testosterone makes one gender the more risk-taking, the more physically powerful, and the more assertive, and this includes the small number of species in which testosterone is predominant among females.

“All this the world well knows.” Except today’s debate about men and women seems to have missed it.

I’m not praising or lamenting this. I’m just recognizing it. It excuses nothing with respect to abuse, assault, harassment, and so on. There’s a bright line here and I see little moral difference between Spacey’s foulness and Weinstein’s. But testosterone helps explain why male power primarily gravitates toward sex, why sexual abuse occurs much more often among men, and why separating sex and power from male sexuality is to miss something important. It is always about both. If we are to have a conversation about men and women, work and play, power and love, then ignoring nature — pretending that this is all about social power dynamics or even hatred — is a very misleading thing.

reputation guard.

The reputation guards. They are like bodyguards but instead of guarding a body, they guard a reputation. 

And people will often approach me as though I am one. Did you hear what XYZ said? How can you defend XYZ? 

Here's the thing. Celebrities, friends, famous thinkers and most humans, don't need me to guard their reputation. They actually guard their own reputation. As do you. As do I. 

Just keep an eye out. You'll see how often conversations are always about someone else - and defending or attacking their reputation - so we don't have to talk about our own. 

beautiful...

Just a reminder. Beautiful things never ask for attention. They already know they are beautiful.

And yes, the things screaming the most for our attention - usually telling us how beautiful they are - usually aren't.