May 10
1
Zen Chef: 1 Blade + 1 Steel
by TS Linden
Kitchens today are cluttered with too many gadgets. Bring it back to the basics. All you need is one world class knife, a steel, a bamboo cutting board + fresh ingredients.
Razor Sharp
The best all purpose knife is a Japanese santoku blade. It is essential you keep the blade razor sharp. Failure to keep the blade sharp makes it a hazard.
In handling a razor sharp santoku blade, you must be mindful. Cut out all distractions. Focus on the food, each and every movement + enter into a zen mindset.
Keep it Clear + Clean
After each use, properly clean it. And every few days, mindfully sharpen it, clean it and dry it before use.
Knife Skills
We live in a packaged good society. It is time to return to fresh ingredients + the power of preparing them ourselves.
To gain confidence with a chef´s knife and how to handle fresh ingredients explore the book Knife Skills Illustrated: http://www.knife-skills-book.com/
While he uses various blades, we maintain our view on one single highest quality all purpose santoku. Use the book to learn how to handle a full range of ingredients.
by TS Linden
Movies are magical. They possess the power to transport us to another world.
Fantastic film makers spin stories which stir our emotions, surprise us and leave us hungry for more.
Yet, there are a zillion trashy films produced every year; the junk food of film which burns up our time, wastes our money and leaves us wondering what just happened.
Both your professional and personal time are precious. Respect it. Invest in quality experiences.
This is why we advocate a zen view on films. We suggest four principles:
1. SNIFF + SELECT
Yes, sniff around, read a few reviews and ask friends whose taste you trust. Then select. Good, bad or ugly, at least you go into the experience with a notion.
2. SAVOR OR STOP
Savor a film like a good meal. If you are enjoying it, then carry on and appreciate every moment of the film. If you find it terrible or a disaster,then have the power to stop it: turn off the film or leave the theater. Move on!
There are so many amazing films to select from, learn the power to stop and let go. This is a powerful zen skill.
3. SCORE IT
Zen calls us to be mindful. Set up your zen score card. We rank movies on a 10 point scale. This calls you to be mindful.
10 = WOO HOO!
1 = run for the hills!
4. SHARE IT
The best part of the film experience is the conversation which follows. And if a film lands in the 8 to 10 zone on the zen score card, be certain to share it with others. Great stories must be shared. And discussing films builds bridges between people.
Posted in happiness management by .
Apr 10
29
Zen Home: Beautiful + Smart
Zen Home Design
by TS Linden
Humans need space, calm and clarity in their homes. It should be an oasis. Yet most homes are clutter + noise zones. In order to arrive at a zen lifestyle rich in positive experience we need to apply zen focus to home design.
Even the smallest spaces offer up vast possibilities. When faced with constraints, push towards being creative. Here is an incredible example of a designer who transformed a tiny apartment into an powerful living space.
Posted in art innovation by .
Apr 10
28
Zen Transport: Cars on Demand
Clear Car Clutter
by TS Linden
We spend tons of time driving, parking and maintaining our cars. We recommend those living in an urban environment to consider clearing the car clutter from their life.
Instead of owning a car and dealing with all the administration and expenses related to it, we suggest you explore a car on demand services. These help:
- Eliminate Monthly Car Payments
- Eliminate Car Insurance Payments
- Reduce parking expenditures
- Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
- Increase Your Mobility
A leading local non for profit player in Chicago is IGO (http://www.igocars.org). Learn more about their services:
A national player is Zipcar. Learn more about them: http://www.zipcar.com/
Posted in management by .
Apr 10
28
How to Attain Zen Focus
Zen Focus: Be The Tiger
by TS Linden
Zen focus clears up the mental space + energy to produce results. The enemy of focus is distraction. Distractions are like a pack of hyenas. Small, fast and fierce, distractions enter into our lives and threaten to eat up our most precious resource: time and attention. Learn to concentrate your energy + stay focused like a tiger.
5 Tips for Attaining Zen Focus
- Know Your Distractions: be honest. You know what is draining your time + energy. List them, acknowledge them + ditch them.
- Eliminate Gossip: invest ZERO energy discussing the faults and shortcomings of others, friends, family or celebrities. Focus on your life + the positive.
- Manage your Emails: Be brief, focus on the important and educate friends + family that you want ZERO spam or you will block them.
- Mindful Social Media: establish a limited time for social media. We suggest 40 minutes for personal use per day. Do it in one block, focus on core friends.
- Positive Mindset: Focus on the positive + share it. This brings into your mix people who get things done, encourage happiness + know how to handle difficult times.
Keeping your mind clear of noise, negativity + distractions helps you live a zen lifestyle focused on clarity of purpose and positivity.
Posted in happiness management by .
Apr 10
28
Zen Chair: Treasure Your Back
ZEN SITTING
by TS Linden
Tired of bad backs, neck pain + headaches. Then be mindful of how you sit. Our lifestyles put us in a chair most of the day and evening.
We invest an enormous amount of time behind the computer screen, steering wheel + the table. This results in terrible posture which harms our health.
In order to dramatically reduce these pains we must be mindful of how we sit.
THE SEAT
Start with the seat + layout of your home or office. It must be ergonomic. Which means it must be an environment which respects your body. The company Herman Miller is an innovator. They created a zen design chair: the Aeron.
Originally viewed as futuristic, strange + expensive, the chair struggled to make it to light. Now it is widely available. The chair can be adjusted and brought into harmony with your body. This chair can be used at home and in the office. Info on the chair: http://bit.ly/IZaou
THE BALANCE
A simple, more playful and motion oriented seating option is a balance ball. This keeps the body balanced and is a consistent mindful exercise.
STRETCH + MEDITATION MOMENTS
The ultimate way to stop bad backs, necks + headaches is zen motion. Plan into your daily ritual frequent stretching breaks. We suggest a brief + mindful stretch every 30 minutes. And at least four times a day, take a brief pause to meditate. Clear out the noise. Keeping the head clear drives out headaches.
Posted in art health innovation by .
Apr 10
24
Zen Design: Wind Whispers
Wind Whispers: Zen Art + Design
by TS Linden
A design and art work that gives voice to the ever present wind. Creative Luke Jerram is focused and committed to bringing his work Aeolus to fruition.
Learn more of his story + exemplary zen life plan.
http://bit.ly/7UUlOR
Posted in art innovation by .
Apr 10
23
Zen Design: Future of Flight
Zen Life Design: Future of Flight
by TS Linden
Simple, clean + elegant flight has been the quest of humanity since we gazed at birds in motion. Here is a preview into the minds whom apply zen focus + commitment to this quest:
Posted in innovation by .
Apr 10
23
Zen Urban Commute
The Zen Commute
by TS Linden
Commuting by metro or bus is the right thing to do when living in an urban environment. It radically increases your good eco-karma, saves tons of cash + eliminates all the hassle of finding parking or feeding parking meters.
The best zen commute, is radically short, non-rush hour + enriching.
Radically Short Commute
We encourage a 15 minute or less daily commute.
Research by Swiss Economists Bruno Frey and Alois Stutzer demonstrate that people pursuing bigger better homes at far distances from their work place dramatically drop in their levels of happiness.
According to the research of Frey and Stutzer, a person with a one-hour commute has to earn 40 percent more money to be as satisfied with life as someone who walks to the office.
Another study, led by Daniel Kahneman and the economist Alan Krueger, surveyed nine hundred working women in Texas and found that commuting was, by far, the least pleasurable part of their day.
Clear the Commuters Crush
If you must commute: avoid rush hour, find a seat + bring great music. By getting up early you skip the glut of commuters who overcrowd you. We are people, not sardines.
Two key benefits of avoiding rush hour:
- Plenty of Seating
- Plenty of Space
With seating + space, you avoid overheating, feeling crushed or catching colds from the masses.
Music Matters
Music sets the stage + tone for your day or arrival home. Invest energies in a simple set of play lists. Rotate them throughout the month + then generate a fresh set for the next month. This will help you rev up for the work place + unwind into your home.
Apr 10
22
Banish Bad Karma
Karmic Clean Up
by TS Linden
Aggressive, negative + exhausting people, places or activities are bad karma vampires. They suck the life out of you. You must learn to banish the bad karma crew from your life.
Recognize the Vampires:
Vampires come in all shapes, sizes and forms. It can be difficult to identify the sources of our energy drains. Here are three potential sources which can be hard to identify:
- Loved Ones
- Workplace Mirage
- Hobbies
Loved Ones
What, how is that possible? Yes, loved ones who chronically complain, erode our courage to pursue our dreams and whose own dramas dominate every conversation are bad karma vampires.
Tell them to either clean up their karma or you will switch them off, reduce your time with them or banish them all together.
The key is to know the difference between bad karma + being a good friend or family member for someone in need or having a rainy day.
Hint: if it is chronic, then it must be addressed.
Workplace
Paid well, great title on your biz card + living the life, yet still unhappy?Well, it means one of two things. Either you need to amp up your contribution + change powers at your present profession or you need to change it.
You need to ensure you establish incredible results, solid connections and a spirit of contribution in your profession. Link up with those in your work environment which share this mindset. If you find yourself in a sea of sharks + complaint junkies, prepare to clear.
Hobbies
Hobbies are meant to be fun, energizing + passionate. When they become a burden which creates exhaustion, financial insecurity or over competitiveness, then you need to evaluate them with a clear zen view.
If they are more bad karma then good, ditch them.
Zen Plan
Banish, reduce or clear out anyone, any activity or any endeavor which chronically creates bad karma. Life is fiercely brief. You must focus on your passions, purpose + productive life.
In other words, move over bad karma, sunshine karma is on its way!