Such is life. {~:;
It will be finished soon enough. Premiere date is around the corner. (Testing 1, 2, 3... Check... Check! ;~)
Cheers!
Raul S Quines
Copyright © 2011-12
The implication of "the beginning of the end" is often grave or, put mildly, negative: a relationship, marriage or partnership coming to an end, one's intellectual brilliance or physical attributes succumbing to the weathering of time, one's natural athletic prowess giving way to exhaustive use, abuse or injuries, a vintage-bottle of wine having finally reached its ultimate peak and, thus, begins its inevitable decline, and so forth; however, the swapping of the two contrasting nouns, "beginning" and "end", to form "the end of the beginning", a new sentence or collection of words that implies other possibilities, positive and negative, shallow and deep, and the variables that lay in between. What I wish to attempt to do here is, at best, open a door for discourse or, at least, attempt to scratch at the topical surface concerning the positive or the least negative angle to this slant.
So here goes: "the end of the beginning" is not a signpost ahead upon which one must come to a full stop, but a crossroads where the journey, or the process of going about doing and being, is just starting, where a newly sown seed slowly comes to bloom, where recovery of peace of mind can be made flesh, upon where life begins to ceaselessly give of itself. What lies in between the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning depends on one's openness of mind and heart to the endless possibilities and boundless probabilities of being and in the availing of oneself to infinite imagination. It is only limited to the extent of one's willingness to be open, or keep "that door" open.
From this process of excavating, depending on how brave or creative one is willing (but never passive) to go beyond the surface of what can be dug up, a different frame of mind, and perhaps a totally fresh outlook altogether, can be realized, ... an allowment of self to progressive thinking and, at worst, to alternative thinking, ... to entertain nuances this slant alludes to, through which layers upon multiple layers can be ascertained.A rein is an object of stricture for whom and that which it is custom-made for, to control or restrict from moving this way or that, or not and be restrained at a standstill, until yanked upon by the tugger. The thought of restricting is just as vulgar as the impurity born out of mankind's grotesque creation of such device in handling and taming wild animals and the presupposed barbaric kind of man. If horses had wings and the birthed right to fly, they would make use of their wings beautifully and soar. Of course, total freedom cannot ever be guaranteed, as it is evidenced in the history of man, mammals and all itsters, to this day, that those that fly can be caught and caged, and extinguished.
How much has man really evolved? To what extent can a caged soul experience the height, width and depth of the universe beyond its stricture? While horses still do not fly, perhaps one day they will grow wings.
"The end of the beginning" is not bound to a conclusion or stricture, and it certainly has no ties to expectation. It is a departure from all things tangible and imaginably restricting. Infinity is not finite; neither is spirituality. Spirituality never ceases to evolve, as continuum has no end. Why should "the end of the beginning" yield the same result as "the beginning of the end" if, in the first place, it never starts and ends?
Raul S Quines
Copyright © 2012
Buying a lottery ticket has an extremely low chance of paying off. Yet many people, at least in countries where it's legal, do it anyway. In the United States alone, it's estimated that almost half the population plays the lottery; and recently Americans spent an estimated $1.46 billion buying tickets for the Mega-Millions game, even when the odds of winning were 176 million to one.
Why do so many people play such long odds? The answer is: It gives them an opportunity to dream. People are willing to invest in dreams, even when they know the odds are against them. But what if the odds were much better than one in 176 million? Would you double your investment? Would you put in time and effort in addition to the cost of a lottery ticket?
I ask these questions because, like the lottery, organizations can shape their employees' dreams; and when the dreams are exciting and the odds are believable, employees will dramatically increase their investments in making them come true. Conversely, when the dreams are mundane and lack credibility, employees disconnect and pull back on their investment.
Some dreams, of course, are about money. In many professions, people are willing to work eighty-hour weeks and travel non-stop at least partially because they expect to receive large bonuses or payoffs. But for others, chasing this kind of financial dream alone is not enough. There also needs to be some deeper and more personal aspiration.
Not long ago I listened to a senior executive in a pharmaceutical company talk to a team of managers about the limited availability of a particular medicine. Most people in the room knew that a number of inter-connected problems were causing the firm to miss its targets, such as inaccurate forecasting, inadequate IT systems, materials shortages, and more.
However, what they didn't fully appreciate was the human cost. In just a few short sentences, this executive reminded everyone that the purpose of this medicine was to reduce the mortality rate of a specific disease; and that four million people would die unnecessarily in the next few years unless they received the company's product. Suddenly every person in the room was willing to put aside other priorities and work to solve this problem. The executive had tapped into their dream to create a healthier world.
While not every company delivers services that save lives so directly, all organizations create value for their customers, stakeholders, and society. Part of a leader's job is to help employees connect to and relate to that value so that the company's mission becomes part of their own dream. Without that connection, employees will at best go through the motions — and at worst become demoralized and detached.
As the lottery demonstrates, most people are willing to place long-shot bets in the service of a personal dream. Great leaders help their people understand how those personal dreams can be aligned with the organization's goals, and why upping their investments will improve the odds of success.
How have you seen leaders tap into their people's dreams?
An awesome and inspiring article by Ron Ashkenas. Cheers! - Raul S Quines
Buon appetito!
Raul S Quines
Copyright © 2012
Cheers!
Raul S Quines
Copyright © 2012
Last week, late Friday night, it snowed, sleeted and hailed, seamlessly in that order in a short span of time, where I happened to be at, Pine Plains, NY. The last thing I had in mind of doing was drive down, and up and down that winding mountainous road that was covered with that lovely mess of precipitation as the temperature plummeted below freezing point. While I knew of another way home, which was far less treacherous, it didn't occur to me then to entertain taking that alternate route, never mind think of just pulling off to the side of the road and sit still, and allow myself a moment to assess the situation objectively. My instinct told me to pull over and park the car; against my better judgment however, I proceeded to drive on.
Long story short, I wiped out on the last icy decline. Fortunately, no other living being nor the two other vehicles coming uphill from the opposite direction, some two city-blocks away, were involved. I was very lucky to have gotten out of my car almost totally unscathed. I merely skidded to an embankment, which caught the momentum of my sliding vehicle to a complete halt at the side of the mountain. I managed to keep calm despite all failed efforts to get myself out of the ditch, as well as get my calls out for help from my cell-phone because the signal was so poor. Then the thought of my mortality entered my mind, as the stories that I had heard and read about of stranded people freezing to death at the side of the mountain and on the side of the road in the dead of winter began to play in my head.
On that dark, cold and wet night, as other vehicles cautiously drove passed me, a brave and selfless soul in a white SUV pulled over the side of the road to check up on me and asked if I needed help, if a phone-call could be made; and happily I consented. Oddly unconcerned for herself, she allowed me to use her cell-phone, which thankfully had some signal, to get my call out to AAA for roadside service, as well as try a few of my colleagues who were relatively nearby. And while I was unable to reach anybody, with exception to the AAA representative who managed to dispatch the service of a tow-truck my way in an hour's time, this kind soul repeatedly offered, along with the continued use of her cell-phone, to stay and keep me company until roadside help came, in spite of the fact that her phone's battery was on its last few minutes and that it began to rain and hail again. I thought to myself "what woman in the right frame of mind would not protest to such doing of mother-nature and allow herself the undoing of her hair and make-up, never mind take the risk of keeping the company of a complete stranger on a dark and desolate road, in the middle of the night?!"
Clearly, I was the shallow and narrow-minded one to pass such judgment. ;~( That night, I learned a thing or three about a woman, myself and humanity.
The genuine act of kindness by this woman baffled me nearly to shame, because I couldn't ever imagine extending myself selflessly to the aid of a person in need without thinking of being paid a reward or feeding my alter-ego's motive to its satisfaction (whatever that may be at any given situation). The flipside to this shame, however, was the feeling of overwhelming gratitude that filled me for the blessing given me that night. Thank you. Thank you!
During some of the most troubled times and all undesired circumstances in my life, I have never, not once, been let down. The display of utter disconcern for her own self at that moment of measured desperation of my own was admirable, a piece of Truth I wish I owned. It is a gift, which has slowly availed itself in my belief the notion that IT exists in each living soul and all that it touches, a glowing reminder of the virtue that keeps my company at all times. I mustn't forget this.
Upon reflecting further, I have realized how misshapen and cynical my mind can be. My inability to Trust continues to be a glaring issue, that I still cannot decide what I find more astonishing: this act of kindness, in all sense of Truth, given me, or my reluctance to admit that a person can really be a "real good person." If I have one wish, which I've newly asked to be granted since the incident, it is to have the head of my doubtful thinking banished, so that I may face each day anew with an open mind, to better recognize, appreciate and Trust Truth in all its guises.
While I am immensely grateful for this blessing, I regret not knowing more about her other than her name. Perhaps I should have surrendered to the moment and taken her up on the company of her warm smile and presence, have a few laughs and hear her story. Everybody has a story - the tow-truck driver in khaki-shorts from Red Hook who hauled me out of the ditch, who I swear possesses not a one single pair of pants, is another story in itself!
What a beautiful being this woman was; I don't have the slightest doubt that the integrity of her spirit has slackened, that she has changed much at all to qualify the very essence of her being today as otherwise unbeautiful. Since that incident, I continue to be in wonderment of that angel who came to my rescue who called herself Danielle. And if I may speak selfishly still, perhaps that opportunity to return her kindness will present itself; and I will relinquish my pride or, better yet, trade it in for Truth.
Again, thank you.
Raul S Quines
Copyright © 2012
Spending a lot of time in my kitchen, chopping, mixing, blending and experimenting with flavors, textures and colors in the goods that come out of the oven and from the burners, I do a considerable amount of time composing music there as well. It is a haven for contemplation and creation. Because cooking is my way of being, which I do on a daily basis, a good number of my musical creations are influenced by and, in many ways, bi-products of the meditative processes I undergo in my kitchen.
In describing the musical components and ideas from which an abundance of notes, rests, symbols and unforeseen chaos have been penned, I have to admit that the collages of sounds I've been happy to have put together are very much like cooking up a stew. For example, Sketches for string quartet, comprised of a bunch of musical ideas, or, as I like to loosely refer to as, "sketches", share the many components and compositional processes that go into making a complex stew: from gathering the individual ingredients and spices together, to combining them in a big pot (measured, to taste and, for that surprise [pleasant or otherwise], to chance), to patiently letting that pot simmer, stew and reduce to a desired consistency, to adjusting, tweaking and straining, and to more tweaking until it is "done".
With Sketches, my goal was to achieve "balance" with the musical ingredients put on the table and into the pot - the experimental sounds and musical borrowings from Elgar's Introduction and Allegro for strings, which can be heard on my website's Music page at www.quinesmusic.com (I. Static movement) and Machaut's ballade Nes que on porroit (II. Ode to Machaut movement), along with the elements that I was able to flesh out at the chopping block in the tempo changes, filtering and tweaking in the subtle alterations and blatant shifts, contrasts in dynamics, colors in orchestration, solo, duet, trio, and tutti, homophonic and polyphonic textures, the distinctions between sound and silence, the ebb and flow from dissonance to consonance, the psychology of tension and release (of tension), and as a result, the imagery that these tensions create for the listener. [musical examples of Movements III. Scratch Rhythm and IV. Cantabile are also available at www.quinesmusic.com.]
Balance: cooking down that stew or distilling that brew to one's desire (in all its perfect imperfections) is not impossible, as is finding that seemingly illusive "happy medium" is not improbable. With patience and the allowance of self to contemplation in one's most welcomed environment, the creative spirit will cook - and the soul will feast!
Raul S Quines
Copyright © 2012
You can build your environment and design it to your ideal preferences (color, texture, smell, flavor, climate... ad infinitum). Like a bird building its nest, weaving the fibrous elements to its liking and making it a comfortable home for its chicks, you too can customize an environment to your hearts' content, seemingly so. The more you spend time doing and shaping your environment, the more it becomes your way of being, like an actor playing a role (taking on the persona of its character), or a person dressing the part to look the part, to live the part, to the point of convincing its perceiver, and perhaps itself, that the image depicted is that of the person [s]he hopes to have transformed into, a measurable undertaking of one’s guise nonetheless. While there is much gleaming light to such a procedure of transformation, or ritual, from dressing up, to becoming and, ultimately, to being, like a master chef putting on [her]his chef-coat or a baseball player putting on [her]his uniform and cleats to be who [s]he is at that moment in the most effective way of being, so too can the false image turn out a murky result for the person depicting who loses sight of [her]his reality or role in society or should forfeit [her]his voice in what [s]he endeavors to [not]do in that stasis of being stuck, lost [and]or mute.
… and the more it becomes your way of doing, so too you become of its [un]being.
…
If you wish to isolate yourself from society, creating the life of a recluse, then the life of the recluse becomes you. On the other hand, if you wish to beam yourself up and out of the rising walls that may blind you, then the opposite effort will have to be taken, which will then in turn produce its respective result, [brick by brick] one turn at a time.
A bird who’s built to fly does not stay in the comfort of its nest too long because it must fly - so too must [wo]man set [her]his sail, and fearlessly ride that ocean called "life" (which is that part of becoming, and living, and ultimately, of being). Why should [a wo]man, who so chooses to sequester [her]himself, think of itself any differently and in turn expect to have any genuine thought or feeling that [s]he can move about freely?
Raul S Quines
Copyright © 2011-12
On New Year's Day I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and casually dining with a man whose work I've grown to appreciate and whose way of being I've instantly become an admirer of. To keep it brief and simple, his name is R.R. I like referring to him as Mister R.
Mister R. is not feeling his best these days. As a matter of fact, his health is rapidly deteriorating - all the more reason to smilingly salute his way of being, given his current physical state. He takes it all in stride, one minim and a quaver at a time; a display of gut, surrender, humility and efficiency with his motion. He finesses his way with an infant's smile. And amidst all of which surrounded us, the select company, the bounty of vegan chili, biscuit, guacamole and chips served at the table, and the white noise of the football game in the background, I had never felt so content and small.
Raul S. Quines
Copyright © 2012
Composer, Writer, Creative Spirit in general and a daily Blogger in his sleep - often a brain-farter. (~: My inspirations are drawn from life’s abstract and concrete offerings. Check out my music site at www.quinesmusic.com.
