Inspiration & Paradox 94: Economy Down, Sales Up!

On 13 June 2008, Times Online published an article entitled "Rise in champagne sales is sign of recession" that began with this "Champagne sales have increased in Ireland which, according to an economic paradox, signals the country is heading for a recession."

Market researchers explained that with dwindling spending power during a recesion, consumers like to find small ways to cheer themselves up. When finances can’t stretch to big ticket-items like house renovation, cars and long holidays, they will always find money for less expensive treats such as sunglasses, nail varnish, lipstick or chocolate.

So, how true is this syndrome for you?

Inspiration & Paradox 93: When I am big, He is small

Truths learnt from Ed Welch's book:

• When people are big, God is small.
• Need other people less, love other people more.

Inspiration & Paradox 92: Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins

Rather than cripple, failure can strengthen. Depending on how we respond to them, blows can shatter us as if we were a cheap clay pot or temper us as they would steel.

~ Unknown Quote from Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins: The Paradox of Innovation

Inspiration & Paradox 91: Change is really good...but no thanks!

Dilbert's View of "Change".
Is it yours too?

Change is Great!!!

You go first.

Inspiration & Paradox 90: The tension between strength and flexibility in learning ballet

My older daugher Jerrie faces some challenges when doing the stretching exercises during her ballet class, whereas Jackie, my younger daughter has an amazingly flexible body, which seems to be perfect for learning gymnastics. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk to their ballet teacher and learn a little bit about ballet.

The beauty of ballet is in striking a fine balance between strength and flexibility. The challenge here is that these two forces counter each other. It's easy to find a very strong person who is not so flexible or an extremely flexible person who is not so strong, but the strongest and most flexible person does not exist. A good ballet dancer has to find that harmony between strength and flexibility so that he/she is able to bend the body to achieve certain art forms and techniques and at the same time has enough muscle power to achieve them.

Inspiration & Paradox 89: Sleep and Lose Weight

“A daily spoonful or two of honey taken prior to bedtime can help us sleep better and lose weight at the same time”.

Now, I expect what I just said to stir up an upheaval of emotions for most of you. How can something so sweet be any good when you are closely watching your weight? Doesn’t it sound all too stupid to consume more calories before you sleep when you are trying all day to lose weight and reduce calories in your meals? Doesn’t everyone know that our body metabolism rate at night is low, so we should avoid eating too late if we want a flat tummy? Surely, this must be one of those baseless old wives’ tales about dieting or some quick fix that’s central to all fad diets. More in... How to Sleep and Lose Weight at the Same Time?

Inspiration & Paradox 88: Expert Knows the Limit

The more we know, the less we understand.

"My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared." (P.J. Plauger, Computer Language, 1983)

Inspiration & Paradox 87: What isn’t part of yourselves doesn’t disturb us.

How much does this make sense to you?

“If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of yourselves doesn’t disturb us.” —Hermann Hesse

Inspiration & Paradox 86: Gaining and Losing at the Same Time

"It is one of the paradoxes of success that the things and ways which got you there are seldom those things that keep you there."~ Charles Handy

"For everything you gain, you lose something."~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Most of us plateau when we lose the tension between where we are and where we ought to be."~ John Gardiner