Postcards from the Funny Farm

Okay, so here’s another brain stretching suggestion: not quite as out there as how roller-coasters are good for your grey matter but close. Today my wife drove my Jeep and I rode in the passenger seat … whoa, what a difference. Everything looked different, even the radio. It got me thinking about perceptions. It does a human mind good to have a paradigm shift like that once in a while. It makes you realize your reality is so very subjective.

You might try mixing something up this week, just for a hoot. As you try the change, don’t be surprised if it opens your mind to new ideas. This is the stuff that “breakthroughs” are made of and science calls it a “paradigm shift.” I call it the stuff dreams are made of.

One place I have experienced paradigm shifts in my teaching job more than anywhere else in life has been in my parent conferences. Sometimes you never understand the kid until you meet the parents. Sometimes that brings all the planets of understanding into alignment. Of course there are always anomalies.

Make a change in your routine and invite a paradigm shift, it’s guaranteed to open your mind further. Just by doing the smallest thing differently you become a bit more enlightened.

Some ideas to stimulate your thinking toward a paradigm shift this week:

1. Walk around the house naked (for me lately it would be a shift to walk around clothed, sorry to curse you with with such a visual)
2. Play a CD you dislike in your car.
3. Put the most important stuff at the bottom and the fun stuff at the top of your task list.
4. Try a new theme on your blog.
5. Eat healthy/non-healthy
6. Your own marvelous and creative ideas …

Even though my new home is like a vacation spot, Sarah and I were talking the other night about vacation deals out there. If you’ve ever moved a family of 5 then you know you need a vacation after the fact. I’m not a world traveler but I have been to some amazing vacation spots in my day. Incidentally, if you want to see some truly amazing pictures on a weekly basis of local Scotland, bookmark Amy Palko’s blog.  See if you’ve been to any of these:

• Hawaii: The coconut smell of Oahu and Kauai is definitely rejuvenatory.
• Washington DC: Nice to take the underground train and learn stuff about our country’s capital.  Lots of restaurants.
• Arizona: Flagstaff and Apache Junction are nice places for Jeep tours.  As is Sedona.  The red rocks look like mars and people say there is a “center” or vortex there that has medicinal properties.
• Guadalajara Mexico.  Middle class life all around you.  Not like TJ where there is so much poverty and you take your good deals back to your hotel room fighting back the tears.  Also Puerto Vallarta is great.  Just avoid the sea of the dead.
• Florida: I’ve been to Jacksonville and Orlando.  One day I want to drop in on my blog buddy Nick there in Myrtle Beach.
• California:  The best spots are: Disneyland, the Redwoods, Fisherman’s Wharf …  I could go on since this is my native state.  Catalina Island is gorgeous.  Very affordable and there is a buffalo tour.

So, I ask myself … what’s next?

What a week! I had five articles published outside my blog! Most were guestblogs (which I hold in very high respect, thanks to all who hosted me last week). As my friends know, this is a serious goal for me right now. In between all that, and having a family of 5 and a full time job as a teacher, the jeep attacked a lot of rock mountains on the weekly Blog Safari. I dug into Blog Catalog discussions more than I ever have (see sidebar widget). Also, I started back into 9Rules which is amazing. Between that and my regular RSS reads, I found some amazing stuff and I’ll serve it up to you here. If you have an article you’d like to see featured here some week, please drop me a line and I will check it out. As always, the articles below all received a well-deserved Stumble. Enjoy the Safari this week!

Hand holding is so… yesterday
A short but great article about how a simple touch and a bit of extra effort can improve your love life and your sex life.

Lord Likely has Some Trouble with The Brown Mist
Speaking of sex, Lord Likely is at it again. His ridiculous shenanigans get him into all kinds of laugh-a-minute situations. Read this post and may it be the one that hooks you on this very entertaining columnist.

Fuelmyblog and other social networking sites, Walking the Stacks
I really like this blog. He’s written about stuff I am currently doing a series on: social networkin.... Check out this cool article and learn as I did from it.

Twitter: what are you doing right now?
I found Tyme’s blog through 9Rules. It’s a great piece of writing. I often wonder why the hell I am on Twitter. Is it ridiculous? Read her article and see what you think.

Got Traffic Blues? Remember Balance
Kimberly is my newest sponsor here at Postcards from the Funny Farm. I will be doing a full review of her site this month as well and linking her to you where I think her services can help. Watch for that, it will be valuable to your piggy bank. This article is an example of the kind of patient and yet effective money coach she is to people who want to make money online. She shows the many ways to make it: not just through ads or clicking. I endorse her stuff heartily. Go check it out, I think you will be both surprised and impressed.

Reaching Your Goals
My main man Derek wrote a great little post on reaching goals. This is like a staple to any form of success in my life. Derek is also one of my ads featured in the right hand upper area of the fold. As a side note, through using principles he has virtually learned through trial and error and through mentors, Derek manages to bring in a sizable chuck of change every month through blogging. Check out what he has to say about goals.

38 TV Themes Recorded by the Actors Themselves
Malcolm … I need to high five you for this one!!! Folks, go look at the pictures and imagine the songs he lists in this post. Creative, hard work, labor of love went into this post … that is undeniable. This is another must for every blogroll.

Scared Silly by the Faeries
My writing and academic colleague 1/2 way across the world in Scotland wrote an entry for Shelly Tucker’s contest (which I happen to be judging). This is a great story and it really gives you an idea what Shelly is looking for in the contest. I am the judge. How did I attain this lofty position you ask? Good God I have no freakin’ idea. Maybe it’s because I never write “sex” or “freagin” in my posts ;) Seriously though, if you have a scary story and a blog go to her details post through the button below and get your post done before the submission deadline!

Tiny Url: rurl.org/kpm

BoozeCruise
Jessica the Rock Chick is one of the coolest people I know. She is able to admit when her angelic guitar player from Bon Jovi make s a huge boo boo. Get a fans rant at this post. Also, I just want to say as I have in the past that you really need to be reading Jessica’s blog, it makes me a cooler person (and God knows I have miles to go there).

Things I’m Learning from Blogging
The master .. mistress? well … Shelly anyway :) This lady has been a reader of mine for a long time and we have sort of a reciprocal love of storytelling. One of these days I’ll get to see her live (she does it for a living!) Suffice it to say, if this lady has a post about blogging and what she is learning, boy I’ll tell ya what … I’m there ;)

Easily Organize Post Categories
Katy is a very astute, prolific blogger who offers very practical and helpful information to her readers regarding blogging. This is one of those posts! I would add that “Batch Categories” is another very helpful and easy to use plugin to add to the one she lists in her article.