Shoshin, the Zen Concept that Applies to Companies, Science and Personal Development

by

“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few.”  Zen master Shunryo Suzuki  In Zen Buddhism, “shoshin” translates as the “beginner’s mind”, where “sho” means beginning or origin, and “shin” means spirit, soul, or attitude.  A beginner’s mind is different from being a beginner. Shoshin is about having the attitude and mindset of a novice who learns a new practice for the first time, especially after reaching expert levels in our fields.    In the beginner’s mind, there is a lack of preconceptions, a willingness to learn, to ask and try, …

Read more

Keto and Low-Carb Treats

by

In another article, I presented all the keto and low-carb baking tips I collected over the years. I tend to eat keto, with carbs coming from veggies or fruits. My family does not eat low-carb per se, more like “fewer-carbs” as I do not cook potatoes, pasta, beans, rice, etc. In this article, I included all the tried-and-tested recipes that my family would want on repeat, no questions asked. Breads and crackers Flaxmeal bread from Lalena.ro, with an English version below: Ingredients – 150g …

Read more

Keto and Low-Carb Baking Tips and Tricks

by

A few years ago, I started to notice that more and more culinary blogs published low-carb recipes. Curious, I started baking low-carb desserts.  After some initial failures, finally, my carbivore husband didn’t notice any difference between a traditional cake and a low-carb cake.  The low-carb diet is a diet that limits carbohydrates consumptions. Instead of eating pasta, traditional bread, rice, sugary foods, the focus shifts on natural proteins, fats, and vegetables with fewer carbohydrates and a higher percentage of fat. The low-carb diet means under 50g net carbs per day, and a moderately low-carb diet means under 100g net …

Read more

The Four Styles of Parenting

by
The four styles of parenting

Based on the research of Diana Baumrind, Eleanor Maccoby (extremely influential in child psychology and developmental psychology, her Wikipedia page is well worth a read) and John Martin, there are four types of parenting styles:  Neglectful Parenting  Low emotional support, low expectations Detached from a child’s feelings and behaviours  As the name of this category implies, there is not much interaction between a neglectful parent and their children. Such parents are uninvolved in their children’s lives: they do not ask children about school, they do not know their children’s friends or spend much time with …

Read more

Celebrating The International Women’s Day – “Let me remind all women that we live longer and better lives when we have sisters we love, not necessarily born in our bloodline or of our race.” – Maya Angelou

by

The International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March, started as a strategy to promote equal rights, including suffrage for women. It seems appropriate that in this day when we celebrate womanhood to remember the eternal words of the ever-inspiring Maya Angelou. While researching the history of this date, I discovered that the Appenzell Innerrhoden (Swiss canton) was forced to accept women’s suffrage by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in 1991 (yes, 1991).  I also want to share one of the most inspiring videos I have ever watched, the Australian prime minister Julia Gillard attacking the opposition leader, Tony Abbott, calling him a misogynist and …

Read more

Everyday Productivity Insights from Great Artists

by

A creative person is one, who enjoys, above all, the company of his own mind. Anything done well, from baking a souffle to putting together a winning stock portfolio is creative. The trick to creativity, if there is a single useful thing to say about it, is to identify your own peculiar talent and then settle down to work with it for a good long time. Everyone has an aptitude for something. The trick is to recognize it, to work with it… The problem is that the things you’re good at …

Read more

Study Shows Khan Academy Kids Application Improves Pre-Literacy Skills

by

In a randomized controlled trial, the researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst recruited 49 four- and five-year-old preschoolers and their primary caregivers, 45 mothers and four fathers. Families had an annual median income of $24,000. Before the study started, children’s pre-literacy skills were assessed using the Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL). Children were randomly assigned to use either the Khan Academy Kids application or control applications. Khan Academy Kids group was encouraged to use the applications 20 minutes per day. The control group was not given any specific instructions on …

Read more

Insleepia

by

You visited me again last night And I woke up again in fright. I didn’t know what else to do. Should I have screamed? Should I have welcomed you? You bring me gifts of smoke. You’re in my head. A rain of words, A wind of plots, A storm of thoughts. You’re all the stories that I couldn’t write, All the wounds that didn’t cease to bite, All the shadows that never leave without a fight. You bring me gifts of light. You’re in …

Read more