Creation

"There is grandeur in this view of the world"

I have been very much looking forward to seeing Creation starring Paul Bettany as Charles Darwin. I was surprised to see it on the DVD store shelf while just across the road it was showing at the cinema, so watched it with the idea that it was obviously going to be really bad... i.e. made for DVD. But it wasn't, it was great.

It is the story of the inner turmoil of a mans fight as he realizes that something he has been taught since birth disagrees with everything his inquiring mind is telling him. But more than that, it is the story of what happens when choosing the truth means having the courage to go against everything the world is saying is true, and against what those you love believe is true.

We owe a lot to people like Galileo, Copernicus and Darwin in having the will power to come up with truly world changing theories that shattered the way people had seen the world before.

What I like from the movie though, is a clear distinction between religion and faith.

I have a lot of faith. But my faith is in people. My family, close friends, a belief that in general the world is moving in a positive direction and an optimism that despite the fact that the world is a very very random place, we have it within our own grasp to fight for the happiness of ourselves and those who we love. I think this is a grand faith.

Addictive Breakthroughs

When you come across Tim Ferris and other productivity gurus, they all tell stories of incredible feats of learning and doing. For most of us, the things they achieve seem completely out of this world.

I reckon it is addictive though. Most things we try, we just can't do. It is a real struggle. The body fights. The mind fights, and there are just a whole bunch of things that are far easier to do.

But... I reckon if the bug bites you were you start to see how if you fight through the inertia, and get to the point where you have a breakthrough, you will want it again.

It probably helps knowing what is possible. Just like all the other 100m athletes starting to run significantly faster now that Usain Bolt has smashed the world record and continues to do so at whim and by large margins.

I am never going to run the 100m in 9.58 seconds, but there are a bunch of things I would like to do one day.

I just completed an introductory course in Yoga. I would not say I have had major breakthroughs, but after a 4 week course I can now touch the floor, do a fairly poor shoulder stand and last night and tonight for the first time managed to balance for about 1 second in 'The Crow' (although 1 second doesn't really count as balancing and I did 'take off' which I don't think is the intention). But, for me the touching of the floor is a breakthrough, and I am sufficiently hooked to push on.

I am also attempting to learn German with 20-30 minutes a night or so. I am using Rosetta Stone and while it is early days, I can already recommend it highly for whatever language you have been struggling to learn. Perhaps the breakthrough was learning that Jewelery is 'Schmuck' in German... makes sense to me.

Point being... I think once you get the bug of 'breakthroughs', perhaps that is what allows you to push on in other areas. Though some like Tim Ferris are probably a little more addicted that others.