Things I learned This Week That I Didn't Know Before

In search of alignment, enlightenment, life-long learning and/or reasons for action:

1. To wander is a Taoist metaphor for ecstasy. (Lynn Darling, Out of The Woods)

2. In Bali, believers face north to pray and their word for insanity translates "not knowing where north is." (Lynn Darling, Out of The Woods)

3. Despite decades of affirmative action, black and Hispanic students are more underrepresented at the nation's top colleges and universities than they were 35 years ago. (NY Times)

4. The Western diet- low in fiber, high in refined sugars, meat and fat- is wiping out whole species of bacteria from American guts. (NY Times)

5. "Pilgrim there is no path. The path is made by walking." (David Whyte, "We are Pilgrims")

6. "There is always a wild card, and what I had were books. What I had, most of all, was the language that books allowed. A way to talk about complexity. A way to 'keep the heart awake to love and beauty.'(Coleridge). (Jeanette Winterson, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?)

7. The honey bee travels thousands of miles in search of nectar yet produces 1 teaspoon of honey in their lifetime.

8. Best fuel for long runs (10 miles or more) - a sweet snack of 30 to 40 calories every two miles. A few gummy bears washed down with water works well. (Jeff Galloway, "Double Digits? Sweet!")

Have a happy week. May what you learn inspire you.