Take a fika! [“Lagom (Not too little, not too much): The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life” book by Niki Brantmark]

Greetings all!

I just finished a great book by Niki Brantmark “Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life.” Initially the cover caught my attention because of the magic words “a balanced, happy life” and a picture of a kettle – it made me want to curl up in an armchair with a cup of tea and a good book. And, of course, as my blog title implies, I am always looking for balance and joy – and lagom loosely means “not too much and not too little!” Isn’t that a definition of balance!?

Google "lagom" and you will get thousands of hits! It seems to be a very popular philosophy nowadays as we search for ways to lead happier and more balanced lives!

In her book, Niki (a Londoner currently living in Sweden) shows how to apply lagom to work, leisure, family and relationships, holidays and celebrations, interior design, and environmentally kind living. I really enjoyed her tips on how to subtly change the daily routine to lead a less stressful life and have more time for the things we love. Take a fika (coffee break) and read about some of the things I found useful (direct quotes from the book, as well as my paraphrasing and interpretation).

HOME: Exercise restraint. Keep it simple. Nothing brash, nothing loud, no bold patters – just calm. Niki quotes William Morris, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Declutter is the order of the day. One tip that I particularly like is to keep a basket to accumulate clutter and once it is full, sort through it.

SLEEP: Keep your room clean, calm, and dark. Sleep helps us de-clutter our minds and restore our body and soul. Screen light before bed reduces the quality of sleep (so no to news, Netflix, and Facebook – and yes to a walk, a book, a warm bath, and cuddling up with family and pets).

NATURE: Nature allows you to slow down, switch off and be with your own thoughts. Venture outdoors. Bring nature into your home.

PHYSICAL HAPPINESS: Nordic diet is all over the news – and it is all about balance and eating seasonally. Incorporate exercise into your daily life (walk and talk with friends at lunch!). Create a capsule wardrobe (small, intentional, filled with mix-and-match items) – OK, this one might warrant its own post!

WORK-LIFE BALANCE: Multiple studies have shown that productivity drops after 50 hours a week. Be an early bird (this one is a tough one for me!). Don’t skip lunch! Take a fika! Breaks boost productivity, creativity, energy, concentration, and alertness, as well as help you connect with others! Learn to disconnect after work. Take vacation. Buy consciously.

RELATIONSHIPS: Learn to listen. Be punctual. Enjoy a fika (it pops up again!!). If you are in a relationship, take equal responsibility for all aspects of life. Be kind (to yourself as well, I would add!).

CHILDREN: Children need our time, time to play with friends, and time to be alone. Buy toys that stimulate imaginary play. Allow children to be bored on occasion. Quiet time develops their life skills and taps into their imagination. Ease the pressure (I think this one applies across all ages!).

WORLD: Think of others. Random acts of kindness spread a little happiness. Respect nature. Reduce waste.

I found these concepts lovely:

• Mångata – The glimmering, roadlike reflection the moon creates on water
• Kvällspromenad – An evening walk
• Smultronställe – Place of wild strawberries (a special place discovered, treasured, returned to for solace and relaxation)
• Fikapaus – A break with a coffee and maybe a little treat

My takeaways:

• Be kind and fair
• Keep it simple
• De-clutter and reduce waste in all aspects of your life
• Take a fika!

What did you think? Drop me a line and let’s meet for a fikapaus! 

Beam me up, Scotty! [Teleportation in our near future?]

Greetings all!

As I was sitting in bad traffic the other day, my thoughts turned to teleportation: wouldn’t it be nice to tap on an address on your phone and – poof! – find yourself there immediately!? Wait, isn’t there an app for that already?! Unfortunately, the technology is not quite there yet - but keep reading!

As I was pondering teleportation, I thought of Star Trek with its famous catchphrase “Beam me up, Scotty!” (never actually uttered on the show!). It was fascinating and a bit spooky seeing people slowly disintegrate only to reappear shortly on some faraway planet. I tried understanding the physics behind the beaming-up process, and apparently we are talking about quantum physics and entanglement theory. To be honest, a lot of information is beyond my understanding but that does not stop me! 

In quantum physics, entangled particles can be linked in a way that an action on one affects the other, even at a distance (https://www.livescience.com/28550-how-quantum-entanglement-works-infographic.html).

Maybe like operating a puppet, I thought? Or do particles actually merge into one? Spooky!! Actually, “spooky” was the word Albert Einstein used when describing the phenomenon of entangled particles that remain connected. Specifically, he is said to call it “spooky action at a distance.” He did not appear to be a fan but I wonder what he would have thought now!!

 (Image from Google search)

A lot of scientists around the world have been tangling with the entanglement theory! Just last year, Chinese quantum researchers announced they had split pairs of photons and beamed one of each pair to a satellite orbiting more than 300 miles overhead. They also split pairs of photons on the satellite and teleported them back to Earth (http://time.com/4856222/a-teleportation-to-outer-space/).

The articles I have read seemed to focus on how this could lead to very secure internet - information over matter. But what about humans? Can we (and do we actually want to) be teleported?

According to Professor Hanson of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, “If you believe we are nothing more than a collection of atoms strung together in a particular way, then in principle it should be possible to teleport ourselves from one place to another” because the laws of physics actually do not prevent “the teleportation of large objects, including humans” (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/10863929/Beam-me-up-Scotty-teleportation-could-become-reality.html).

We have seen how fast technology advances so we should not rule out human teleportation in our (probably distant) future. However,  I am not sure people would want to be split into molecules and to teleport piecemeal to another location. Personally, I am quite attached to the way my atoms are strung together. 

But the possibilities… Except how would we regulate where everyone is ending up? Wouldn't it be crowded there?

OTHER RESOURCES: 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpx3HZOkLFA (short video)
• http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/06/china-s-quantum-satellite-achieves-spooky-action-record-distance
• https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.technologyreview.com/s/610106/chinese-satellite-uses-quantum-cryptography-for-secure-video-conference-between-continents/amp/
• https://www.google.com/amp/www.wnd.com/2017/07/beam-me-up-scotty-soon-a-reality/amp/
• https://phys.org/news/2014-06-einstein-quantum-mechanics-hed-today.html

What do you think? Drop me a line! 

Don't Quit [A great poem by an unknown author]

Greetings all!

I recently came across this inspirational poem that I would like to share with you!

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won if he'd stuck it out.

Don't give up, though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are -

It may be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

This poem has been attributed to several authors, including John Greenleaf Whittier and Edgar A. Guest. I also read that the U.S. patent office has classified it as public domain but I am not sure whether it is true (http://motivationseeds.com/who-wrote-the-dont-quit-poem/).

Regardless of the author, it is a great poem, I think! I love this line, "Success is failure turned inside out..." What is your favorite line? Send me a comment!

My favorite pasta recipe (quick, easy, and delicious)

Greetings all!

Federico Fellini said, “Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Being an Italian, he probably knew a thing or two about pasta!

Here is one of my favorite pasta recipes (ready in about 15 minutes):

(Image from https://www.say7.info/cook/recipe/174-Makaronyi-syirom.html)

Ingredients:

• 300g of pasta
• 200g of cheese (to be shredded)
• 350g of tomatoes, cubed (around 3 medium-size)
• Salt, pepper, your favorite cooking oil

Instructions:

• Cook pasta according to instructions, then drain
• Cook cubed tomatoes in a bit of oil 
• Add cooked pasta to tomatoes and stir
• Add cheese and cook for 3-4 minutes*
• Add sat & pepper to taste

* For me, the trick was adding cheese to the pot and cooking it together with pasta and tomatoes until it is all a gooey delicious mix!

This is also a perfect recipe for variations! You can add more tomatoes and less pasta! Before tomatoes, you can start with garlic or garnish with parsley just before serving. Bell peppers, avocados or beans also add a different taste. Experiment with cheeses too - feta cheese works well in this recipe, just add it directly to the plate without cooking!

Here is Nastya’s original recipe in Russian, with step-by-step instructions and pictures:

https://www.say7.info/cook/recipe/174-Makaronyi-syirom.html

Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it!

Princeton Review Career Quiz

Greetings all!

A friend recently recommended an interesting career quiz from the Princeton Review. There are 24 questions, each with 2 answers, and you do not have to sign up/log in.

TAKE THE QUIZ HERE: https://www.princetonreview.com/quiz/career-quiz

Here is question #1 - and a fun one to start with, in my opinion!

The quiz results fall into 4 colors that depict your preferred “style” and “interests,” which the site describes as follows: 

• "Style" describes the strengths that you could bring to a work environment when you are at your best. This is the way you like to get results. A work environment in which your strengths are appreciated is a big part of career satisfaction. 

• "Interests" describe the types of activities that you are drawn to; these will need to be present in a job or career that you are considering if you are to stay motivated. It is important to note that interest in an activity does not necessarily indicate skill. 

Finally, you get a rather broad list of recommended careers. As a side note, my list did include my chosen career. If nothing else, it was fun to answer the questions and to think of other career options! Wildlife expert, anyone?!

What did you think? Drop me a line!