Hey Ohmies -
After 10 years of immersion in our World of Therapeutic Sounds, I have some notes that I'd like to share.
I've made them along the way as "notes to myself" and thought perhaps it's worth sharing. You can reply here if you'd like to add anything or ask anything.
1. It's interesting that "Sound" is synonymous with balance? Consider that the phrase "A Sound Mind." A balanced, functionally well mind is referred to as "sound." As is a "Sound" body. When we dive deeply into our modern vernacular, we can pick out clues that are left in plain site about our relationship with words and contexts.
2. Sounds impacts are not associated with any religion. They are associated with EVERY religion. The entraining, enlivening, hypnotic, mystical power of sound has been encoded into humanity's spiritual pursuits for thousands of years.
3.The concept of failure is an illusion that we carry with us from our elementary school days. Failing a class was not a positive thing. Failing as an adult is not synonymous with not passing. It's more akin to stopping, giving up. You who are reading this e-mail are capable of doing anything, anything -- that you decide to stick with for at least 3 years. Preferably 5. If you committ to something for 10 years and simply do not stop, my prediction is that you will be unstoppable.
4. The reason for stopping, is usually that novelty generates dopamine and creates a positive feedback loop that causes excitement in the beginner. Then informed pessimism and "the plateau" kick in and 99% of people just stop. "It didn't work out" Keep going.
5.One of the most aspirational ways of being for me, is to be inspired by, rather than resentful of other people. Resentment is sneaky, and easy. Inspiration and admiration are rocket fuel for growth.
6. Being intensely interested in something unlocks new, seemingly genius levels of understanding in it. Naval Ravikant said "read what you love, until you love to read." I take this to mean that everyone's brain is different, but if we pursue things we have intense passion and interest in, we seem "smart," about those things. I think you can actually be "smart" about anything if you find a way to be intensely intersted in it.
7.Empathy comes from being able to create a "steel man" argument for everyone else's opinions. A steel man argument, is a way to articulate in good faith that best of what someone else thinks and why they think it. Not sarcastically. Not saying "there's nothing good about it." But being able to really truly make an argument and seek to understand. Then it's easy to have empathy, because you can really see that they're doing their best.
8.Everyone is doing their best to make sense of the world, feel understood, feel significant, get and give love. Everyone.
9. You're reading this email, so you're in the small group of people who either love singing bowls or are at least intrigued by it. You have a niche interest. In "olden times" (lol, like before 1980) we might never have known each other. Now there's tens of thousands of people with unique interests that get together because of the internet.
10. Singing bowls are human. Kind of in an esoteric way, but also characteristically. They are imperfect, and their imperfections are what make them special (literally, the asymmetries of singign bowls create the inharmonic overtones that calm anxious minds)
These are just some thoughts, I appreciate you being here with us!
Warm Regards,
Frank
