discussing the state of matter

a good conversation fuels the mind. reading a book, watching a good movie or a tv series that makes one think beyond the recesses of our leanings, filling in the boxes in the crossword puzzle, traveling, learning about other cultures and habits, these are various forces that make us widen our circles and broaden our horizon. a favourite, is picking someone else's mind, actually learning something new and substantial by merely a phone tete-a-tete, a text, an e-mail, a letter (snail mail), a subject in internet forums, a blog, a tweet.

in a gathering of colleagues, not necessarily like-minded people, in a cafe or pub, i cross my fingers that the talk would not turn into the common denominator of work. nor politics or religion. they're quite fiery subjects. it's to each his/her own when it comes to preferences, in sports, especially sports, club before country, roller hockey or gymnastics. one end keep their opinions to themselves, the other end cannot stop sharing their thoughts. but it's not only in discourses that we learn and substantiate our knowledge. the power of observation is vital in our capacity to grow as individuals. maybe it was a former boss, who equated how fast a person's walk to productivity and efficiency. nonetheless, i've been using that as a gauge as well, not only in proficiency but in fervour and enthusiasm in performing one's tasks.

it's important not to limit ourselves within a sphere. but we shouldn't be too competitive, especially with our friends. we should help and rely on each other, accept our unique abilities. we may not be able to subscribe to the letter of max ehrmann's desiderata, but we endeavour, to grasp, to be kind and joyful.