*Typing*

You operate at a normal state of consciousness. Sometimes, things happen in your life that plunge you into what is called an "altered state", a state of mind that differs drastically from your normal state of consciousness. This altered state can be induced by drugs and alcohol. But, it can also happen when you're hungry, under the weather, in the throes of love, filled with rage, running on very little sleep or under extreme amounts of stress. What's important is that you're fully aware of the moments you're in an altered state and operating outside your normal state of consciousness. Through this awareness, you can remind yourself to take a step back and observe (rather than act) while your mind, body and heart stabilize.

Kanso is a design philosophy.

It's the process of achieving simplicity through the thoughtful elimination of clutter. Within Japanese culture, Kanso is often viewed through the lens of the home, where possessions should have an intended purpose rather than be used for decoration.

However, Kanso has a place outside the home. It's a philosophy that can be applied to both our lives and our work. The American Impressionist painter and teacher, Robert Henri, would often urge his students to strive for simplicity.

"You as students should devote yourselves to the power of simple expressions, to do all that can be done and learn how much can be said with the simpler and more fundamental terms."

Simplicity happens in one of two ways. Neither is unintentional.

Firstly, simplicity can happen by constraining inputs. In other words, limiting the number of colors you're painting with. Secondly, simplicity can happen by editing the output once the work is complete. Essentially, sifting through the work with a fine-tooth comb and removing all that is unnecessary.

We have a tendency to think in incomplete sentences. If there was some way to put our thinking into words and then project those words onto a blank wall in front of us, our thoughts would be illegible. We would not find fully-formed sentences but instead something more akin to sentence fragments. Our thoughts would read like shattered glass. This is why writing is so important. Writing forces us to do the hard work of thinking in complete sentences, of figuring out our thoughts. If our thinking is sloppy in our heads, it will appear sloppy on the page. And so the practice of clear writing leads to clearer thinking and vice versa.

In preparation for the Lunar new Year, images of the Stove God are placed around the kitchen and smeared with honey. This honey is believed to sweeten the Stove God's tongue so that he reports favorably on the household during his trip to heaven. Or, to glue up his tongue to prevent him from speaking ill will. There is a metaphor in there somewhere.

Bao fo jiao is a Chinese idiom which translates to "embracing the Buddha's foot". It's used to poke fun at people who don't express devotion to the Buddha until they're in need of his help.

Buddist or not, bao fo jiao is a nice reminder to never treat people as a means to an end. Favors are a wonderful and helpful aspect of our many relationships but they shouldn't be the sole reason for our relationships.

An interesting way to frame our relationships is to ask ourselves what unspoken hopes and expectations we are placing on them? And, furthermore, asking ourselves whether or not we would still maintain those relationships if those hopes and expectations weren't being met.

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