value based life

My PhD plans are shaping up: value based decision making.  That sounds like what I want to do and like something that means so much to me.
Is what I am doing in line with my values? This is the best question to evaluate any decision.  It seems that doing PhD on this topic - iS indeed.  But everything else?  There are things that are clear but some are vague.  It's difficult to get down to what values are underlying a particular decision.  I think this can be the methodology that I am looking for.
Value based and "want"-based decisions can conflict. I really want a big house with a swimming pool,  everything automated. I want to fly often.  I want to have many kids.  But. .thinking carefully,  these wants are conflicting with my values: non-destruction,  nature protection,  growing from within and not at the expense of others. However on the flip side - not pursuing "wants" can be also destructive. What would be the solution?

Creativity

1. Balance efficiency with creativity. Process management techniques, such as total quality management or Six Sigma, which can increase your growing company's efficiency and productivity, are also likely to decrease your ability to innovate. Don't let efficiency-enhancing practices act as barriers to exploring new ideas. Nurture your natural creativity. Continue to invest in new ideas as you increase operational efficiency.

Taken from here:

http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/174269/great-entrepreneurs-creative-thinkers.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=Monthly&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndication

 I think I am sometimes trying to be too efficient, it's boring. I need to waste some time

What if the Rules were Different?

What if what you are supposed to do, to be, to look like is changed? It changes all the type - behavior norms, preferences, fashions. Should you be fat or skinny? Should you be active or sedentary? Should you have a family or pursue a career? Follow a religion or be an atheist?
What if what you are struggling to achieve today, will be declared futile, stupid or even evil in the future? There are many ways..
According to Hofstede - only the values stay the same..and that means lots of freedom. Time to look out of the box?

PS. Found "Marriage: A History" book yesterday - the rules were so different before. Turns out we've just in the crisis of Love marriage. And Man-breadwinner marriage is a thing of 1950es - ONLY (I was always wondering why this thing still sticks up to everyone's minds - probably because it is so relatively new)!

Ok, I just need somebody comfortable to sleep with (cats are not comfortable, they push me off the bed and steal the blanket)

Essential Feature of a Great Speaker

Essential feature of a Great Speaker is Great Content. This idea came to me today as I was thinking of the last SANEA lecture and Brian Stratham presentation. He kept my attention for the whole 40-50 minutes of the lecture. I wanted to make so many notes, but was too scared to miss out on what he was saying. Only wrote down a few sentences after the lecture. And even these few sentences are full of meaning still.
Was his speech perfect? Not at all. Did he have a perfect clear voice? No, again. But the content was brilliant.
So the bottom line - if you have nothing to say - rather shut up. No beautiful words, perfect tone or immaculate language will save a speech without a meaning.

Sustainable Society

Met my supervisor on Monday - looks like my research is going to take a serious sustainability angle. I think it is great :) I keep thinking about that article I've read in UAE embassy last year. It was talking about how current economy model is not working - because of environmental damage that it causes and very unequal goods distribution. Further to that I've heard another discussion of the same topic, but in that case the underutilisation of the current youth was mentioned as a symptom of the economic model problem.
I certainly do not understand what is economic model in general and what is the current one exactly, that's why my thinking is so vague. But I think that is something that I must look into in my research as well. Economically sustainable society should also be able to function without environmental damage and allowing all its members to reach decent level of living..
It's getting more interesting :)

Sunday Mornings..

I am not only getting old, I AM old! Second time I start my Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and Financial Times...My only excuse that it happens during the break on my 23 km morning run (I stop at the gym at 17 km to buy coffee and read newspaper).

PhD = Active Process of Changing Yourself

I think I came up to the root of the difficulty of writing a PhD. It is not so much in writing or learning - it is actively forcefully changing yourself from inside out. You might end up changing everything what you are standing on. Scary - who will you be at the end?

Registration..

So I wrote this post 3 years ago - I see nothing changes in my life, I still see the registration at the university as the worst nightmare. Time to get to the new level? Probably. I FEEL STUCK!

Passion vs Experience

Contemplating on my life experience: all that I've achieved was done with passion. Experience has nothing. In fact the more experienced I am in anything, the worse I perform in it. I need to pay more attention to my passions if I want to achieve more in life...maybe I should learn that zulu ;) And the biggest secret - coding is so-so-so boring! (that's I am getting in touch with my emotions). I really can't do what I know how to do already :(

"But man does not create... he discovers."

Quote by Antoni Gaudi.