Mystery of the Best Selling Book List

 

What drives humans to take wood, transform it into paper, 

and then proceed to make books out of it?

The desire to communicate through the written word appears to be one of our most interesting traits, so when I heard Borders bookstore filed for bankruptcy last month I felt a little cringe inside. Borders was my first place of refuge after college. I spent hours perusing the shelves and introducing myself to authors that were not on my professor's reading lists. Borders was my first mentor.

Nevertheless, I like many other people have abandoned Borders for Amazon, libraries, and Powells, our delightful Portland used bookstore. So I guess I shouldn't be shocked over Borders demise, but it did make me realize how fast things are changing from paper to digital media. 

All of this thinking about books made me remember how I wanted to share something I discovered last summer on  Wikipedia -- a list of best selling books. Last summer the list of best selling books had religious and political doctrines topping the charts, but when I looked today, I see that have revised their list. 

Here is a sampling, but I hope you'll go and check this site out because I'd love to hear your reaction to some of the titles on the list:

More Then a 100 Million Copies

Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

Lord of the Rings, J. R. R Tolkien

The Hobbit, J. R. R Tolkien

Dream of the Red Chamber,  Cao Xueqin

And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie

Last summer I had grand plans to read every one of these books that had sold over a hundred million copies, because I thought "wow, wouldn't it be great to be in a book club with 100 million people!" Haha!! Well, I ended up renting the movie And Then There Were None, abandoning the Dream of the Red Chamber after the first couple pages, and then of course remembering how I quit on Tale of Two Cities and Lord of the Rings when I was in my 20s, I threw my project out the window. 

I guess what fascinates me about this particular list is how heavy these books are on language. They are all wonderful stories, but just like a religious text most of them are coded in a way that you spend much of your time trying to decipher its real meaning. Perhaps that is the allure. What do you think?

I did a little bit better on the next list with about 40% already in the bag:

Between 50 and 100 Million Copies Sold

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

She

Le Petite Prince

The Da Vinci Code

Think and Grow Rich

The Catcher in the Rye

The Alchemist

Steps to Christ

Lolita

Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning

The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care

Anne of Green Gables

Black Beauty

The Name of the Rose

The list goes on and is extremely fascinating for like artifacts in a museum it's a wonderful cultural history of what stories intrigue human beings. What surprised you about these lists? What book didn't you see on the list that you thought would be there? Do you find yourself wanting to join the biggest book club ever or are you content to read what you most desire?

Hedgehog Secrets: Invite Difference Into Your Life

hedgehog lawn art

After I started my quest to learn more about hedgehogs, it seemed as if everywhere I turned one popped up on my radar. For instance, while shopping for a birdbath, I discovered this adorable piece of hedgehog lawn art. I would have never noticed this guy before, but simply because I focused my attention on hedgehogs, I was now open to seeing him from a new point of view.

hedgehog lawn art

Isn't he the cutest thing? I suppose if I can't have a real hedgehog 

protecting my garden from pests, this sculpture will do, right?

Faience Hedgehog, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Twelfth or Thirteenth Dynasty (1991-1640 B.C.)

This next hedgehog sculpture isn't lawn art, but it sure seems pretty darn close in style and design. Surprisingly, this hedgehog sculpture is from ancient Egypt where many a tomb was littered with images of this small creature. Historians surmise that Egyptians may have seen the defensive posture of a spiny hedgehog as a good luck charm to ward off evil and protect them from misfortune. Aha! A new lucky charm, how cool is that?! Now I'm starting to wonder why Lucky Charms hasn't adopted a hedgehog to their cereal mix...

My point is that it seems that one way to open yourself up to new learning is to invite difference into your life. In this blog series I started out with a question: "Why do I dislike hedgehogs?" Simply by becoming curious and investigating why I don't like something, I've invited difference into my life and learned to value so much more about myself, other people, and this creature.

I hope you'll take time to notice the things that put you on edge and make you uncomfortable. Try inviting them in to stay awhile and see what happens. Take pleasure in watching them transform your life.

Cursing Trees to Create Something New

Recently I became aware of the story of Jesus cursing a fig tree not to bear fruit. I've always had a bit of an innocent viewpoint on this character Jesus, so reading about his belligerent words towards a tree challenged my beliefs about this guy.

First of all, I like to think about this story of Jesus as symbolically rooted in a long lineage of spirituality. For me Jesus is a human, embodying an archetypal journey in a universal myth. This journey can be seen in many people we call heroes or revolutionaries today as well as traced to ancient mythology such as the Egyptian story of Isis and Osiris.

The universal story of birth, death, and resurrection is deeply linked to agrarian cultures, the fecundity of the earth, and the coming of spring. In the Christian religion, these primal life messages for survival have passed down through the human story of Jesus.

If you are Christian, then you are currently celebrating the season of Lent, the time leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus -- Easter. In fact, the word Lent originates from a prehistoric West German word for "long days," describing the lengthening of days as we near springtime. Seen in a universal context, Lent is a preparation for spring and the birth of new life.

Tree of Life, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver tree of life charm

I guess that's why the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree kind of put a damper on all my spring glee. Who does this guy think he is going around cursing a tree not to bear fruit ever again? What a brute!

Then I got to thinking that much of the Christian religion is rooted in ancient mythology. Perhaps the fig tree is the tree of life. Moreover, the fig tree could be a symbol for Jesus, making him a symbol for the tree of life. Who is Jesus really cursing not to ever bear fruit again? A fig tree? The tree of life? Or himself?

As I apply this understanding in my own life and see myself as a fig tree or a stand-in for the tree of life, I've seen that many times I do go around cursing myself not to bear anymore fruit. Can you see it in yourself? Those times when you say, "I'm never going to do that ever again." Or "I'm never going to make another one of those again." Or "That's the last time I'll ever see that person again."

That internal voice may be something buried so deep you don't want to hear it, but if you are completely honest with yourself there is a part that tells you to put the breaks on something your doing, being, or creating.

I think the positive point in the story of the fig tree is that a human being can only create a new wholeness by shattering a former consciousness. A tree must stop bearing fruit, whither and die for something new to take root in the world and in you.

Closing a business, retiring from a job, moving away from a relationship, and changing old habits all require a little cursing to take place -- a stopping of action to redirect energy down a new path. Cursing the tree of life may be the first step in the process to creating something completely new, so perhaps instead of staying in denial or emotionally checking out, pay attention when this is happening. Don't run when you start cursing the thing that no longer works for you. Listen, stay present, hold to center of things, and wait to see what you will be creating next.

Hold fast for spring will come. It always does.

The Buddha: Inner Strength of an Elephant

Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver elephant, lotus blossom, and buddha charms

I recently watched the documentary The Buddha, and the first story was such a surprise because I had never heard it. Before Queen Maya became pregnant with Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism), she had a dream that a white elephant gave her a lotus blossom and then dove into the side of her belly to stay.

Where have I been hiding out, and why have I never seen the elephant as a symbol for the Buddha? I was so tickled to hear about this story because it made me imagine the elephant, lotus, and Buddha charms from Hint side by side on a chain, making the perfect design for inspiring patience and inner strength.

Who's Your Personal Life Coach?

hugo - my life coach

Well, I suppose the best answer would be myself, but when times are tough sometimes you have to look outside yourself for some coaching.

Meet Hugo, my personal life coach. 

For over fourteen years, he's motivated me to rise every morning and set my intentions for the day. He's very good a keeping to a routine, which means he lets me know when I need to go to yoga, eat lunch, avoid the television or computer, and get some sleep. He went to the school of hard knocks, so anything sub-standard has no business in his life. He has a relentless desire to see me live life to its fullest, and every day I thank him for his persistence.

Look around you. Do you see your life coach? The people, animals, or things in your life that keep you motivated and on track when times are difficult. Could it be your family, garden, community, or business you've made a commitment to? Kids are incredible life coaches, because they're constantly reflecting back to you what is most out of balance.

Are you listening to the messages of your life coach or are you resisting? Either way I hope you're practicing kindness and patience with yourself. Listening and resisting both have a certain value in the process. For me, after a long period of resisting Hugo's instructions on life where I find myself giving into the moment, I let out a big laugh, enjoying the absurdity of myself and the experience of letting go.

I hope you'll look to the coaches in your life and show them your thanks today and every day.

Oprah's 7 Men Transforming the World: Marshall Rosenberg & Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

Marshall Rosenberg

FINALLY!! Gosh, how much longer were you going to hold out Oprah? I say this with much love and admiration, because someone finally pushed Marshall Rosenberg's teachings on Nonviolent Communication (NVC) into the popular spotlight on Oprah's Web site last month.

Ranked as one of seven amazing men transforming our world, Marshall Rosenberg's method of compassionate communication is an invaluable tool for our turbulent times. If everyone took the opportunity to read his book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life just once, or integrated it into our schools' reading lists, just think how we could impact each other on a daily basis.

If you haven't read Non-Violent Communication: A Language of Life, and you are an Oprah follower, then I hope you will take her endorsement of Marshall Rosenberg to heart and let this teaching into your life. He is truly an awe inspiring man and is slowly transforming the world we live in one reader at a time.

Additionally, if you want to support the cause and see Marshall Rosenberg on Oprah's show, participate in the Get Marshall on Oprah Campaign. 

Glacier National Park Repeat Photography Project

Grinnell Glacier, 1938: T.J. Hillman photo

This week I went to a presentation about Glacier National Park at the REI store in Portland, Oregon. The speaker, Dan Fagre a research ecologist, works for the U.S. Geological Survey at Glacier National Park in Montana, studying how dramatic climate changes are impacting ice melt.

These amazing photographs are part of the Glacier National Park Repeat Photography Project and document how rapidly the glaciers are receding. All three photographs are an oblique view of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park.

Grinnell Glacier, 1981: Carl Key photo

Not only is a beautiful landscape and ecosystem changing, but much of our water used for irrigation and domestic use comes from mountain snow melt. Worldwide receding glaciers will have a tremendous impact on the future of our water systems.

Grinnell Glacier, 2009: Lindsey Beng photo

The prediction is that the Park's glaciers will be completely gone by 2030. If you or your children have never seen Glacier National Park, you may want to add it to your treasured list of places to visit. If you are unable to make the trip, consider spending time on the gigapan Web site exploring these glaciers up close and personal.

Elephant: Breaking Down Beliefs

Thunder Mind, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver elephant charm

Break down
to break through
and break free.

The greatest insights come when you realize you don't have access to the whole picture. In times of crisis, judgments may storm your mind like thundering elephants, but the moment you break down your beliefs to break through all certainty, you'll break free of suffering.

Facebook: Finding the Message

Sierra looking for messages

I meet a lot of new acquaintances on Facebook. The group of people I'm connected to on Facebook has grown to such proportions that I seem to have become a slightly desensitized to adding a new friend.

Then out of the blue last week, I decided to do some research on two people who I added to my friend list. Does this sound weird? Like a voyeur peeking in someone's house when they're not a home? The silly thing is that the whole concept of Facebook is that we are all inviting people to snoop through our bookcases so to speak while were busy in the kitchen. So I quickly banished my uncomfortable thoughts, convinced myself that if someone wanted to friend me it was for a good reason, and like any decent Nancy Drew I was on the case to figure out what message was meant for delivery.

Looking through my new friends' info, interests, mutual friends, and wall posts each time I went away with some new gem of understanding that I probably would have never found otherwise. For instance, I happened to click on a friend of a new friend and the PBS documentary The Buddha showed up as one of their "Liked" pages. How the heck did I miss watching this movie? When I went to The Buddha Facebook page there were some of my dearest Portland friends already connected to this movie. This prompted me to quickly add the movie to my growing Netflix list.

This delightful discovery got me thinking that my friends on Facebook, whether they be close or passersby in cyberspace, are my best way to stay connected to what I need to know. If I choose to look, my friends on Facebook are holding answers to questions I've been asking myself.

It's like taking that horrible high school math test where everyone knows one of the answers, wrote it on their hand, and is sharing it with the rest of class. My friends on Facebook are the greatest cheat sheet to the best quiz show ever. Next time you are friended by a friend of a friend, I hope you put aside your shyness and think like Nancy Drew to find the answers you're looking for :)

Behind the Scenes: The Hundredth Monkey Effect

When my husband and I were first dating, he related the story of the hundredth monkey to me. I was both fascinated and tickled by the idea so I filed it away in my mental data bank for future pondering. Years passed and I forgot about the phenomenon of the hundredth monkey until something popped up on my radar last month. This experience got me thinking about the hundredth monkey theory and how it could relate to Hint Jewelry's business.

The story of the hundredth monkey effect was originally published in the book Rhythms of Vision: The Changing Pattern of Beliefs by Lawrence Blair in 1975. Later Lyall Watson related the same story in his book Lifetide in 1979 and was further popularized by Ken Keyes, Jr. with his book The Hundredth Monkey.

Each of these men relate the story of scientists in Japan who were studying macaque monkeys on the island Koshima during the 1950s. Researchers noticed that a small group of monkeys developed a method for washing their sandy sweet potatoes in the water to make them more edible. This habit spread among the younger monkeys and eventually to their parents. Later when x number of monkeys had begun washing their sweet potatoes (they chose the 100th monkey as an example of a critical number) this behavior jumped to other islands and unrelated monkeys began washing their sweet potatoes too.

The spread of an idea or behavior is fascinating to me. Of course there are many skeptics who have disproved the hundredth monkey theory, but whether it's true or not is not really the point. For instance, suppose you have a cause that is important to you, and you bring it up in conversations with your friends, families, and new acquaintances, isn't it more fun to think that you are building that network of 100 monkeys rather then worrying if the theory works or not. The joy is the act of weaving together a group of like-minded people that want to foster the same beliefs.

Just allowing yourself to suspend all reason and suppose this theory is true, then you might begin to wonder what your critical number for spreading your concept might be. One hundred? Five hundred? Twenty-five thousand? Ten million? Whatever number you believe to be the critical turning point, can be utilized as a motivational tool that carries you forward. Making a commitment to reach one hundred people can move you from point A to point B.

If you're in business, you may believe that you are trying to reach a critical number of sales, but honestly you'll be missing a great opportunity to be looking at the bigger picture. Through your business you are trying to build a critical number of relationships, and through these connections strengthen the value system that you want to see flourish in the world. Picking a critical number of business relationships to build, gives you the opportunity to practice having faith in every personal connection and motivates you to remain productive during down times.

I don't know what Hint Jewelry's hundredth monkey will look like or when she will choose to join the gang, but until then I'm just enjoying working towards my critical number, sharing ideas, and laughing to myself that the magic could surprise me at anytime. What about you? Do you imagine a 100th monkey in your future?

Garden Diary: Dinosaurs or Birds?

dinosaurs or birds?

I finally caught up on a Smithsonian article entitled "Dinosaurs' Living Descendants" from their December 2010 issue. Apparently, paleontologists in China have verified that birds are the living descendants of a dinosaur lineage called Maniraptorans.

Well of course there are a few skeptics out there, but I just love the idea that a pigeon is really an ancestor of a dinosaur. Here I photographed a flock of robins feeding in our front yard from a month or two ago. Now when I look at the picture, I see a herd of tiny dinosaurs feasting on our wide open plain.

I don't know why that's so much fun to imagine, but maybe it's because we like the idea of meeting up with something ancient that went before us. What do you think?

Hedgehog Secrets: The Best Defense is No Defense

hedgehog

After the conversation with my mom about hedgehogs, I decided that to learn to love these little creatures I had to first understand them. Here are some interesting facts I've found out about hedgehogs:

Hedgehogs are native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. However, there are no living species native to North America or Australia.

Hedgehogs are nocturnal and haven't changed much in over 15 million years. Some species are exclusively insectivores, but many of them are omnivores. Some people try to attract hedgehogs to their garden as a natural form of pest control.

In cold climates, hedgehogs hibernate, and in desert regions, they estivate (sleep during the summer months).

The name hedgehog appeared during the 15th century as a way to describe this creature's love of hedgerows and their pig-like snout.

Owning a domesticated hedgehog as a pet is on the rise for they are considered low maintenance and funny.

Hedgehogs are immune to snake venom, and their best defense against predators is to flee or roll up in a spiny ball.

Pudding by Jellycat

Through my reading, I came to see that hedgehogs offer is a deeper understanding about our emotional vulnerability and the need to defend our soft spots. Hedgehogs possess a soft belly and roll up in a spiny ball to protect this defenseless spot from potential predators. I'm guessing, that on average, I roll up in a spiny ball once or twice a day to protect my softness from perceived attacks. It takes some serious self-awareness to uncurl and see that my sensitivity is a gift best left exposed and not hidden behind prickliness. More importantly, I've started to become aware of when other people are rolling up into a ball of needles.  I've begun to tell myself their spiny ball is a sign they are feeling unsafe. Instead of getting all defensive in response, I ask myself what I can do to help build a moment of trust.

Though I won't be adding a pet hedgehog to my family, my mom did give me a cute stuffed puppet that I pull out every once in a while when I want to complain about something or I'm feeling defensive. Just recognizing when I feel like a curled up hedgehog with her needles poised in defense has done wonders for my relationships.

Perhaps this super plush Pudding from Jellycat might be your invitation to recognize your hedgehog nature and to honor this spirit in others.

Behind the Scenes: Changing Your Beliefs about Cash Flow

I treated myself to a massage for my birthday, and though I had a coupon for 15% off, when I got up to the counter to pay, I left the discount behind and tucked in an extra something special to my tip.

The whole experience was rather curious, because like most people I enjoy special deals and take great care in watching my spending. However, because my day at the spa was something I was giving myself for my birthday and my massage therapist had worked extra hard to provide excellent service, taking that extra 15% off didn't seem to be in spirit of the experience but heaping a huge tip on top felt like I was spreading sunshine.

A couple days later as I popped into Whole Foods and gathered myself a gigantic bowl of goodness from their salad bar, I pondered how to get Hint Jewelry off life support from a slow sales month and the idea that cash flow starts with me. To engage in the giving and receiving of goods in a healthy way, I'm the one who has to uncover the hidden blocks to my cash flow. I'm ground zero.

Thinking back to my massage, I saw that if I felt an experience had fulfilled everything I was wanting and even more, I was willing to pay top dollar and throw in something extra to make someones day equally special. Looking at my $13 bowl of salad for lunch, I noticed that if a business was able to take care of something that I didn't have time or materials to do for myself, I'm willing to pay whatever total comes up at the cash register.

For me, there is a lot of personal guilt wrapped up in receiving money -- a sense that I don't deserve as much as I am given. However, if I use the experience of the massage and the salad bar in terms of Hint Jewelry, then I am starting to see that I provide a service that fulfills someones need as well as a product that they probably didn't have the experience, time, or materials to do for themselves. It seems so simple and positive when I put it to myself like that, but in all honestly this concept is a big mental leap for me.

I decided to go one step further with my salad bowl and map out what my $13 at Whole Foods actually bought me. Beyond fuel to keep me going throughout the day, my money contributed to the salaries of Whole Foods' employees and their lives. Their money in turn goes to the taxes they pay, the government employees and teachers they keep in jobs, the education of their children, their contributions to charities, their spending on goods and services, etc. I could go through the same process with local farmers and ranchers that supply Whole Foods their goods. Are you seeing the endless amount of people and organizations I am touching with my contribution of $13 to the cause of being here together?

Connecting on an emotional level with the impact my $13 has on the bigger picture is keeping me in the spending cycle. It's easy to withdraw from the flow of cash that is happening out there when times get tough, so I'm trying to spend my money in the places that I most want to nurture and keep as vibrant as possible -- yoga, healthy food, museums, and charities. I'm also learning to see that the money I spend isn't simply about getting my needs met but more importantly offers sustenance for a community.  

I hope you'll find yourself sharing your wealth with the places you want to see grow.

Free Spirit: Embers & Ashes

Embers & Ashes, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver wild horse charm
grey pearls, orange moonstone, and sterling silver wire and chain

Lately I feel like the only thing I want is...

Embers & Ashes, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver wild horse charm
grey pearls, orange moonstone, and sterling silver wire and chain

to build a campfire in the middle of a forest where 

embers flicker in the darkness and sparks rise up to meet the sky.

Embers & Ashes, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
grey pearls, orange moonstone, and sterling silver wire and chain

In the early dawn, the cool grey ash would sink

into the earth and wait for spring.

After that my spirit would surely feel free.