Claude Monet, one of the most celebrated figures in the history of art, was a leading French painter in the Impressionist movement. His greatest influence was Artist Eugène Boudin , who introduced Monet to outdoor (plein air) painting, an approach that would become fundamental to his style.

Monet, generally speaking, is considered the founding father of impressionism. The movement was a decisive departure from Realism, which focused on precise detail. Impressionism focused on the effects of light and atmosphere in the natural world. A key step in painting impressionistic art is to observe.

In this podcast episode, we are gleaning lessons from Monet's masterpiece series Water Lilies. In his breathtaking depictions of the water lilies through various stages, atmospheric conditions, and seasons, we come to understand the art of transformation in art, nature, and ourselves..

Autumn-A Time For Reflection #6

For the past five episodes, we’ve been focusing on Reflecting.

It is a necessary activity for clarity and our overall health, yet it is so underrated.  Many overlook or undervalue the benefits of setting aside a little time everyday to help stay centered, calm, for renewal, for mental and physical power.  

Consider the mighty bear...

Autumn-A Time For Reflection #5

Today, we’re talking about the differences between Reflection and pondering. They are similar, but not quite the same thing.. Reflection involves serious thought or consideration, often about one's own actions, experiences, and beliefs. It is a deliberate and structured process of thinking back on something in order to gain insights and understanding.

The outcome of reflection is often a greater understanding of a particular experience and the derivation of deeper meaning from it. It can lead to personal growth, improved practices, and better decision-making.

In this podcast episode, we'll take a kook at the nuanced difference of these powerful introspection tools and learn how to leverage each for positive, yet impactful and long-lasting results.

Autumn-A time For Reflection #4

Pausing is much more than just a momentary stop; it's a scientifically backed method to enhance cognitive function, emotional well-being, physical health, social interactions, and productivity. By incorporating deliberate pauses into daily routines, we can reap numerous benefits that contribute to overall health and performance.

In this podcast episode, we'll take a closer look at nature's Autumn cycle of renewal and transformation through E. Brady's poem Leaves. We learn that letting go, and pressing pause helps us move forward more informed and decisively. At the end of this episode, we'll have information concerning the science behind pausing and the testament of nature's pauses that open the doors for renewal, transformation and inner peace..

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Leaves

How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow

Autumn-A Time For Reflection #3

Today we’re talking about learning from other people’s mistakes as the Autumn season is a good time to reassess, strategize and set up for the coming year. Let’s start with a quote from probably one of the most successful investors still walking planet earth, and a personal favorite Warren Buffett. 

The quote is as follows: "It's good to learn from your mistakes. It's better to learn from other people's mistakes." 

Observing, and adjusting according to what we see and the effects or outcomes of what we see is one of the smartest ways of moving forward with your career, love and our overall life. The observation based strategy works with almost everything, and keeps you consistently at the top of your game. Taking time to reflect during the upcoming fall season on other people’s mistakes and the lessons you can glean is a great way forward. In this podcast episode, we'll unpack how to stay on top of your game, and highly effective ways of learning from other people's mistakes

Yesterday, we touched on the transitions that happen during Autumn and how the themes of reflection and renewal are linked to the changes we see in nature during the fall.. Reflection, however,  can mean many things...

Reflection when done correctly can help us recognize destructive thought processes, actions and overall behaviors that need to be addressed and in some cases eliminated. Reflection provides a way forward by learning not only from past actions, and flawed assumptions, but also learning from other people’s mistakes, and successes..

I was watching a movie the other day that highlights the solution oriented mindset of the reflective thinking process. Unfortunately, we can’t go back in time, but we can, like the character think about how we can learn from our past and apply that new found knowledge to our decision making process.

In this podcast episode, we'll take a closer look at the science behind rumination in contrast to reflection. We'll also take a look at a British movie that highlights the positive outcomes of solution minded reflection...

Autumn is a time of transition and change literally and symbolically. In this podcast series, Autumn-A Time For Reflection, we’ll explore the many meanings of fall from a personal development perspective always seeking confirmation through science mostly. I say mostly because, we do have to leave some room for wonder and the unexplainable. As Science can’t explain everything just yet.. The following poem from Carl Sanburg eloquently highlights the reality of impermanence and the hope for tomorrow captured in the fall season.

Autumn Movement (1918)

I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, The mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, 

New beautiful things come in the first spit of snow 

On the northwest wind, and the old things go

Not one lasts. 

In the poem, there is sadness over the impermanence of everything, but there is also hopefulness as new beautiful things come. That’s one of the most positive ways of looking at any type of loss. It is making a way for something else. One jarring experience I personally had that folds into this was back in 2020..

The Romantic era highlighted the importance of nature, childhood or innocence, and negative capability. Negative capability centers around not having to explain every detail logically. In Romantic era poetry, some things can be mystical and without explanation.

Several notable saying that are part of pop culture came from the romantic era such as:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

 Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnets from the Portuguese or popularly known as Sonnet 43.

I wandered lonely as a cloud.

William Wordsworth

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.  - John Keats, Endymion

 important lesson from the Romantic Era is embracing our emotions. Romantic poets were sometimes over the top with the expressions of love, loss, and longing. However, understanding and respecting our emotions can help us make better decisions.

The science of decision-making has evolved significantly, revealing the connection or interdependence between emotions, cognition, and behavior. Emotion regulation plays a crucial role in making better decisions.

In this podcast episode, we'll highlight the insightful life lessons gleaned from the Romantic Era Pots, unpack scientific research on effective decision making, and we'll learn to embrace our true selves..

Alfred Lord Tennyson is widely recognized as a significant literary figure in English literature. His poetry provided an important transition from Romantic era stanzas to early Victorian poetry.

The iconic line "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all",is found in his magnum opus In Memoriam A.H.H. The experience of love, even when followed by loss, can lead to personal growth, increased resilience, and a deeper understanding of life's complexities. Therefore, from a psychological and emotional health perspective, there is support for the idea that the benefits of experiencing love outweigh the pain of its loss in many cases.

In this podcast episode, we'll explore Tennyson's influence and impact, as well as the merits of his iconic line as a strategy to effectively manage loss.

The Third Generation of Romantic poets, following the more prominent First Generation (such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge) and the Second Generation (including Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats), consists of poets who maintained and developed the Romantic tradition into the mid-19th century likeGeorge Darley, who we spoke about in our last installment as well as the tragic Thomas Beddoes and others.

However, consistently it is The Brownings that are often mentioned among the very best third generation Romantic Era Poets.and victorian era scribes. It is fair to say that The Brownings along with Lord Tennyson, who we’ll highlight tomorrow were the bridge or transition from Romantic era to Victorian era.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning were two of the most renowned poets of all time. They were known for their passionate love as well as their prolific bodies of work. Their love story is one for the ages...