This Is About Me and About You

Hello there. My name is Lisa and I am very glad to meet you.

Here at Zen and Pi, I write a lot about positivity, mindfulness, connection, and compassion. I also talk a lot about failure, anger, suffering, and cruelty. Sometimes I even talk about math, and science, and philosophy. I strive to understand who we all are by better understanding who I am. I try to better understand what we can be some day by facing the ugly facts of what are now. I hope to help you face and understand too.

In everything I do and say I try to remember:

  • We all have to take the time to examine our own views and values as well as the views and values of others. Keep what is useful and helpful, and discard whatever is outdated and holding us back. There is wisdom everywhere, but it is hidden behind ignorance. Question everything.
  • We are all responsible for what has gone wrong. From war, to climate destruction, to racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia. We are all biased and ignorant. We all engage in Us vs. Them grouping and generalizing. We are all products of the human evolutionary story, of our upbringing, and of the media we consume. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it is something to change.
  • Nothing in life is black and white. There are as many ways of living, ways of growing, progressing, and suffering as there are humans in the world and as many opinions about what is right and wrong. Resist accepting simple explanations and solutions.
  • It’s important we never lose our childlike curiosity. We should strive to learn and to improve our minds throughout our lives. I do not mean learning in strictly the academic sense. There are many ways to know things and many things we should explore about ourselves and our world.
  • We all should remember to be grateful for all that we have and the privileges we enjoy that other people might not. Be kind and generous when you can and use your privilege to help others wherever you are.
  • Practice radical self-care and acceptance, every day. Forgive yourself, see the good in yourself, and let yourself be happy. Learn to treat yourself the way you would someone you love. Encourage others to do the same.
  • Each of us is only human and to hold ourselves to impossible standards and ideals is cruel. We don’t know everything. We mess up. We hurt one another. We hurt ourselves. It’s all part of life. It is all normal, and even when it is not right is all on some level understandable.
  • Human beings are shaped by other human beings. You were not born a blank slate nor where you born a fully formed personality. No matter how much we wish it weren’t so, we are made, and are still being made all the time, by the events, experiences, and interactions of our lives. In turn, we make other people too, our children, our parents, our spouses, our coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This is where our power lies.
  • We should all tell our stories and our truths. Life is hard, and we should not go through it ashamed, fearful, or alone. All that is in me is normal and all of it is in you too. Never lie to yourself and never hide any part of yourself from others.
  • We should all do our best to live happy, fulfilling, and comfortable lives and let others do the same. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and life-long dignity for everyone is what we should be striving for. It doesn’t matter, or should not matter, whether they are our countrymen or not, share our religious beliefs or not, think, speak, or look the way do or not.

I’m here to get people thinking about why the world works the way it does and to remind them that it doesn’t have to work that way at all, if we don’t want it too. We can make changes in our personal lives, and, if we can come together and agree, we can make global changes too. And if we can’t, I suppose the best we can do is change the way we (the individual) perceives, thinks, and acts in the world.

If you agree with that, then I am very pleased you have found me.

I started this blog because I was anxious, depressed, and lost. I was confused, and I was afraid, and I still am. I think we all are.

I started this blog because I wanted to try to make things better in my life and I wanted to share and document that. I wanted to face my existence and my humanness. I wanted to find productive ways to explore my feelings without stifling them. I wanted to meet others like myself, or maybe different from myself, and talk about what it all means.

Zen is a school of Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and mindfulness with the aim of achieving enlightenment. Pi is an irrational and infinite mathematical constant representing the ratio between a circle’s circumference and its diameter. Both of these concepts and have meant something to me at one time or another. Pi represents the perfect reality outside of human experience and Zen represents a kind of perfection within the human world, both in my opinion, are impossible for humans to comprehend or touch. We do not exist in the realm of perfect things.

We exist in the chaos between.

I want to embrace that chaos.

If that sounds like something you’re interested in too, please, take a look around and read a few posts. If you like what you see make sure to follow and share. The journey is better together.

Don’t forget to introduce yourself and let me know what you think by either leaving a comment or contacting me.

And for updates, items that inspire me, and my thoughts on life, love, and inevitable human suffering subscribe to my newsletter too!

58 Replies to “This Is About Me and About You”

  1. Hi Lisa. Thanks for stopping by my place and hitting my blog with the follow button. I don’t know how you found me but I’m glad you did. Are you participating in the Blogging U. 101 course?
    I read all the posts you have up so far and love the natural, conversational way you write, probably because it’s so much like the way I write. : )
    I am SO very sorry about your little friend Samson. I had a dog that passed away about 11 years ago in a very similar manner. It was heartbreaking.
    Your post about you and your girlfriend is wonderful. I hope that you two can settle into a rhythm of give and take as well as mutual admiration after having gone through such a tumultuous period.
    Heck, I should hope for the same thing for my spouse and me. We’ve been through a pretty tumultuous time ourselves. How about we share methods on what works in our blogs and maybe it will happen for both of us huh. : )

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my blog!! And thank you the compliment on my writing! I’m very new to this so I feel like my writing isn’t quite where I want it to be yet, I’m working on it though :) I am participating in the Blogging U. course but I’m a little behind so I’m playing catch up right now. I love the idea of it though and even the little bit I’ve worked on so far has helped tremendously. WordPress can be a bit intimidating but I think I am starting to get the idea. My biggest hurdle will be engaging with the community, commenting and promoting my own work. But that is why I am working on my goals today, might even be able to get a post out of it for bonus points :)

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  2. Hi Lisa, thanks for liking my Focaccia recipe posting. Sorry to read about Samson’s passing away, I hope things will get better for you soon. Very nice looking Blog! I agree about WordPress being a bit intimidating at first I’ve contacted Support several times over some issues / questions I had about my Blog over the last few months. I have to say they were great, and I do recommend reaching out and commenting on lots of other sites too. What a great community I have found we are involved in! Take care! I’ll be back to check out more soon. :-)

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    1. Thank you. Things are getting better day by day but I suspect there will always be a tiny little hurt in my heart for that little guy. I have been trying to do just that, commenting that is, and even just since yesterday I have talked to so many awesome people! There is definitely a sense of community here and I’m glad I took the step! Thank you for stopping by! :)

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  6. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and thank you for following. It’s an honor to have you. Tomorrow in the morning I will grab a cup of coffee and will snoop through your blog. I am not an easy blogger, I don’t give “likes” easily or without thinking and reading and I don’t follow, just because it is expected. So, let me say it’s nice to meet you and I am looking forward to get to know you :-)

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    1. Thank you for stopping by in return! I would love for you to poke around and read a bit, let me know what you think! I don’t follow or like easily either and I’d feel better knowing I earned it than it was given because it was expected. It’s nice to me you too and thank you again :)

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    1. Oh my gosh thank you so much! *blushes* I am always surprised to hear things like this, mainly because I am just here doing my thing and seeing where this blog goes. Glad you like it so far :)

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  9. Hello, Lisa! Well done on coming through the storms of life stronger – I am struggling, actually, to think of anyone who had an uneventful and painless life. We all have had our struggles. But the fact you are taking what you were given and decided to make it better not only for yourself but for others is commendable! Congrats on your blog – I surely hope this helps you find peace, friendship, and, best of all, clarity! It is lovely to meet you! xx Mother Hen

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  10. Hello! I found your blog via wtfaioa.wordpress.com/ and I’m glad I did – I like your writing style :)
    Your goals for 2015 sound quite ambitious (in a good way). Best of luck in the new year! I’ll be following your journey

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  14. It was just another shitty day at work,till i came across your blog. There are very few people who have a visionary mind,who tend to stop and think about the world around them.
    And Happiness is only real when shared. So keep spreading the love. We all need it desperately.
    Peace.

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    1. Hallo Bas,De foto's van vooral de vliegende reigers vind ik mooi. Daarnaast ben ik het met vele anderen eens dat het er vooral om gaat of je een foto zelf mooi vindt. Maar kritisch mag je natuurlijk altijd zitneGro.j, Kees

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  18. Just a note to let you know I follow your blog. Your honesty and your ability to relate it in your writing keeps me coming back. Keep up the good work. Love the comments on coffee, since I almost live on the stuff and visit our local coffee shop often. (It’s a progressive haven in what could be a stultifying town if I let it.)

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    1. Thanks for following! I’m glad you can appreciate the honesty. I’m going for a “radical authenticity” thing here. It’s quite therapeutic :)

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  21. I love your blog. I followed you when I was still on my previous blog and now I’m glad I’ve rediscovered you! Your thoughts are always so on point and I find myself agreeing so much – as well as being made to ponder about things!

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    1. Spot on Phil.I know this junction well, and the traffic has been and is chaotic there and close by. A bus depot, a commercial and domestic waste and recycling depot, a newly expanded secondary school, a large pub being demolished, and a new street market- all contrive to gain more of dr&#1rsiv82e7; attention than box junctions protocols.

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  25. Hi, Lisa.

    I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely love reading your blog. So much of what you say resonates with me, and often you manage to put into words the things I feel but can’t express. Thank you for sharing, you’re a wonderful writer!

    Amy x

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  29. Wow. I already love everything you represent. I don’t know how I came across your blog but I’m sure glad I did. Sometimes we don’t understand why things happen, but I truly believe the universe always has a reason. Looking forwards to reading more from you!

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  34. Just a note: Your blog is on my list to regularly check. You write well. You are honest. Keep it up. I need to read your perspective and others since I live in the conservative hinterland, trying not to carry a “liberal” chip on my shoulder.

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    1. Awwwww! That’s so awesome! Thanks for reading and for the kind words. Its nice knowing people are out there listening and enjoying what I do :)

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  38. I am so impressed with your writing. I can identify with a lot of it. I am looking forward to reading more of your work. I just started on this blogging journey and I am glad I found your works to follow!

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