Paradigm shift

I think I heard it in a song on the radio. "Paradigm shift" was used to indicate a transition. It's a nice way to say it. I think most people realize how difficult transition can be. I tell my clients, it's not easy to make a change, but people do it every day. For example, It's not easy to quit smoking, but people do it every day. How many people do you know who have quit smoking? It seems everyone knows people who have. So it opens up a discussion of how to make the paradigm shift easier for them to become a fresh air breather. The smokers who come to me become "fresh air breathers." Not "non-smokers."

Regurgitate

Seems like I've been gone a long time. I did get to check my email in an Internet Cafe in Cyprus twice in the past 3 weeks.

I actually regurgitated on the way home on the plane during landing. Thank goodness, they still have airsickness bags on the planes. An odd thing to provide for every flyer, since I doubt they are used very often. I guess it used to be common when air travel was new and novel to the general public and many people experienced fear and anxiety. But now we know how safe air travel is compared to other modes of transportation. And if logic doesn't influence the emotional response, hypnosis can be used to reduce anxiety and eliminate fear of flying.

Re gur gi tate-- repeat, throw back, throw up. Re means again, I think gurgi must be Latin. Yes! Gurgitare means to engulf, and gurgit- means whirlpool.

Greek Journeys

Kaleidoscope. Psychedelic. Both from Greek! In Greek they pronounce both the P and the S in the beginning of Psychedelic or psychology.
Kal is from kalos, meaning beautiful or good.
Eidos is from eidos, meaning form.
Scope is from skopein, to see.
Psychedelic and psychology are both from Psyche, which means soul.
By the way, the word ego comes from Greek, too. It means “I.”
Did Freud know Greek?

See you in a few weeks when I get back from Greece!

Ubiquity

Advertisements are ubiquitous, all around us. They are insidious. And most people think they are immune. Not so. How do you spell relief?
Plop-plop ______ _____.
Coke, it’s the _____ thing.
If you said R-o-l-a-i-d-s, fizz-fizz, and real, the advertising succeeded. You’re correct. You’re normal. And you’re not immune to the effects of advertising.

I am researching this topic right now for a presentation in August, called “Verbal Impact: Can Words Hurt You?” It’s going to be fantastic, insightful and dynamic.

U biq ui tous means seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent.

Ubiquitous is the adjective form of ubiquity, existence everywhere at the same time, from New Latin, “everywhere.”

Sleep tight

Sleep tight? What the heck is that? How do we sleep tightly? Can we sleep loosely? Does it have something to do with getting tucked in nice and snug? I hate to have the covers over me tightly tucked in on all the sides and the bottom. I always kick them loose and have at least one foot uncovered and unencumbered.

(This reminds me of wide awake.)

Nighty night!

Spurious Potentate

Some words from To Kill a Mockingbird, one of my all-time favorite books:

Potentate, which means one who has the power or position to rule over others, monach, or one who dominates or leads any group or industry. From Middle English, from late Latin, from potent (power).

Spurious, which means counterfeit, fake, phony, or illegimate. From Latin, perhaps from Etruscan, spurcus (impure). Etruscan! Who were the Etruscans? More later…

Insightful

I am overwhelmed! I never read To Kill a Mockingbird. I never saw the movie. I’d really love to rent it now, though. I just finished listening to the audiobook (on CDs) and I am floored! It was remarkable, incredible, stupendous. This is a powerful book. Compared to this it seems like I’ve been wasting my time on many of the novels I’ve read lately.

Compared to this book, the others seem SPURIOUS.
It means fake, phony, counterfeit.

What's the right word? It was profound, incisive and insightful. And it’s one of those books that will stay with me for a while. I’ve already noticed that I sometimes use the southern vernacular, including the word “ain’t.” And I ain’t that kind! No, sir!

I will miss Atticus, Jean Louise and Jem. I admire Atticus’ patience and wisdom and hope to emulate him when I am parenting my child.