chocolate gorilla

That old marketing adage, 'you don't sell the sausage, you sell the sizzle', always seems applicable when looking at adverts that seem to capture the imagination without flaunting the product.

In the example below a feeling is created and as with most advertising I don't necessarily want to go out and buy the product but Cadbury's have captured some of my attention. The distinctive purple color is used on the background and I think the contemplative nature of the piece is meant to evoke satisfaction and indulgence offered by the product but chocolate is only illustrated at the start and end.

But a key question remains, do I feel like buying some chocolate or a Phil Collins album? Mmmm, ok! I think I fancy a dairy milk.

For more information ...
cadbury
cadbury on wikipedia
gorilla

more monkey than monk 2

I have been trying some breathing exercises recently to calm my mind which due to a stressful work situation is more active than ever. The 'monkey mind' is chattering away.

I inhale through my nostrils for a count of 4, then hold for a count of 2, then exhale through my mouth for a count of 4 and dwell in the quite space after exhalation for a count of 2. Repeat 40 times and it usually changes my heart rate by between 10-20 beats per second.

(photo by marc shandro)

These photos are by a good friend in Canada whom I shared great conversations with on the topics of distractions and awareness. I miss my friends in Canada but in some sense because I am thinking of them I still feel connected, if only a little.

(photo by marc shandro)

For more information ...
marc shandros photos
flickr
more monkey than monk

the way

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)

When I let go of what I am,
I become what I might be.
Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)

For more information ...
Lao Tzu

more monkey than monk

I am far from been an ascetic monk and quietness is not one of my virtues. However, I do often feel drawn to the quite life and the clarity that a silent space would provide.

Buddhists refer to the concept of 'monkey mind' when describing the tendency for our minds to leap from one thought to another. Silence does not stop the 'monkey mind' and the first step is just an awareness of the frenetic pace of our thoughts. A good exercise is to stop thinking for ten seconds and to observe how difficult an exercise this is.

Monk Tame Monkey Mind Tame Monk by Sandra Rose

Maybe we need to just stop, to stop moving, stop talking and then stop thinking. Only then we can dwell in a silence we create and from there, who knows?


For more information ...
thinking too much
a different view
art of sandra rose