Friday 03 Mar 2006

I Tip My Invisible Hat to Chris Matthew Sciabarra- Personal Kudos for a Great Guy

This is a personal piece but the advice Chris has given me can be helpful to others so I wanted to post it.

“The world is full of dorks and non-dorks; embrace your dorkness proudly. ( :”
-Chris Matthew Sciabarra

I never imagined when I was first taking an interest in political and social theory that I’d end up developing a close friendship with a scholarly fellow by the name of Chris who has his own little niche in cyberspace at www.notablog.net.
The editor of the The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies and author of a trilogy of works to make his case that dialectics can be linked to libertarian political theory has become an indispensable friend whose compassionate spirit I am eternally grateful for.
There have been times when I’d send what seemed like 30 billion emails on countless topics but I always received a comprehensive response which led me to realize that this guy was an incredibly tolerant outlet for correspondence.
I’ve picked up some juicy nuggets of wisdom from chatting with the Sciabarra man that are worth repeating.
Feel Deeply to Think Clearly-There are times when I feel like my super analytical tendency is on hyperdrive but I always remember this maxim so I close my eyes and simply feel to clear my head on a confusing topic which usually produces more clarity of thought in a relaxed manner.

Chris suggested I add that he picked up this piece of advice from psychotherapist Nathaniel Branden.

Be Gentle with Yourself-I’ve gotten this advice a million times but still can’t seem to consistently follow it since I can be pretty hard on myself but I try to move slower nowadays so I could be on the right track.

Savor the Moment-I can be a fairly anxious person so I often move far too fast in life but remembering Chris’s counsel to savor the moment is a good way for me to check those tendencies of mine since we do need to slow down to simply enjoy the present at times.

Breathe Deeply-This technique really comes in handy when life feels stressed because I stop everything and take deep breaths to calm my nerves. It’s usually easier to deal with worries and problems afterwards.

Treat Regrets and Mistakes as Learning Experiences-Sometimes, harping on where I’ve made mistakes or thought I might have gets a bit excessive but remembering this helps me cool down. We can’t change the past but do have the power to shape our future.

My life has been made much more joyful and relaxed by keeping in mind all of the above so I end this post with

Thanks!-Love You ( :
Much Love and Happiness Always
Your Pal Nick

Natasha | Personal

3 Responses to “I Tip My Invisible Hat to Chris Matthew Sciabarra- Personal Kudos for a Great Guy”

  1. # Kate (Mom) on 26 Jun 2006 at 7:35 am

    Nick,

    Your column is so beautifully written and absolutley on target. The world IS a messy place and sometimes those whose lives aren’t so messy at the moment are charged with looking out for those stuck in the mess and gunk. I am thinking this way because I also just finished reading Anne Lamott’s “Traveling Mercies” essay.

    Onward and with lots of love,
    Mom

  2. # Nick Manley on 29 Jun 2006 at 1:02 am

    Mom,
    Thanks for the great praise and Chris has truly been a blessing in helping me deal with troubles.

  3. # Life, Love, and Liberty » Blog Archive » Check Out My New Blog Fetish: The Net is Full of Good Reading on 23 Sep 2007 at 10:11 pm

    [...] tomorrow, yet I will most definitely meet Chris Sciabarra someday; for all of the reasons detailed here . As for why this post would be of interest to left-libertarians; I thought they might like to know [...]

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