One of my favourite authors on this round of audiobooks has been Jacqueline Winspear with her Maisie Dobbs series. The heroine has become almost a fictional role model for me.
Maisie Dobbs is a private investigator living in London between the first and second world wars. Many of the techniques she uses in her work are precursors of modern forensic and psychological skillsets, but many are also useful and relevant as general life skills.
She uses psychological profiling techniques to identify likely culprits. To interpret how a person might be feeling, she imitates their posture or gait and analyses what emotions it produces in herself, in a kind of precursor of NLP.
She uses mindmaps to chart all the information relevant to an investigation, adding information and arrows and linkages as they emerge. I am a big fan of mindmaps and goalscapes, using them for everything from planning a presentation to planning my life. The back of my ship’s logbook now contains quite a number of mindmaps of ideas for the future.
Maisie uses an intuitive, almost spiritual, approach to her work, deliberately clearing her mind and tuning into the vibration of a place or a person in order to perceive them more clearly, without prejudice, before proceeding. This would be a very good practice for me to adopt. Too often I rush into a situation, judging it or starting to speak before truly figuring out what is already going on.
And finally, at the end of a case, she does what she terms a “final accounting”. She revisits the people and places that have played a part, and ties off all the loose ends. This brings closure not only for her, but for the other characters touched by the investigation. To an extent I already do something like this. At the end of a chapter of my life, I like to take time out with my journal to analyse what has happened and to draw out the lessons learned. Along with the mindmaps in my logbook, I’ve already started making notes on lessons from the Indian Ocean (don’t ask!).
Sometimes I even actually remember the lessons learned and manage not to make the same mistakes again – but, erm, not always. Maybe Maisie is better at this than I am. But there again, she’s fictional. And I, of course, am only human.
Other Stuff:
By the time you read this blog it will be Saturday, and time for our Solidarity Sunset. I will raise a mug of miso soup to you all, and imagine myself with you in spirit. Feel free to toast me back with something more interesting! I’d love to hear where and how and with whom you celebrate the full moon. And I will tell you about my own celebration in my next blog.
A modest day’s mileage today, which is okay because the strong wind was blowing me off course, so if I’d done lots of miles I’d only have gone even further off course. The wind is building now, and due to reach 30 kts tonight. Hmm. There’s something to look forward to. Let’s hope it has calmed down enough tomorrow for me to enjoy my Saturday celebrations without just having to hang onto the boat for dear life.
Jay – the ALEX bottle sounds awesome. I can’t wait to try it out! I couldn’t follow any of the links you posted, of course, as I only have email out here, not internet. So maybe you can tell me what my colour pattern options are?
Good to hear about further support for plastic bag bans. Keep up the good work!
Sean – have a fantastic time in Shenzhen. You have presented me with a dilemma. I don’t know whether to wish you luck, or to support the Poms. So I shall just say, “may the best crew win”!
Quote for the day: Experience teaches only the teachable.
(Aldous Huxley)
Sponsored Miles: Diane Freeman, Alexandra Stevens and Jeffrey Green – grateful for your sponsoring of today’s miles.
Just a quick heads up, the day 102 blog link in the email today, is a 404 page error. Busted link is all.
The site was down yesterday, and nobody could access it for several hours. Hope that you can now catch up. Thanks for trying! Rita.
Thanks Rita! I hope your leg is feeling much better.
Found a few 404 page errors in the archives the other day.
Roz, when I woke, I dashed to my window and snapped this pic of the moon as it sets over the San Francisco Peninsula. It is at this moment rising where you are … amazing what can be seen on opposite ends of the earth … simultaneously!
Here is to many more mystical moons rising for you, Roz!
Rowing rapture, Roz!
Thanks for the picture of the moon UncaDoug! If I had a camera I would post one tonight. Cheers, Steve
Re ALEX Bottle and sunset… You bet
! Have a great moon rise too!
Ah ha! I knew there was something I had in common with you, Roz, & it wasn’t the hard yakka (Australian for hard physical work) that I subject myself to, because I don’t!! It’s an enjoyment of the old fashioned sleuth/detective novel!
Thanks for the sprout empathy – I’ll think I’ll stick to alfalfa for plenteous growth & just a decent over-night soaking for the larger seeds. Almonds are particularly yummy done this way.
Take care you two.. between boatfillers, rocking hull, stagger in the gait, woody’s peg leg and site being down… This little team of yours can throw off a balanced day! 🙂 Cheers all!
Row Roz Row!
~Jay
Watched the moonrise last night, it was big and bright. Near sunset too. The moon rises roughly 50 minutes later each night. Did not notice the site was down…checked it 3 or 4 times too. Looking forward to Solidarity Sunset! Isn’t there a song about solidarity? I’ll see if I can find it. What sort of miso? Shiro (white), Aka (red) or another one?
Go! Roz Go! Stephen
Roz! I got a bit behind on your blogs so congratulations on making it to the halfway point. And yes, I expect your victory party in San Francisco to be massive and a good way for the Rozlings to meet each other.
I’m celebrating Solidarity Sunset by sending you heaps of positive vibes and then going to see sing-a-long Grease at the Castro – a theater that will be full of positive, silly energy.
May the second half of your journey be as fast as Greased Lightning!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map
Roz, regarding mind maps…
How about working on a collective “sustainability” mind map. After all, we would be more effective moving as one… ~just sayin~
btw… I prefer my role models to be of the non-fiction variety. It is so much easier to explain to my daughter.
“I am just trying to be the guy my dog thinks I am.” ~off of a Life is Good T-Shirt.
How’s the sunset:?
Row Roz Row! 🙂
Since tonight with the Solidarity Sunset we’re celebrating (among other things) a kind of “threshold moment” with you … that of reaching the halfway point on your journey this year … I’ve pulled out the Ginger Snap Larabar wrapper that you offered to Neptune at the Equator (another threshold) in 2009, and have lit a candle in front of it for the evening. And I’m asking “the gods” to protect you on your journey, and to sustain you in mind and body as you deal with both the joys and adversities of your crossing. I figure we can all use all the help we can get, and maybe Neptune (from 2009) will remember you, and give you any assistance you might need to get where you are going.
Sending you all best wishes and good vibes. You’re doing amazing things, Roz. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Rico
Hi Roz- Solidarity Sunset had me on my deck with Ice water, because ice is what I would miss most out on the ocean, wearing my Roz Savage cap. Sending good vibrations your way and hopes that the second half of your journey is much easier than than the first half.
OK I give…what are mindmaps and goalscapes? Sounds really cool. Found another website for current (5 way pun if you consider currants, yum, and currents as in tides and currents, electrical current as in the electrics on Sedna, and current conditions on the ocean, and the condition of the current). Uh Oh, I hear lots of groans out there. Better quit while I am behind.
http://www.oceanweather.com/data/
The currents on this chart Roz, since you may not be able to see them, are pointing north to India as of 06:00 coordinated universal time (GMT for most porpoises) . They were not doing so yesterday. I think all those good vibes and prayers and thoughts must be working already. Not sure how accurate the chart is, though.
Well, I’m off to see the sun and moon and a toast to you Roz for making it over half way. Also sending great vibes out into the ether for you. Cheers, Stephen
Hi Roz (and fellow Rozlings)~ just got back from the beach, watching the sunset, raising a glass, and sending good vibes.
Cheers Roz! Here’s to smooth sailing, good currents, and favorable winds!
Hope you felt all the vibrations being sent from all over the place from all of your fans.
~Marcie a.k.a dogsdontpurr.com
I’m toasting you back with my sunday morning cup of tea! 🙂 I’m on my way out to watch the start of the ROLEX fastnet race from Cowes sea front.
Have a great day! Lots of love x
We watched the “solidarity sunset” from a hot tub (SF Peninsula). Moonrise came a bit later, so I tried to send you good vibes (and warm feet) twice. Hope you got them… My training in the area of hippie physics (in the 1970’s) was minimal at best. 😉
the moon was very beautiful here in iowa. A friend is one before whom I may think aloud. (Ralph Waldo Emerson). really like this quote. i tend to share my ideas with people, i guess my friends are the ones that don’t turn away.