how do you empower yourself so you stay centered in who you are and be able to generate the best possible self, the best possible me? I did a little course last week with a group of women, some of whom are having a downer about Christmas, Hanukkah, whatever it applies to. Because the holidays can be dark for some people who grew up in a divorced family where people were fighting at the table, or they were so sad when their mom or dad left or someone died. This time, sometimes it’s not a joyful time for them. And we were looking at, what is it that people in those situations can do to use the levers and dials of conversation to have a holiday season that starts to change that mood, th... posted on Dec 31 2022 (3,988 reads)

the out-of-print treasure that gave us the beloved writer and Nobel laureate on the three types of readers and why the book will never lose its magic. More than a century before our present whirlpool of streaming urgencies, Hesse writes: Great masses of people these days live out their lives in a dull and loveless stupor. Sensitive persons find our inartistic manner of existence oppressive and painful, and they withdraw from sight… I believe what we lack is joy. The ardor that a heightened awareness imparts to life, the conception of life as a happy thing, as a festival… But the high value put upon every minute of time, the idea of hurry-hurry as ... posted on Jul 2 2023 (5,799 reads)

Let’s start. Everyone has turning point events in their life. Something happens and your life is never the same. Now you’ve had your share of life-changing events. But let’s start with the fire. Can you tell us a bit about yourself before the fire, and what is the Bear’s Grass Church?   Jennifer: Well back around 2008 or so when I was about to turn 40, I was working at a job for about 15 years and realized that it wasn’t filling my heart with joy.  So I just completely quit. No plan, I just packed up my bags and headed East back to the family farm and I started planting flowers, because it made my heart happy. I just planted flowers. ... posted on Nov 20 2023 (2,530 reads)

steadily, humbly, and with great integrity, the Brussats have added to the legacy of the world's knowledge centers. In a world that's so far-reaching and lightning fast, we need centers of depth to ground us -- in both spiritual practicality, but also in the mystery of life that has always been our fuel and our source.I encourage you to drink from the wellspring of this wisdom to use its abundance of practices and to support this enormous resource in any way you can.”Mary Ann, it is a joy and a privilege to welcome you to this time and this conversation where we can paddle around together in that ocean of abundant wisdom. Welcome.Mary Ann: Thank you. And, thank you for sharing Mark... posted on May 5 2024 (2,549 reads)

isn’t. And to some extent, this is true. If you measure how many hours you spent writing, it’s very possible that that number will increase, simply because you are measuring it, more aware of it, more focused on it, and motivated for that number to increase. If you measure miles run, that number will likely improve (until you get injured or burnt out). But how do you measure the hills you ran during those miles, or the spurts of speed you occasionally threw in, or the enjoyment of the view? How do you measure the great conversations you had with your wife as you did those runs? How do you track the ideas you had on the run, the health benefit of the runs, the new pla... posted on Nov 20 2012 (16,984 reads)

and I was again in a quandary. Should I give him accurate translation and explain that this is just another German idiom and is not intended as a cultural insult to a Pakistani Muslim? Or should I just skip the whole alcohol bit? Translation between languages is tough enough, but translating and showing cultural sensitivity was more than I could handle. My Urdu was not very good to begin with, and all I could come up with the rather silly Urdu translation “It is an opportunity for great joy”. My grandfather gave me a puzzled look, but did not ask any questions. ***** On the day after my grand-father’s eye surgery, the ophthalmologist and the residents came by fo... posted on Jan 18 2014 (33,964 reads)

do children know that adults seem to have forgotten? Children are more confident, more courageous and enjoy life far more intensely than adults. Sometimes it feels that we spend our entire lives trying to return to who we were as children. Here's what we can learn from our younger selves to bring more clarity and joy into adulthood. 1. Every day is a fresh start. "Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" - L.M. Montgomery. Wasn't it always amazing how the end of a school day always felt so final, so finished? The break between June and September seemed like a lifetime. Because when you are young, every day feels li... posted on Jul 25 2014 (74,614 reads)

my dad. I am distressed about Melissa, worried about her 3-year-old son. We check in at the hospital, and dad is promptly whisked away to pre-op. Mom and I are shown to a waiting room. We try to choose a seat where we don’t have to watch a television blaring weather reports, pharmaceutical ads, and sports scores. Like passengers waiting for a bus, we sit with our bags in our laps, unsure how long we will be in this space. She begins to cry. There will be moments in life when his joys will unveil sorrow, and in their unveiling he will realize the fortune he enjoys. I push my bag to the floor and grab her hand. It has been years since I have held my mother’s hands. I m... posted on Sep 7 2014 (17,757 reads)

right. Ultimately, koans change who’s looking to to solve the problem. Most of us, I think, get committed to our worldviews and become extremely attached to our problems. “Without my problems, how would I know who I was?” an attorney said to me once. But what if we are willing to step into a space where we don’t know who we are? Then we don’t know that we have any problem. Perhaps you say, “I’m always bad with math” or “I don’t enjoy music” or “my enemy hates me” and you’re quite sure that it’s true. But you can show kindness to yourself by disbelieving it. This is why Zen is not a path of belief.... posted on Jul 6 2016 (17,605 reads)

by Frank McKenna We long to find more joy in our daily pursuits even though life has taught us it’s not so easy. New discoveries in neuroscience offer insight into how we can develop a brighter state of heart and mind. The First Step on the path to finding happiness is to open the mind to alternative ways of thinking about life. While much of our focus in the West has been toward comfort and the acquisition of worldly goods, in Eastern countries your status as a human being traditionally comes first. So instead of being greeted by “What are you up to these days?” or “How’s it going with your to-do list?” you may be asked in Muslim cou... posted on Aug 29 2017 (19,881 reads)

people outside in this little courtyard.  As you can imagine, there were some hard looking characters in the audience, some people that have been living a hard life on the street. But there was also a mixture of so many different stories in that moment. And I remember when we started playing, I could feel these little warm changes starting to happen. Around our second song, some people were even singing along with us. I had learned from the shelter back in Baton Rouge not to hold back my joy even  in the midst pain, but to also be sensitive to the environment.  So I looked out at the audience and I see this one guy whose look on his face almost scared me. He was intensely sc... posted on Jun 3 2019 (4,995 reads)

appreciate about Zen Hospice is its reliance on volunteers, who are key—they’re there to be human beings. Together with our nurses they round out our remarkable caregiving model. I’m a doc, I can layer in all this medication. But really the job is relating to a fellow human being. And so you kind of get smothered in that love when you walk in the house. And you’ve said it’s letting the people in care live fully into their last breath, allowing them to live with joy and hope right up until the end. Letting them have a cigarette if they want, or sleep with a dog at their feet. Yeah, which has been a gift to be part of. I mean, the rest of my life is as a ph... posted on Oct 29 2018 (12,502 reads)

the 12th century, beautifully articulates this lasting truth about the risk to love. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED ELEH EZKERAH - These We Remember 'Tis a fearful thing To love What death can touch. To love, to hope, to dream, And ah, to lose. A thing for fools, this, Love, But a holy thing, To love what death can touch. For your life has lived in me; Your laugh once lifted me; Your word was a gift to me. To remember this brings painful joy. ‘Tis a human thing, love, A holy thing, To love What death can touch. Judah Halevl or Emanuel of Rome - 12th Century This startling poem goes to the very heart of... posted on Oct 22 2023 (47,770 reads)

we grow accustomed to life under lockdown, we are discovering the richness that can emerge from the quiet, contemplative nature of solitude. Hoping to tap into the inner wisdom of our collective attempt to find light amidst darkness, writer Emily Rose Barr asked one simple question of individuals across the globe: What are you doing that's bringing a little extra joy, light, or laughter to your days? As the answers poured in, she realized that perhaps the paradoxes of our time -- hope and fear, connection and isolation, anger and compassion -- are not meant to be reconciled, but simply to be lived. Read more to learn how the discomfort of uncertainty invites us to take care ... posted on Apr 29 2020 (7,731 reads)

of food monthly. A movement of community fridges are beaming out to residents in upstate New York and Philadelphia and Miami. In California, a mom started a pantry out of her front porch, while a Little Food Pantry in South Carolina feeds 950 people. In New York City, a woman who lost her job leads a pantry that feeds thousands. The Joy of Giving is Contagious Among the umpteen stories of giving we perused this year, one thing is clear: the joy of giving is a force that keeps on giving. We were warmed by stories of people gifting homes to community members ranging from a donut shop employee to indigenous community. In t... posted on Jan 4 2022 (14,697 reads)

world using open, empowering language as much as possible. Rather than seeing limitations in Evie, Rachel saw superpowers—unique ways of engaging people and interacting with the world. It inspired her to meet others like Evie, so she set out on a trip around her home country of New Zealand learning from children with similar conditions and capturing their stories using her camera. It resulted in The Super Power Baby Project, a large-format coffee table book featuring joyful, striking portraits of 72 children, as well text detailing their qualities and life-changing powers. The work has won several awards, and taken Rachel to the TEDx stage and numerous c... posted on Jan 16 2022 (3,821 reads)

a wonderful visit from my favorite studio mate in Thailand… Over the past two months it’s been a joy to be with my parents in Bangkok. In our precious time together, I am acutely reminded of my familial lineage, what is passed on to us, and what lives on through us. My mother was the first to teach me about finding and creating beauty in everyday life. She continually called my attention to the smallest of details and always pointed me in the direction of refinement. Of course, as a wild tomboy of a child and even more rebellious teenager, I found this all just too annoying. I could not be bothered with being so picky about appearances or how food was always plated an... posted on May 26 2022 (3,412 reads)

into connection and unlock a synergistic "third way"; with Ahimsa, we dive into our inward sea and become an instrument of a collective "soul force"; and with Sarvodaya we embrace a much grander Infinite game that designs solutions that uplift all. A heartivist, then, plays an infinite game as a skilful agent of a collective soul-force. Or simply put, someone who is moved by Love. Capital L. And there is one simple litmus test of a Heartivist – joy. Just as Dr. King implores us to serve, Indian Noble Laureate, Rabindranth Tagore articulates a beautiful process of service: “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life... posted on Feb 2 2023 (8,651 reads)

go out into culture like agents of nourishment. We teach our children about the craft and economy of self-employment as we write, record, and tour. And we have much yet to learn.   The exercise of writing my letter to Wendell Berry was, after my procrastination, a very gratifying experience. Just knowing that my official “thank you” was sealed, stamped, and on its way to Port William — I mean, Port Royal — gave me a feeling of deep satisfaction and joy. This would have been enough, but then a few months later, he wrote me a reply. I read his words of appreciation on a simple note, typed on simple stationery. I was thrilled. Around that same ... posted on Aug 15 2012 (14,468 reads)

change itself isn’t the problem — it’s fighting the change, fearing the change, not wanting things to be different. How to Get Good at Uncertainty And so we see that the answer is becoming good at change. If we are good at dealing with new things, with things as they come no matter how different they are, then we don’t fear it. Then change itself becomes comfortable. If we become comfortable with change, it’s not scary. We can then embrace it, find joy in it. You can see this in people who we call “adventurous” — they seek new experiences, because they know they’ll be fine, and that it can be amazing. (Note that this is d... posted on Oct 17 2012 (32,127 reads)