7 for Sunday

Shall we cherish dignity in our high-tech world? Everything is fun, until one’s expectations are crushed. I thought I was getting the convenience of online shopping for things that were previously literally unavailable. Instead, the local stores closed and I’ve lost the convenience of local purchasing. I thought I was getting expanded communication via email.…

What is the role of patience? This week I’m thinking about patience. I’m thinking about being patient with others, of course. But mostly I’m thinking about being patient with myself. Stop rushing through the current moment—the next moment is not guaranteed, so enjoy this one. I’ve been trying to stop thinking about the things I…

What fuels lasting personal change? I’m endlessly fascinated by motivation, habits and processes. As I’m gearing up to start coaching (in the context of movement, at the intersection of mindfulness and longevity) I’ve been thinking a lot about how to help people find their motivation. I’ve realized that motivation, habits and processes are related to…

Is playfulness the font of humor and creativity? I was recently thinking about humor, and how we intermingle (if you’ll pardon my presuming to know you) two different things when we use the word humor. We say both: One has a good sense of humor, and one is of good humor. That first refers to…

What if the distractions of imagination are invitations to return to serenity? I spend enormous amounts of time following the train of thought which begins with, “What if…” But I’m not thinking about catastrophes! I’m just endlessly distracted by things I think of which I could do. Cynicism is quite good at masquerading as wisdom.…

What transforms teaching from a role into a calling? As I prepare to coach (some people would insist I include “finally” before prepare) I am repeatedly finding myself lost in thought. Thinking about coaching, would be great. It’s the “lost in” part which has been troubling me. But I’ve got it backwards. My cat is…

Will I say, ‘Thank you’? Think about your perception of time: We remember our past (or so we believe.) We have ideas about how our life might unfold in the future. We understand that it is, currently, now. We somehow sense that time passes— that time, somewhat like the water of a river, goes past…

What is inspiration? I’ll bet you think inspiration is important; I certainly do. I realized that I don’t have a clear understanding of what inspiration actually is. A friend has died unexpectedly, and I felt they were inspirational. And then I started to wonder why, exactly. I don’t know. ~ Nick Cave, from The Red…

Have you found your one thing? Mitch at first tries to make light of Curly’s explanation of the secret to life. But the secret to life really is one thing, and everything else don’t mean shit. Character can be created on the job only when we can see that there’s an intelligible, justifiable relation between…

Is it clarity or control? There is a fine line between being organized because you believe that’s how you can best achieve your goals, and because you’re in love with checklists, systems, and processes. Distinguishing the two is important, but an exasperated, “just look at all this stuff I have to do,” doesn’t make the…