7 for Sunday

Of what value are stories, and how do they shape our identity? As each new year begins, I start thinking about writing a list of the things I’ve learned. “54 things I’ve learned in 54 years,” or maybe, “14 things from 14 years of blogging.” In recent years I don’t even open a document to…

Can we navigate fulfillment, work, and societal expectations to find a meaningful life? About three weeks ago, the celestial dance carried me through a solstice. Here in the northern hemisphere, it was the shortest day of the year. I know well that late December is cold, but it’s usually late January and early February when…

How can a guiding word or phrase shape a person’s life over time? In 2012 I began selecting a phrase or a word to use as a guide for the coming year. A friend of mine showed me there’s a word for such a guide: Cynosure. My consciousness is a strange, obtuse, mystery to me, but…

How can we develop ourselves throughout the year, without succumbing to rigid, goal-oriented resolutions? At one point in my journey, I actively rebelled against New Year’s resolutions. But resolutions stem from our desire for personal growth, and I don’t want to abandon that. The issue isn’t with personal development itself, but with the rigidity of…

How can one find peace and balance in a life perpetually filled with self-imposed tasks and external demands? Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “I have more things to do, than I can possibly ever finish.” Decades ago I wore, “I’m busy!” as a badge of honor. I proudly rushed in to help. I…

How can I judge whether the path I am on is the right one for me, a path that has meaning, purpose, and heart? The first way I can think to judge is to pay attention to my mornings: It’d be a great sign if I’m popping out of the ol’ comfy covers excited to…

How can we balance the drive for improvement and creation, with the values of clarity and intentionality? Because my drive is to add things. To add features, capabilities, new options, entire projects. Improvement through addition. Forward progress through consensus building. See something missing? Add something to fill that space. Of course, you see where this…

Why do I continue to write regularly despite the challenges and resistance it entails? Often, I wish that I could figure out why I write these things each week. Often, I put off starting, until much later than I’d prefer. Here I am again this week, in the proverbial last hour. It’s a Sisyphean labor—there’s…

How can we find a sustainable balance between striving for achievement and embracing rest, while addressing our underlying beliefs about worth and productivity? A weakness for me is that with each day, I don’t know when to stop striving. Sometimes I fail to plan; I spend the whole day chasing the next, immediate thing todo.…

How can solitude and intentional detachment from distractions help us cultivate creativity and find clarity in our choices? Sweet, sublime, solitude. Flowers open in solitude. Butterflies emerge from their chrysalis in solitude. We find room for ourselves in solitude. There is a silence at the center of each person — an untrammeled space where the…