Life is very busy and also very short. It can fly by very quickly. Many of us are born with some particular drive or aspiration or vision to engage in spiritual inquiry. Some of us embrace what feels like our path and others of us push the nagging questions aside in favor of the necessities of the day. Later, after time has passed, some of us regret not embracing those big questions about life. So what can you do?
How To
A Meditator’s Approach To Understanding Life
In meditation, sometimes we chase after a particular type of “feeling.” The thing is, in life, everything comes and goes, even nice feelings. Meanwhile, while we are chasing after these temporary feelings, we miss the opportunity to really pay attention and learn about life as it is (as opposed to as we want it to be). Stuck in this chasing loop, we miss the chance to develop our prajna–our wisdom. This post is about how to use meditation to gain wisdom about life instead of to chase after a particular temporary feeling.
A Zen Approach To Deciding Whether To Give To Beggars (Or Anything Else)
A Zen student had travelled to India and had become overwhelmed when he gave to beggars there. On the one hand, he had an intention to help in the world. On the other, he wondered if he was incentivizing begging. I did not want to give him “advice,” but instead to offer an approach to decision making that does not depend on the concepts and stories we tell ourselves but that instead arises from our True Self. The approach involves trusting our intuition and then adjusting our actions over and over as we get new information.
Using Optimism To Help You Build A Better Life And World
Those of us who want to build better lives that also help the world tend to be suspicious of optimism. Being optimistic causes you to sit on your butt and do nothing about world problems, right? We need anger, fear and desire to motivate us, no? But what if I told you that the science shows that a 20-minute optimism exercise can actually help you be more effective in building a better life for yourself and a better world for others?
Maintaining Energy As A Change Agent And Other Thoughts
Someone emailed me a bunch of questions as an interview for publication. Questions include What do I worry about for future generations? and How do I maintain my energy as a change agent? and more. I share the answers here.
After The Women’s March, Now What?
The U.S. presidential inauguration has passed. The women’s march is over. For climate, race, women’s rights and so much else, it doesn’t look good to many of us (no matter how we voted). So, now what? In this post, I talk about how to stay involved, how much effort it will take, how to deal with disappointment and frustration, and the tremendous rewards of making an effort. You can watch the video or read the summary.
On Finding Your True Self And Life Direction
I have always loved the Zen approach to Buddhism because, like the gnostic and mystical paths of all the great religions, it is not about studying the words of a teacher but about finding out for yourself. What am I? What is my place in the world? This is a teaching letter I wrote about using meditation to find your true self and life direction.
Want Friends To Hold You To Your Visions? Start A Mastermind Group
I use a tool called a “mastermind group” which helps me keep my resolution and also provides support for my alternative or unconventional visions, even when my closest friends and relatives do not. Finding a supportive group can be a big challenge for social entrepreneurs, people who try to live according to their environmental values, activists or anyone on an unconventional path. This post is about to how to set up a mastermind group of your own (or how to join one of my paid groups if you prefer).