People are so taken with selfies, images of ourselves. I find the whole thing kind of amusing, but wonder what it says about us as individuals. Is there a way to move this idea for self documentation and self sharing into something more meaningful, a spiritual selfie? Is social media sharing in general just a mask […]
Spiritual Selfie: record your spiritual state right now Read More »
I don’t remember dreading bedtime as a child, although if you asked my mother she would tell you I was a typical child trying to delay bedtime. But in any case, once I was in bed, I looked forward to the ritual. It was another experience, another chance to escape into a special world. I
Falling Asleep: my bedtime rituals through the years Read More »
Reliability Reliability is: dependable, secure, tried, tried & true, trustworthy, safe, compelling, convincing, valid, certain, accurate, confidence. We seek people and things that can be counted on. Counted on to be there, not to fail. People demand confidence and trust in something or someone. If a reliable person says they will do something, they can
reliability: strive to be counted on, needed by others Read More »
As a New Year’s project, I decided to identify and reread the novels that have had the biggest influence on my life. I identified ten, and will be discussing them over the next few months. The first, Farmer Boy, is from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series of books. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Farmer Boy was
I wanted to be a Farmer Boy: first book love Read More »
Creative pursuits of all kinds can be fragile. People who do creative things inevitably doubt themselves. They doubt their ability, for some reason we always let the negative voices in out head tell us we aren’t good enough. Then you look around at others who have accomplished what you want to accomplish and it seems
Beginning Doubt: a reality of creative life Read More »
For a long time I thought of meditation as a formal thing: sitting with legs crossed in a darkened and quiet room, wearing some kind of pale loose garment, with hands folded just so. This setup was to be accompanied by some formally prescribed breathing, chanting or humming. Maybe a Sanskrit mantra would be good
Informal Meditation Read More »
Belief is: faith, credence, credit, assurance, doctrine, conviction, acquiescence, dogma, conclusion, judgement, persuasion, principle, idea, inevitable. Belief is trust. You can trust a person, an idea, a statement, a decision or a path in life. It seems that this should require proof of some kind, evidence, but often we believe without evidence and sometimes we
belief: trust a requirement for growth Read More »
Passion is: desire, affliction, appetite, craving, itch, agony, affection, sentiment, frenzy, transporting, lusty, craving, coveting, aspiring, aiming, intense, fiery, enthusiasm, zealous. Passion, in all of its various meanings, always suggests intensity. Intensity of emotion or belief, which can be experienced as an esoteric euphoria or great suffering. When you feel passion you are living right
passion: find your intensity, celebrate your destiny Read More »
Recently I was called for jury duty. At first I thought of it as a mild annoyance, and held out hope that I wouldn’t have to go (in Philadelphia you call in to an automated number the night before and it tells you if you have to report or not. The last two times I
What I Learned from Jury Duty Read More »
Tolerance is: fortitude, gut, grit, strength, patience, forbearance, clemency, stamina, endurance, indulgence, lenience, mercifulness, advanced, humane, sustained. Tolerance is the force that binds us to all life and to all spirit. It is a divine gift that gets us through difficult trials, unpleasant experiences and pain of all kinds. It teaches us that we cannot escape
