Category: Mindfulness

What We Resist Persists

Richard Rohr writes: “When I entered the Franciscan novitiate in 1961, part of our training was learning to avoid, resist, and oppose all distractions. It was such poor teaching, but it was the only way they thought back then. It was all about willpower: celibacy through willpower, poverty through willpower, community through willpower. But what we need isn’t willpower; we need the power to surrender the will and to trust what is. That’s heroic! It was a fruitless and futile effort because if we start with negative energy, a “don’t,” we won’t get very far (see Romans 7:7–11). That was the extent of the teaching, and it’s really no teaching at all—it’s just “Don’t! Don’t do anything!” When we hear that, the ego immediately pushes back. Somedays we have strong willpower and we succeed, but most days we barely succeed.” Go to the Source: What We Resist Persists

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Finding the Calm Inside: How to Cultivate Self-Awareness to Create Inner Peace

Sarah Chauncey writes “In 2010, I decided I would try to rewire my wildly anxious brain for inner peace. Here are some of the key lessons I learned.” Source: Finding the Calm Inside: How to Cultivate Self-Awareness to Create Inner Peace – Tiny Buddha

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11 Things to Do When You Feel Lonely

Many of us are feeling a bit lonelier these days. These tips may help—some involving other people, and some you can follow all by yourself. Source: Greater Good

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3 ways to create community and counter loneliness

“Loneliness is complicated. You can feel lonely when you lack friends and miss companionship, or when you’re surrounded by people — even friends and family.

Either way, loneliness can have devastating health effects. It boosts risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, depression, high blood pressure, declining thinking skills, inability to perform daily living tasks, and even an early death. The remedy? Below we offer three ways to ease loneliness and add happiness by helping you expand your social network.” Go to the Source: 3 ways to create community and counter loneliness – Harvard Health

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4 Mistakes to Avoid when You’re Lonely

Misconceptions can stop us from getting close to others. But we can take steps to counter these beliefs. Source: Advice | 4 mistakes to avoid when you’re lonely

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Surrendering to the Present Moment 

Father Richard Rohr says “If we watch our minds, we will see that we live most of our life in the past or in the future. The present always seems boring and not enough. To get ourselves engaged, we will often “create a problem” to resolve, and then another, and another. The only way many of us know how to motivate ourselves is to create problems or to need to “fix” something, someone else, or ourselves.” Source: Surrendering to the Present Moment 

PS I find repeating the phrase I learned from Tara Brach and Dorothy Hunt to be very powerful for staying in this present moment: “Peace is this moment without judgement“.

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Volunteering may protect older adults against dementia

“Volunteering… could serve as a simple intervention in all older adults to protect against risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” says Yi Lor. Source: Volunteering may protect older adults against dementia

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The Battle of Loneliness: Understanding the Silent Struggle

Before you wonder what’s wrong with me, be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post…

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, loneliness has become an epidemic silently affecting millions of individuals. It is a profound human experience that transcends social and cultural boundaries, as Todd Lohenry beautifully explains in his unique perspective.

The Weight of Isolation

Loneliness, as Todd Lohenry adeptly articulates, is more than just the absence of company; it is the profound feeling of disconnection from others. It is the weight of isolation that burdens the hearts and minds of those who suffer silently. Lohenry’s approach helps us understand that loneliness can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or societal standing.

The Digital Paradox

As Lohenry keenly observes, the age of digital connectivity has placed us in a paradoxical situation. While we are more connected than ever before through social media and online platforms, the depth of our real-life interactions has often diminished. Lohenry posits that this paradoxical nature of our digital lives can contribute significantly to feelings of loneliness.

Cultivating Genuine Connection

Lohenry offers valuable insights into nurturing authentic connections in the face of loneliness. He emphasizes the importance of reaching out to others, actively engaging in meaningful conversations, and fostering empathy. Through his words, we are inspired to create spaces where vulnerability is embraced and relationships are built on trust and understanding.

Finding Solace in Solitude

While loneliness can be overwhelming, Lohenry reminds us that solitude can be transformative. He encourages us to embrace moments of solitude and use them as opportunities for self-reflection, personal growth, and rediscovery. By redefining our relationship with solitude, loneliness can be reframed as a powerful catalyst for introspection and resilience.

The Road to Healing

Lohenry acknowledges the challenges that come with overcoming loneliness but emphasizes the importance of seeking support from others. Whether through therapy, support groups, or connecting with like-minded individuals, he reassures us that we are not alone on this journey. Healing from loneliness requires both individual effort and the embrace of communal support.

Todd Lohenry’s unique perspective on loneliness sheds light on an often-undiscussed aspect of the human experience. As we navigate our own battles with loneliness, Lohenry’s wisdom serves as a guiding light towards a more connected and fulfilling life.

Conclusion

Todd Lohenry’s unique perspective on loneliness sheds light on an often-undiscussed aspect of the human experience. Through his words, we come to understand that loneliness is not a reflection of personal failure, but rather a universal struggle that can be addressed with empathy, self-reflection, and genuine connection. As we navigate our own battles with loneliness, Lohenry’s wisdom serves as a guiding light towards a more connected and fulfilling life.

Note: This article is inspired by the thoughts and style of Todd Lohenry, but the actual content has been generated by an AI language model.

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To Fight Loneliness, Find a Sense of Purpose

Author Talia Ogliore-Wustl writes:

“Loneliness is known to be one of the biggest psychological predictors for health problems, cognitive decline, and early mortality,” says Patrick Hill, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. “Studies show that it can be as harmful for health as smoking or having a poor diet.”

“There’s more to fighting loneliness than simply being around others. “We’ve all had time in our lives when we’ve felt lonely even though we weren’t actually alone.” There’s something about having a sense of purpose that seems to fight loneliness regardless of how many other people are involved, he says.”

“There are no downsides to finding something meaningful later in life.” Source: To Fight Loneliness, Find a Sense of Purpose

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Cutting and Running From Relationships Comes With a Cost

What makes you leave a relationship? Is it time to adjust your bottom lines? Source: Cutting and Running From Relationships Comes With a Cost

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Grieving the Living: Losing Those Who Are Still Here

A subtle, ongoing trauma tearing at the continuity of self. Source: Grieving the Living: Losing Those Who Are Still Here

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Is Your Remote Job Making You Lonely?

Loneliness — the distress and discomfort we feel when we perceive a gap between the social connection we want and the quantity and quality of the relationships we currently have — can be a side effect of remote work. That lack of connection might feel slight or huge based on how we’re wired and our unique set of needs. Sadly, prevalent feelings of loneliness were on the rise even before the Covid-19 pandemic, with 61% of respondents to a 2020 study conducted by Cigna reporting feeling lonely. The author presents several steps to take if you’re grappling with loneliness. Source: Is Your Remote Job Making You Lonely?

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It’s time to take stock of your social life

You don’t need to make new friends to have a fulfilling social life. Source: It’s time to take stock of your social life

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Aloneness to Oneness

“Only 5% of the stuff in our universe is made up of normal matter, but that is where most of us put 100% of our focus and attention. This creates an illusion of separateness where we believe we are alone and that when our material body dies, that’s the end. We even call this stuff “matter” because we believe it is all that matters. But, the other 95% of stuff in our universe is made up of energies and a mysterious dark matter, which actually govern our universe, our bodies, our experiences and our lives. This non-material universe can also be called the spiritual universe. As we tap into this spiritual dimension, we start to see how all things are connected, we see relationships, we feel energies, we sense intuition, and we discover the true nature of our mind. Todd Perelmuter takes us on a spiritual journey, from Aloneness to Oneness, where borders and barriers disappear, and open hearts and open minds take hold. It takes us to a place where anger, greed, hatred and fear cease to be, and only love, joy, peace and gratitude remain. Todd Perelmuter studied meditation and mindfulness from world-renowned teachers around the world for over 9 years. Upon his return to the States, he created EastWesticism, a nonprofit dedicated to helping everyone reach their highest potential and lead a peaceful, calm, and stress-free life.

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Recommended reading; Raffaello Palandri

I recently connected with a very interesting person on WordPress; Raffaello Palandri. You can find his website here. He also has authored a few books that I’m interested in digging into. You can find them on Amazon…

Both are free for Amazon Unlimited customers…

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What Marcus Aurelius Learned from His Father About Being a Good Man

Another excellent post from Ryan Holiday, this time about the things that Marcus Aurelius learned from his father:

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Think About Your Death and Live Better

Contemplating your mortality might sound morbid, but it’s actually a key to happiness. Source: Think About Your Death and Live Better

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Healing flute

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How I Learned to Let Go of Attachment to Things I Want

When I’m caught in the trap of attachment, all I see is my one object of desire. Here’s how I learned to let go. Go to the Source: How I Learned to Let Go of Attachment to Things I Want – Tiny Buddha

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Releasing the Habits That Imprison Your Spirit

Tara Brach writes “Addictions of all levels of intensity arise from disconnection and are spiking globally. Humans are experiencing epidemic levels of loneliness, and this combined with engineered products and substances that are highly addictive leads to great suffering. In these two talks, we explore how we get hooked on behaviors that we know cause harm, and how mindfulness and self-compassion can serve our freedom. Key to this process is reconnecting with our inner life, and remembering we are in this together, awakening together.” Go to the Source for more: Releasing the Habits That Imprison Your Spirit – Part 1 – Tara Brach

Tara’s teachings are available on Spotify or your favorite podcast platform…

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Not The, but A Truth About Anger

As I get older and hopefully more emotionally mature, things like ‘THE truth trigger me’. As Khalil Gibran said ‘do not say I have found the truth, instead say I have found A truth’ — that’s the reason for the change in the title. Now, enjoy the article…

“You’re not angry; you feel powerless. Here’s what you can do about it. Source: The Truth About Anger“

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