Mark Nepo writes:

Beyond family or the culture and religion of our birth, life will lead us to discover the lineage we are a part of, the circle of kindred spirits that nourish our soul. The difficulties of living can often make us put this lineage aside to deal with trouble first. I’ve done this and found myself lessened for putting what matters last. This poem speaks to how draining it is to put trouble first.

Lineage

Old Friends, Old Teachers,

I never meant to crowd you out.

At first I would drop anything

when you would appear. And

then, it was the noise of the world

that made me save you for a more

sacred time. It was obstacle after

obstacle that drew my attention,

while I kept you like a prize for a

quiet simple day. No one told me to

make this separation. I just started

to keep what matters from what

needs to be done. I began a

life of clearing debris in order

to live in the open. But there is

always more debris. And after all

these years you’ve never failed me;

always waiting in the noise, in

the pain, in the thing

to be cleared.

A Question to Walk With: Describe one way in which you’ve put tasks before things that matter. How can you reverse this and recover the priority of embracing what is sacred?

via Mark Nepo: Lineage.

FinerMinds shares:

In this touching 3-minute video, Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, shares four beautiful mantras to say to your loved one to help them feel more supported when they’re going through a difficult time, and to improve your relationship with them.

We found the mantras in this video (which is a snippet from an episode of Super Soul Sunday), to be such a beautiful way of strengthening the connections we have with the people that matter the most to us.

via Relationships: 4 Moving Mantras to Lift Your Partner’s Weary Heart and Spirit.

Anthony Meindl writes:

It’s a very Buddhist concept. When we deny what reality is giving us, we create suffering. So life is a dance between minimizing expectations and surrendering to what our lives actually reveal to us.

By embracing our lives totally (even the stuff that “sucks”), we get through them. The Armed Forces have no other choice. If they’re out in the Iraqi desert or in the mountains of Afghanistan, the only way they’re going to get through those challenging experiences is by embracing them.

But for us with our modern conveniences and propensity for denial, we can distract ourselves, numb ourselves, fool ourselves over and over to avoid, disconnect, ignore, postpone, procrastinate and put our heads in the sand when we don’t want to look at what is.

And that’s ironic since the denial of something simply extends its presence.

So even though “the suck” sucks, the prolonging of it makes it even suckier. For longer.

So why do we do it?

Habit.

Get the rest here: EMBRACE THE SUCK!.

You might reflect on someone important to you, and ask: “What is between me and loving fully?” Notice what happens. This talk explores the ways we create separations from others, and the power of inquiry and presence to awaken an unconditionally loving heart…

FinerMinds writes:

Remember back in school when you had that teacher that no matter what, always seemed to pick on your work or behavior, causing you to complain relentlessly about the “injustice” you were experiencing to your family each day?

While we may no longer be in school, throughout our adult lives it’s inevitable that we’ll come across people who again test our patience in exactly the same way that teacher did back in our adolescence.

In this amusing 3-minute video, Buddhist nun Pema Chodron reveals the important role these “troublemakers” play in our lives, and what they’re really there to teach us. While understanding this may not detract from their frustrating behavior, it does help you look at things from a different perspective.

via Enemies or Teachers: What Difficult People Can Teach Us.

The FinerMinds team writes:

We often get so distracted by the negative portrayal of the world in the media that we don’t see all the amazing things we have to be excited about.

Settle into a comfortable seat and let the above 25-minutes take you on an inspiring journey of hope, amazement and wonder.

via The Transformation of Humanity’s Consciousness… and How You Can Be Part of It.

Tricycle shares:

Bartenders are easy to confide in. Not just because you’re probably wasted, but because so many others have been before you. Your neighborhood barkeep has already heard it all, and though he might not be able to impart any sage advice, he’s at least developed some good listening skills.

While barkeeps seem to have always occupied this unique social position, it’s therapists who often do these days. Before therapy, which developed from the Christian culture of confession and divulgence, it was the clergy who saddled this responsibility.

Vowz Bar in Tokyo revitalizes that once important role of clergy, placing them right behind the bar, where Buddhist-themed cocktails are mixed for spiritually thirsty patrons. Run by monks in the bustling Shinjuku district, it’s likely the only bar where boozy-and-stirred concoctions are offered with a prayer.

via Meet Tokyo's Bartending Monk | Tricycle.

Is it possible for you to imagine Jesus as a bartender? Sitting at the corner of the bar? I can…

The FinerMinds teams shares:

Do your words convey an acceptance of responsibility for your feelings and actions, or are they unwittingly laced with blame and maybe even portraying a victim mentality?

In this insightful 3-minute video, co-founder of the Chopra Centre, the late Dr. David Simon, discusses how much our words – whether intentional or not – can create a hostile or defensive response; hampering our communication skills.

Listen to the video to learn how you can honestly convey your feelings, while accepting responsibility and not placing blame.

via Emotional Communication: What Are Your Words Really Saying?.

Tara Lemieux shared this video on her lovely blog…

The team at FinerMinds offers:

Her advice was wise as well as somewhat of a prickly reminder: remove negative people from your life unless they change the way they interact with you.

We agree with this advice, especially if your energy is constantly being drained by their negativity, although in some situations, such as when dealing with colleagues or immediate family members, this isn’t always so easy.

Continue reading “Negative Relationships: Are We Always Responsible for How We’re Treated?” →

Jason Moskovitz writes:

You don’t have to react.

What do you do when confronted? When someone calls whom you’d rather not hear from? When you disagree with someone? When your financial picture changes abruptly? When your car breaks down? What do you do? How do you feel? Do you react? Do you lose control somewhere inside to the point of not feeling well? Have you noticed you get triggered by certain things or people and not by others? Have you considered that you’re choosing to react this way? And at such a pace that one bad thing swells into several and everything seems hopeless? And that all of this swells up in a split second?

You don’t have to react.

Continue reading “You Don’t Have to React” →