What’s Your Superpower?

I must confess that many of the thought I post here come from reflecting on Tara Brach’s podcast to which I listen daily. In her most recent podcast [link below], she spoke about this image…

What’s Your Buddhist Superpower? – Buddhist Peace Fellowship / Turning Wheel Media.

Tara Brach talked about this image in her recent podcast:

2014-02-19 – Part 2: Heart of Compassion – Most of us consciously value compassion, but move through much of life without access to the full capacity of our heart. This talk explores the self-compassion that is the very grounds of loving our world.

Direct download: 2014-02-19-Heart-of-Compassion-TaraBrach.mp3

My superpower IS kindness, but I don’t ‘get into the phonebooth’ often enough, if you what I mean. I often don’t put on my ‘kindness costume’ when I need it most…

Does that make me a failure? No, I think it puts me on a path. It makes me human. HH the Dalai Lama says:

“I don’t know why people like me so much. It must be because I value bodhichitta [the awakened heart/mind]. I can’t claim to practice [it], but I value it.” We care about the awakened heart because, like a flower in full bloom, it is the full realization of our nature. Feeling loved and loving matters to us beyond all else. We feel most “who we are” when we feel connected to each other and the world around us, when our hearts are open, generous and filled with love. Even when our hearts feel tight or numb, we still care about caring.

Brach, Tara (2004-11-23). Radical Acceptance (p. 222). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

How can I, a fellow being who is much less awakened, condemn myself for not practicing?

My takeaway? Get into the phonebooth. Put on lovingkindness. Even when — ESPECIALLY WHEN — our hearts feel tight and numb…

February 27, 2014

Remembering Love

img_2943_2-tara-001

Remembering Love (from IMCW Spring Retreat) – The habit of self-judgment not only causes emotional pain, it creates a trance that obscures the purity and vastness of our Being. This talk explores how a wakeful and forgiving heart can heal and free us…

Tara Brach : Remembering Love (Retreat Talk).

December 17, 2013

Trusting your basic goodness…

Tara Brach writes:

Einstein says the most important question we will ever ask ourselves is, “Is this universe a friendly place.” Do we trust that there is something essentially benevolent or good about this universe? That we are essentially good? These two talks explore what it means to trust basic goodness, and how this trust naturally emerges through cultivating a meditative presence…

Continue reading “Trusting your basic goodness…” →

August 16, 2013

American Minute for August 1st

Bill Federer writes:

“There she blows!” cried the lookout, sighting Moby Dick.

Captain Ahab, driven by revenge, sailed the seas to capture this great white whale, who had bitten off his leg in a previous encounter.

The crew of the ship Pequod included Quaker chief mate Starbuck, second mate Stubb, Captain Boomer, a tattooed Polynesian harpooner named Queequeg, and Ishmael, the teller of the tale.

Ahab finally caught up with Moby Dick in the Pacific Ocean.

As fate would have it, when the harpoon struck Moby Dick, the rope flew out so fast it entangled Ahab, pulling him under.

This classic was written by Herman Melville, born AUGUST 1, 1819.

Continue reading: William J Federer’s American Minute for August 1st.

I read Melville’s classic during a vacation on the east coast where I visited places from the story like the Seamen’s Bethel in New Bedford and the island of Nantucket. If you’ve never read this classic story, give Netflix a rest this weekend and get a copy. The book is in the public domain so you can download it at no cost and read it on the very device you’re using now via Kindle software…

We Are All Aboard the Pequod (truthdig.com)
The Whiteness of the Whale (tennyson888.wordpress.com)
KEY FACTS of Moby Dick (cinthiatanner2.wordpress.com)
Moby Dick or The Whale by Herman Melville (rosemarysbookreview.wordpress.com)

August 1, 2013

I love being a freelancer in the summer…

As soon as I click publish, I’ll skip a shower, but on 4 pieces of light clothing, gather my gear and get on my bike for the 3.3 mile ride to work. Once I get there, I’ll meditate, do a little yoga and have breakfast. No getting kids off to school, no drama, no nothing. Just a nice morning. Some moments are easier to be present in than others… :-D

July 26, 2013

10 Reasons to Start Today

Craig Harper writes:

1. You’ll never have more time than you do right now.

2. Most people procrastinate because of fear, not logic or reason.

3. Unused potential is wasted potential.

4. Planning, thinking and rationalising, is not doing. Life is not a theory.

5. If you start today, a week from now you’ll be in the middle of a change process rather than talking about one.

6. Taking action builds your emotional and psychological muscles.

7. Transformation lives in the application of the information; not the knowing.

8. It won’t be magically easier a week or month from now.

9. The ‘Opportunity Fairy’ isn’t coming any time soon, so you may need to create one of your own (an opportunity, not a fairy).

10. You’ve put it off for long enough.

11. (bonus tip, no extra charge) I can’t be sure but I think people are on to your excuse-making bullshit.

via 10 Reasons to Start Today.

STOP MAKING EXCUSES! 30-Day Challenge (aliciaanabelsantos.wordpress.com)
Top 10 Procrastinating Cities (turbotax.intuit.com)
Is Procrastination Holding You Back? (powerhomebiz.com)
Why To Stay In the Same Job For 10 Years (debtconsolidationusa.com)
to fellow procrastinators (graceyck.wordpress.com)
What is your excuse? (missskippingalong.com)
10 Habits to Quit in Order to Be Happy (healthcarespectator.wordpress.com)
Change “the Change”? (gfsmiley.wordpress.com)

July 21, 2013

…but while it was responsive it did not have custom posts, hence, back to the old look. Click the image for things to think about when choosing a theme…

July 19, 2013

The Difference Between Dreaming and Having Vision

“He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher… or, as his wife would have it, an idiot.” ~Douglas Adams

July 5, 2013

Big Brother Is Watching: What Did You Expect?

Arthur Dobrin writes:

We need to think harder about why privacy is important, what we mean by privacy, assess the various trade-offs and create public policies that reflect our values regarding the relationship between individuals and society.

The fear that the US will become a surveillance society is misplaced. It already is one.

The reality is that almost everything about you is already known, if not by the government, then by business. Every time you get on an airplane, you are scanned. Every time you search for a product online, the information falls into the hands of retailers who want you to buy their products.

We are instantly connected to the world—we talk, socialize, get the news, play, pay bills, state our opinions, research, shop. So it should be no surprise that the world knows everything about us in return. The flow of information goes in both directions…

via Big Brother Is Watching: What Did You Expect? | Psychology Today.

Are we living in Nineteen Eighty-Four? (macleans.ca)
Poll: Many believe Big Brother watching (wwlp.com)
Congratulations! You’re being watched! (wikkorg.wordpress.com)
We’re headed for a surveillance society and that’s OK (successfulworkplace.com)
The Big Brother has Arrived (reneespindle.wordpress.com)
Big Brother already knows all about you (pantagraph.com)

June 18, 2013

I love Algoma, but…

…this is a little bit nuts! I was just checking the weather and there’s presently a 25 degree difference between Green Bay and Algoma…

5-29-2013 4-02-14 PM — Click image to enlarge…

That wouldn’t be so bad if the distance weren’t only about 30 miles! I guess that’s why they call it Penguin City…

5-29-2013 4-04-16 PM — Click image to enlarge…

May 29, 2013

I love my work…

My path in life is to help thinkers use technology to become thought leaders. One of the best things about this path is that I can do it from anywhere! I choose to live in Algoma Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan about 30 miles east of Green Bay and every day on my grueling 3.3 mile commute I get to pass by the lake and admire the view. This morning’s sunrise was particularly spectacular! Inspiration like this gets my juices flowing so I can do better creative work for my clients. How can I help you?

May 8, 2013

Spring is my favorite time of year in Door County. Over the past 17 years, residents have engaged in a program to plant my favorite flower — daffodils — EVERYWHERE. 2.2 million to be exact. The days when they start to bloom not only please my sense of beauty, but they signal that warm weather is here to stay for just a little bit; http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wisconsins-door-county-celebrates-spring-in-style-89777112.html

Wisconsin’s Door County Celebrates Spring in Style (sys-con.com)

May 4, 2013

The Questions Coaches Say You Need To Be Asking Yourself

Leigh Newman writes:

Ellie Gordon, a personal and executive life coach, helps us figure out what we really need to be thinking about when we’re looking for lasting, hard-to-make change.

1. Can I Replace The Word ‘Afraid’ With The Word ‘Alert’?
“An artist client recently introduced me to this question,” says Gordon, “and it quickly proved effective at dealing with fear.” Fear, as most of us know, is the biggest obstacle to change. Sometimes our fears are authentic (“My husband is going to leave me because he’s having an affair!”) and sometimes they are inauthentic (“My house is going to blow down even though it’s made out of brick, I have a new roof, and the wind isn’t blowing!”). Either way, we usually try to dismiss our exclamation-pointed feelings as silly, ignore them altogether or blow them up to such a hellacious magnitude that we can’t move, breathe, sleep or… well… live. Continue reading “The Questions Coaches Say You Need To Be Asking Yourself” →

April 3, 2013

There Is Nothing Missing…

Beautiful soul Jennifer Pastiloff shares:

I feel like I’m about to write copy for an antidepressant commercial. Are you depressed? Trouble sleeping? Find you can’t focus? Find you’re feeling down when you have no real reason to, and, in fact, anyone would think you’re insane for admitting it?

I’ve been struggling lately. And it’s a little overwhelming.

That’s what I have done. Or what I want to do. Try to put down some of my load: in a parking lot, in a blog post. Anywhere, really.

I suffer from depression. Or I have suffered. Which is it? Past tense? Present?

Let me be frank: I’m slipping a little lately. So is it present tense? Do I acknowledge it, then shift my thoughts, creating new mantras, such as, “I am happy! I am free of depression!” or do I sit quietly on this airplane and contemplate it?

What does that even mean — depressed? Is it something I’ve been told (yes!) or something I know deep in the labyrinth of my body, in my DNA (also yes)?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a certain sadness I could never explain to anyone: a dead part inside of me that made me pretend I was sick and stay home from school (even in kindergarten) so I could eat cream cheese and olive sandwiches and watch TV with my mom. During college, I would leave NYU during the weekends to go home to Cherry Hill, NJ, an hour and a half ride on the Peter Pan Bus, so I could be at home, safe from the slick world of New York City and from feeling anything except hunger. Perhaps that’s how I fell in love with anorexia; it allowed me to stop feeling such nothingness. I replaced nothingness with anxiety and hunger, but I no longer felt depressed.

The point is, my life is pretty great. I’m happily married. I’m successful. I’m healthy. So, what is it? What is this demon?

Go to the source of this quote: There Is Nothing Missing: The Epiphany That Helps Me Cope With Depression

I’ve been learning a lot about ‘nothing’ along these lines lately as in ‘nothing is wrong with me anymore‘ and now ‘there is nothing missing’; both good mindful meditations…

March 27, 2013

Why ALL are equal in front of the law & an apology from one Christian

I find this post from Mastin Kipp thought provoking:

My bottom line belief outside of my spiritual belief is that ALL Americans are equal under the Law. No matter what you believe from a religious standpoint.
Continue reading “Why ALL are equal in front of the law & an apology from one Christian” →

March 27, 2013

Touching Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

See on Scoop.it – Wholeheartedness

Todd Lohenry‘s insight:

Free download! Developing upon teachings on the art of mindful living begun in Being Peace, Thich Nhat Hanh shows the connection between inner peace and peace on earth. Recorded live in New York in 1991, he teaches us how mindful breathing and awareness is refreshing and healing, and how it can be used as the basis for examining the roots of war and social problems. His vision for rebuilding society through strengthening families and communities coalesces the ultimate reach of each act in our daily lives.

See on www.betterlisten.com

March 23, 2013

A wake up call…

chart — My exercise miles over the past year…

Like George Bush, I was too early to report ‘Mission Accomplished‘ back in September. By not being mindful around stretching before vigorous walking and biking I learned earlier this month that I actually tore my meniscus. Today, I’m having arthroscopic surgery to try to correct the excesses in time to take advantage of the warm weather to bike again. Apparently Aesop was right; “slow and steady” wins the race — especially as I approach my 55th year. Lesson learned?

March 13, 2013

The Time of Your Life: More Time for What Really Matters to You

Tony Robbins writes:

When it comes to managing time, most people focus on one question: What do I need to do? Focusing only on what it is you need to do, however, does not guarantee that you are making any real progress. To-do lists can keep you busy, and checking off a series of tasks can provide the illusion of progress. But have you ever crossed off everything on your to-do list and still felt like you had not really accomplished anything? There is a big difference between movement and achievement.

Activity without purpose is the drain to a life of fulfillment.

Those who succeed in life, and more importantly, achieve fulfillment—whether they are consciously aware of it or not—have three things they consistently focus on to produce results in their lives:

They know what they want: The target or the result they are after.

They know why they want it: The compelling purpose that gives them the drive to follow through.

They know how to make it happen: They have a flexible MAP (Massive Action Plan) to get them there.

Start with the end in mind. By focusing on the result you desire and the specific reasons that drive you, you’ll come up with a more effective action plan to get there. There are so many things competing for and demanding your attention in life, if you don’t make a conscious effort to decide in advance which things you’re going to focus on, you’ll live in reaction to demands of the moment.

Focus is the ultimate power that can change the way we think, the way we feel and what we do in any moment. When we change our focus, we change our life.

For a free download of the first session of Tony’s Time of Your Life 10-Day Audio Coaching System, go to www.tonyrobbins.com/time.

via The Time of Your Life: More Time for What Really Matters to You.