No matter what you think of that dude flexing in the mirror at your gym, or the beauty on the red carpet, compared to the physical prowess of the other species, the human body is not especially impressive. An eagle can see more keenly. A dog can smell better. An elephant is stronger. A giraffe […]
Let the world come to you. No, this is not passive. Be you. Do you. Inch ever closer to your best you. These steps will cause you to cross paths with the people and things you need. You don’t have to wander off into the dark woods, hoping you will stumble upon these people, these […]
In meditation, it is the moment you notice your mind wander where the growth occurs. You think this moment is the failure but in fact it is the victory. At that instant when you notice is when you know you have done what the practice is for. At that moment is where you know you […]
Your tendency to want to turn an interest into a project has proven to be folly. There is no need to corral the endeavor into some sort of regimen or curriculum — no need setting arbitrary frequencies and limitations — for there is no mountain to climb, no homework to turn in, no SMART goal […]
Tom was here. In the end, that is all you are doing — leaving proof of your existence. Yours. And his. And your dog’s. Because you can and they can’t.
The way back to you is always available through the words on pages. And it doesn’t take long. The ultimate shortcut. You can get there from here.
Let’s face it: you’re not good at being sick. Yet illness is, as you know, an opportunity. To practice acceptance. To let go of things you cannot or should not do. To give your body what it needs. And nothing more. Don’t fight it. Don’t fret. Don’t fear. Exert your influence over illness — drink […]
“Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the author chooses, — if short, then in a short one; if long, then in a long one. If it be his pleasure that you should enact a poor man, see that you act it well; or a cripple, or a ruler, […]
Everyone needs a hand now and then. Not excepting you. Of course, it is best to try to support yourself. You are right to look first for your own answers. Usually, they will come. It is unwise, however, not to see what you need. It is not intelligent to think you are excepted from human […]
“Rarely is a person seen to be in a bad way because he has failed to attend to what is happening in someone else’e soul, but those who fail to pay careful attention to the motions of their own souls are bound to be in a wretched state.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 3.8 Concern yourself with […]
As much as possible, fill your hours with action that stirs your best self. This is not a call for perpetual achievement. Sometimes the best use of a moment is to do nothing at all. Yet so many possible discretionary actions are worth letting pass you by. Think of the Sunday newspaper. On some level […]
So you have reached a higher place. Good for you. You earned it. You had a lot of help. But you have done well for yourself. Bravo. From this new-to-you perch you are apt to look down your nose at those who have not yet made the climb. Be careful of this. First, because it […]
“If you would improve, submit to be considered without sense and foolish with respect to externals. Wish to be considered to know nothing: and if you shall seem to some to be a person of importance, distrust yourself. For you should know that it is not easy both to keep your will in a condition […]
“For your own part likewise, you’re sometimes an athlete, sometimes a gladiator, then a philosopher, then an orator, but nothing at all whole-heartedly; no, in the manner of an ape, you imitate everything that you see, and one thing after another is always catching your fancy, but it ceases to amuse you as soon as […]
Safeguard your mind. Like Marcus Aurelius said you should. You are so easily influenced. The armies of computers come for you without regard to your purpose in this world. These powerful adversaries aim to draw you into their fantasy factory and then, once successful, once you have landed in their terrain, scatter your mind into […]
As in a voyage, when the ship is at anchor, if you go on shore to get water, you may amuse yourself with picking up a shell-fish or a truffle in your way, but your thoughts ought to be bent towards the ship, and perpetually attentive, lest the captain should call, and then you must […]
To journal is to make space for thinking. Give yourself permission not to produce or curate. You do well with modest expectations. A journal is a tool, not a product. It’s what it does for you — not what you make of it. Worry not about the state of your journal. Focus on the state […]
Sarcasm seldom satisfies. You do well when you make your written communications sincere. Sarcastic writings seldom age well. Speech allows for wider latitude, as speech provides greater context to your recipient. Intent is more easily conveyed when a listener hears tone and especially when she or he observes facial expressions. Playfulness, irony — even well-placed […]