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Someone sent me this poem today–

June 20, 2011   |   Leave a reply

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and/self-contained I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and whine about their condition They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God Not one is dissatisfied,... READ MORE

Surgery this morning

May 15, 2011   |   34 Comments

8a EST. Having my gallbladder removed for reasons I can explain later. In fact, getting to the point of having this prosaic medical procedure (the most common surgical procedure in the US, I’m told) has been anything but prosaic and might actually make a decent story. (Which I suppose is true for everyone who has it.) For reasons relating to... READ MORE

How to be more disciplined about practice + a story wherein I drop the F-bomb

April 22, 2011   |   10 Comments

The practice of sitting meditation begins to shed some light on the Buddhist view of discipline. In meditation, you cultivate focus and awareness by placing your attention on your breath rather than your thoughts. PS It has nothing to do with emptying the mind of thought!! Almost impossible!! Stop trying!! Big hoax!! Instead, you take a different view of your... READ MORE

New on HuffPo

February 23, 2011   |   7 Comments

Self-Help Books: Are They Actually Helpful? You tell me. Has a book changed your life? Which one and why?

For Angela

February 15, 2011   |   5 Comments

Recently, I’ve been asking you lovely readers to let me know if you have any questions or topics you’d like me to address in a blog post. I’ve received some amazing, deep, and deeply heartfelt questions. Stay tuned to hear riffs on issues such as: “How can I maintain hope and foster hope in others in difficult circumstances?” “I am... READ MORE

Day of Love

February 13, 2011   |   14 Comments

Some thoughts on Valentine’s Day What if we could celebrate Valentine’s Day in a whole different way? What if instead of celebrating whether or not we have someone to take us out to dinner, we celebrated all the love we have ever felt in our lives, all the love we have yet to feel, and all the love we could... READ MORE

Ask me about stuff.

February 9, 2011   |   12 Comments

In gearing up for my big, huge (to me) launch of a daily (M-F) email about life, love, leadership, joy, and creativity based on a Buddhist point of view, I’ve asked people what they might like me to write about. Here are some of the requests I’ve received: Can you talk about making a distinction between drawing a boundary with... READ MORE

I’ll give you pretty.

October 26, 2010   |   1 Comment

I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old, lying on the floor of my bedroom, begging, pleading, gripping an arm to pull an invisible his ear toward me to say, Please. Make. Me. Pretty. Please. Pretty. Please. Lying there, thinking oh no, what if I’m not, what if I’m not? I don’t know where all this came from–from... READ MORE

Tim Gunn PSA for at-risk LGBT teens

October 6, 2010   |   2 Comments

Please share this amazing, straightforward, moving PSA from the beloved Tim Gunn. Pass it along to any at-risk teens or families who may be struggling with issues of sexuality or gender. The Trevor Project is a suicide hotline that is there to help. 866 488 7386 We love you. We care.

Getting Stuff Done By Not Being Mean to Yourself

August 20, 2010   |   38 Comments

I’ve spent a lot of time in my life trying to force myself to do things. Really good things. Things that are important to me. Things like meditating, journaling, going to the gym, and so on. I set schedules over and over. (I will rise at 5. Meditate, 530-630. Journal 630-730. Breakfast 8-9, and so on.) I fail way more... READ MORE

Finding Home

July 16, 2010   |   15 Comments

Hiro Boga, Jennifer Louden, Mahala Mazerov, and I have taken it upon ourselves to write on the same topic, and publish our work on the same day. This is the second time we’ve done this; the first time, our topic was writing. Today, it is home. Click on their names to read their lovely pieces. It is an honor to... READ MORE

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