In my last post, I reviewed some research findings on the benefits of daydreaming. While not totally backtracking on that, I did want to qualify it a bit. I believe that there are very few things in life that are 100% good or 100% bad…life is more complex than that. For instance, drinking water is …Read More
Our Worst Misfortunes Never Happen…
Apr 11, 2009
I love aphorisms – short, memorable quotes that point to powerful truths. For instance, I love the saying, “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” A related one that points to a similar truth is from French novelist Honore De Balzac (1799-1850), “Our worst misfortunes never happen, and most miseries lie in anticipation. …Read More
These Are Days
Aug 7, 2008
There’s a song by the group 10,000 Maniacs, who disbanded in the early 90s, entitled “These Are Days.” It’s a beautiful song, as sung by lyricist and frontwoman Natalie Merchant. Probably everyone has heard it at one time or another by now. The sentiment is very strong, and it contains a wonderful mindfulness concept. The …Read More
Windows of Illumination
Jul 14, 2008
I had to go take care of a traffic ticket today at a precinct office – not a favorite task, but I try to take a flexible approach to life and see situations from different perspectives. It’s very challenging to do this with some things, but it works well with many others. The Dalai Lama …Read More
Our Worst Misfortunes Never Happen…
Nov 21, 2007
I’ve said before that I’m a big fan of quotables, empowering words, etc. I use them all the time myself. Some people think more in terms of images, but for me, it’s mostly words. This one came to me by way of a client. He was using this to help him with anxiety. This is …Read More
A Clarification about Suffering: Resignation vs. Acceptance
Aug 5, 2007
In my previous post, I discussed the importance of accepting the fact that an inescapable reality of life is that we suffer. I am not endorsing that we should just throw in the towel and give up when confronted with challenges and suffering. We should not just say to ourselves, “Ah, this is my lot …Read More
On the "Noble Truth" and Suffering
Jul 25, 2007
The first of the “Four Noble Truths” of Buddhism is that “Life is Suffering.” I always thought that “life is suffering” sounded so pessimistic. Sure, part of life is suffering but part of life is joyful too. Couldn’t the Noble Truth instead be “Life is Joyful”? Again, I’m not a Buddhist, but I really like …Read More