Of the many classes that I take each week, one of the more challenging is the martial art of gongfu with an emphasis on spirituality and the ways that it can be applied to relationships. We learn how to be present in relation to others, to look into each other’s eyes and bow before sparring… Read more »
It was Christmas eve in Michigan and I was visiting my son and his family. They told me that there was something special that they wanted us all to do on that night…something that happens every night in December in that town. We got bundled up (the kids in woolen hats and snow pants) and… Read more »
The Japanese say yes. They even have a word for it – karoshi, which means death by overwork. Twelve to sixteen hour work days with no vacation or time with family and friends has led to some premature deaths. According to author Lissa Rankin the typical karoshi victims are otherwise healthy men in their 40s… Read more »
It’s all about family. For those who don’t have family, it could feel lonely or isolating. And for those getting together with family, it often involves travel during crowded times…packing, rushing to airports, dealing with delayed flights or crowded roads and foods that might not agree with you. But, more importantly, why is being with… Read more »
Are you unsatisfied with your social and work interactions? Sometimes they can leave us feeling less than successful. We have many choices of how to react that can make our experiences with others much more comfortable, even fulfilling. It just takes some thought rather than giving in to a knee-jerk reaction that sets up a… Read more »
When in Bhutan I visited a common farmhouse. The furnishings were meager, with a thin mattress on the floor serving as a bed and a primitive cooking setup. I walked from room to room quietly taking in the kind of life that these people must have, the rooms feeling cold and bare to me. Then… Read more »
Last week I came home from a trip to Nepal and Bhutan and stories are spinning in my head. Bhutan is a land of mountains and temples bursting with colorful carvings, but most notably a deeply reverent Buddhist culture that values the good of all its citizens. Internet and tv were first allowed into the… Read more »
Success can be measured in many ways, one of them being how bravely you approach what you have an aversion to. Whether it is initiating a difficult discussion, firing an employee, setting a boundary with a child or starting a diet and exercise routine, we all have our aversions based on our beliefs and experiences…. Read more »
I met a woman in the shower. It was a communal shower at the gym. We had both finished swimming around the same time and she started her shower shortly before I got there. When she saw me approach, she immediately explained why she had four shower heads running when she was only using… Read more »
Have you ever heard of Amma, meaning mother? She is a woman from India who has dedicated her life to alleviating the pain of those living in poverty as well as those suffering physically and emotionally. What is her technique? She hugs. Over the thirty years of her world tours, Amma has embraced more than… Read more »