Finding Sanity in the Cycle of Life
.... and Life Coaching with Joe
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FINDING SANITY IN THE CYCLE OF LIFE
Watching a documentary about the ascent of life on Earth, I was struck by how beautiful—and at the same time, horrifically brutal—evolution has been. The dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman’ narration aside, the ferocity of creatures devouring each other, bodies trembling in panic, survival taking center stage … Read the rest
FINDING SANITY IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Life gets chaotic. And when it does, our mind often meets it with its own brand of turbulence—unsteady, distorted, spinning out. Difficulties begin to feel heavier than they are, sometimes surreal. We wander through a neurotic hall of mirrors, chasing meaning, searching for something to anchor us. In that disoriented … Read the rest
The ideal of a mother’s love as being nurturing and sustaining is an archetype deeply embedded in nature and consciousness. Regardless of the individual relationships with our mother, the essence of motherhood—the embodiment of love and loving-kindness—pervades our experience. This ideal is not just a sentimental notion; it is a foundational aspect … Read the rest
The Discipline of Mind Training
1. Who’s in Charge of This Mind?
There’s an old Zen saying: If the student understands the martial art, they will succeed—some of the time. If they understand the art and their opponent, they will succeed—most of the time. But if they understand the art, their opponent, and themselves—there can … Read the rest
Releasing our Masterpiece
When Michelangelo was asked how he created his masterpiece, the statue of David, he replied that he did not create David — he simply chipped away everything that was not David. David, he said, was already there, hidden within the stone.
As with Michelangelo releasing David from the stone, meditation practice … Read the rest
FINDING RESILIENCE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE
Bowie’s song Changes was something of a clarion call to meeting our next moment. Not the idea we have of a dismal or tremendous future, but simply whatever happens. Can we meet whatever eventuality we meet with humble strength and, maybe a smile. We’re meeting what is. And … Read the rest
Right Action in the Face of Hatred
I woke up today feeling crushed. It’s odd to wake up in the sweaty arms of defeat. Then I sat for morning meditation and a personal check-in. Feelings are part of our reality—but they are not reality. They are expressions of a part of our being that … Read the rest
Let’s begin with something radical: what if we’re not fundamentally broken? What if, beneath the static, striving, and self-doubt, we’re already good—innately, luminously, primordially good?
This morning, as I was writing, my mind drifted into discursive worry and began rifling through all the ways I was failing—at the moment, … Read the rest
The Way In is the Way Out
Remember those finger traps? The woven tube that tightens when we pull? The harder we struggle, the more stuck we become. The only way out is to stop resisting and accept where we are.
Tibetan yogis compare the wisdom path to a snake moving through a tube—it cannot … Read the rest
I lay in bed this morning, unable to get motivated, pondering the deep existential question why bother? And when I get like this the only answer to why bother is … eh, fuck it.
In meditation training, we learn that every experience is worthy of investigation. Yet this sense of “why bother” is one I … Read the rest
