OPENING TO LIFE . . .

  And Living the Life We’ve Been Gifted In some readings of Buddhist thought, there is the interpretation that desire is problematic—that people on a path to awareness shouldn’t be desirous. We shouldn’t want anything, and we most certainly shouldn’t hold onto it if we did. I can’t think of a better way to forestall […]


SPRING AWAKENING!

Good morning. Chögyam Trungpa often began his talks with that salutation. Regardless of the hour, he would hold his golden fan open and proclaim “Good Morning.” Even though he sometimes began his talks very late at night, there was no irony intended. He was inviting everyone to wake up. Good morning. Any moment can be […]


IN THIS TOGETHER

The Power of a Self-Healing Community   A basic premise of recovery and healing is that isolation incubates pain, expanding it into suffering. On the other hand, communication, community, and connection allow space for healing. It is true that when we are triggered, wounded, or overwhelmed, crawling into our protective space is often needed in […]


CARING FOR THE CRAZY

Awakening Our Loving Kindness   Our minds are huge—larger than we understand—capable of being incredibly sane, clear, and beautiful. But at times, quite the opposite. We can get lost in cul-de-sacs of unresolved reasoning, like a kid in a hall of mirrors distorting and reflecting upon itself. Today I want to address the circular, repetitive, […]


THE JOY OF SADNESS

The Experience of Feeling Human In the promotional clip for AMC Theaters, Nicole Kidman settles into her seat and says, “Even heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” There is something about the comfort of a darkened theater that allows us to open ourselves to difficult emotions. We follow the hero into danger. We […]


HELP

  Finding the Strength to Feel 1965 was a frenzied year in the already frenzied career of The Beatles. In a short 3 years they had gone from a punkish collective playing to handfuls of basement denizens to the largest public stage music had ever seen. The “Fabs” gave up their leather and donned coordinated […]


Red Light, Green Light

Navigating the Traffic of Life   In my coaching I use the analogy of traffic lights to illustrate how we might move through life with grace. Some people rush through life as though red lights were a personal challenge. They think they’re outrunning danger by never slowing down — like someone racing home before the […]


OUTSIDE THE BOX

The   S  P    A       C        E   Between Opportunities appear when we open to possibility. Opening is releasing the grip of tension. Despite conventional renderings, or panicky manifestations, thinking we know what we want doesn’t always help. When we cling to a specific outcome we miss whatever else life may […]


THE FIRE HORSE

Hello everyone, and happy Lunar New Year. I’m inviting everyone to join me this evening for a simple ceremony and conversation reflecting on the coming year. If the ancient traditions are to be believed, this year may be volatile. For many of us, life already feels that way. This may be a good time to […]


BETWEEN THE BOXES

PART 1 – The Comforts of Limitation I’ll admit a small secret: I watch cat videos. I particularly love cats in boxes, especially big cats. My favorite is a tiger fighting its way into a box far too small for its body. It squeezes, contorts, until it bursts the cardboard apart—and then lies there, content, […]