Samaritan Blog

lists, lists, & more lists

2012-01-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

I love lists.

I write a lot of lists.

The older I get, the more my memory relies on lists.

I came upon a blog yesterday that you must see if you too love lists:
Lists Of Note.

Here are two of my favorite entries:

Things to Worry About

In 1933, renowned author F. Scott Fitzgerald ended a letter to his 11-year-old daughter, Scottie, with a list of things to worry about, not worry about, and simply think about. It read as follows.

(Source: F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters; Image: F. Scott Fitzgerald with his daughter, Scottie, in 1924.)

Things to worry about:

Worry about courage
Worry about cleanliness
Worry about efficiency
Worry about horsemanship

Things not to worry about:

Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about dolls
Don’t worry about the past
Don’t worry about the future
Don’t worry about growing up
Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you
Don’t worry about triumph
Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault
Don’t worry about mosquitoes
Don’t worry about flies
Don’t worry about insects in general
Don’t worry about parents
Don’t worry about boys
Don’t worry about disappointments
Don’t worry about pleasures
Don’t worry about satisfactions

Things to think about:

What am I really aiming at?
How good am I really in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to:

(a) Scholarship
(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them?
(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it?

With dearest love,

Daddy

A Decalogue of Canons

In 1825, the year before his death, Thomas Jefferson — the 3rd U.S. President and a Founding Father of the United States of America — was asked by a father to supply some words of wisdom to his young son, Thomas Jefferson Smith, who had recently been named after him. Jefferson graciously responded with a handwritten letter, at the end of which was the following 10-point list of advice for the youngster, titled, "A Decalogue of Canons for observation in practical life."

Each and every word still rings true.

Transcript follows. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Image: Library of Congress

Transcript

A Decalogue of Canons for observation in practical life.

1. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do to-day.
2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
3. Never spend your money before you have it.
4. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.
5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst and cold.
6. We never repent of having eaten too little.
7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
8. How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened.
9. Take things always by their smooth handle.
10. When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, an hundred.

nothing good gets away

2012-01-26T13:21:00.001-07:00

I have always associated John Steinbeck with high school... Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men... reading classics because you had to. Now, some thirty years later, I am becoming a John Steinbeck fan.

I am reading Steinbeck: A Life in Letters, and finding that reading someone's letters is a beautiful way to get to know them.

I like this part... eventually I will be so good that I cannot be ignored. But, I adore the last two sentences... Financially we are a mess, but "spiritually" we ride the clouds. Nothing matters. (I added the smiling star to remind myself to always 'ride the clouds').

And then there is Steinbeck's letter to his son, Thom...

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.
Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.
….Lastly….
don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens —The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.
Love,
Fa

Read the full letter online here.

I plan to save those last lines for my own children as they grow... don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens —The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

What is perfect for you will come. Trust life and it’s myriad forces that operate behind the scenes.

Nothing good gets away.

mind the gap

2012-01-25T13:44:00.003-07:00

I went to see Mike Rowe speak last night...

yes, that Mike Rowe... from Dirty Jobs.

He was talking on the 'job skills gap'. A job skills gap is simply the difference between the skills needed for a job versus the skills of a prospective worker. For Idaho it means a shortage of a qualified workforce. Only one-third of Idaho high school graduates go on to secondary education.

A great blog post on last night's ED Session can be found here.

I liked the part about ethics...
Talent, Risk, Teamwork, Being mindful, & Being connected.

I want to add one more of my own:

Trust your instincts.

Don't allow yourself to get discouraged.

Albert Einstein was expelled from school because his attitude had a negative effect on the serious students. He failed his university entrance exam and attended a trade school for one year before finally being admitted; and was the only one in his graduating class who did not get a teaching position because no professor would recommend him. One professor said Einstein was "the laziest dog" the university ever had.

Beethoven's parents were told he was too stupid to be a music composer.

Charles Darwin's colleagues called him a fool and what he was doing "fool's experiments" when he worked on his theory of biological evolution.

Walt Disney was fired from his first job on a newspaper because "he lacked imagination."

Thomas Edison had only two years of formal schooling. He was totally deaf in one ear and was hard of hearing in the other. He was fired from his first job as a newsboy and later fired from his job as a telegrapher; and still he became the most famous inventor in the history of the U.S.

So, do what you love to do.

Do it with great pride, passion, and excellence.

Trust your instincts.

You're in great company.

recognize

2012-01-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

I have been guilty of looking for recognition for my contribution. The, "Hey, I'm not going to do that because I haven't been recognized for doing this.' It's all quite embarrassing to admit... but it happens.

But what if, as Simon Sinek says, we stop looking for recognition and start looking to recognize others. It's a very powerful shift. I think I'm going to give it a try.

2012-01-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

This year, the Chinese year 4710 begins on January 23, 2012. 2012 is the year of the Dragon.

The dragon is the luckiest and most auspicious of the animal signs.

I should know... I'm a dragon.

hope, like River

2012-01-21T10:02:00.001-07:00

River's picture at the Humane Society

Four weeks ago, we adopted a very frightened Australian Shepherd from the Humane Society.

The workers were unsure how long she had been on the street;

she had 8 puppies.

They named her River.

River

We've been pouring our love into her all month.

She's beginning to see that life can be beautiful.

Out walking yesterday, she reminded me of this saying:

Hope is believing despite the evidence,

then watching the evidence change.

chances are

2012-01-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

You'll see and experience so much more.

2012-01-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

One of the best lessons I've learned is how to relax, breathe, quit scheduling... and enjoy life at a much slower pace.

glide and sing

2012-01-16T06:26:00.001-07:00

The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.

—
John Muir

present moment

2012-01-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

you know I love this...

2012-01-14T12:42:00.002-07:00

"Libraries are not made; they grow"

~ Augustine Birrell

The International Public Space Library (IPSL) offers books in public spaces around the world.
Unlike a traditional library, the IPSL is not permanently housed in a physical building; any public space is a temporary location for the IPSL. Anyone can donate or borrow a book.

Read Me... ready and waiting

To get involved and donate a book, download a pdf copy of the IPSL ex libris image Here. Print and affix it inside the front cover of the book you want to share... then leave the book in a public space, free to pick up. Readers are encouraged to return the book after reading it by placing it in another public space. It's a fun way to support the free exchange of ideas and connections.

"This book was graciously and anonymously donated to the International Public Space Library. You are welcome to borrow it and enjoy it. When you are finished, please leave it in another public place where someone else might find it as you did."

The idea for the IPSL was launched by Momentech and was inspired by the discovery of a book in a public space in St. Montan, France, inside of which was inscribed similar text.

Joy = Love-Fear

2012-01-12T07:09:00.001-07:00

I am currently reading an amazingly simple, yet wonderful, book: Emotional Equations by Chip Conley.

It's a book that can help you to see light in darkness by using simple mathematic equations.

To paraphrase Nietzsche, the measure of ourselves is how we transform pain or suffering into something worthwhile or meaningful in our lives.

Chip Conley - Emotional Equations from ISHOTHIM on Vimeo.

From Emotional Equations:

Victor Frankl wrote, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." You have the power to choose how you respond. You are a product of your decisions, not your conditions.

Think of your emotions as messages that give you the freedom, rather than the obligation, to respond. Fear protects. Regret teaches. Sadness releases. Joy uplifts. Empathy unites.

Letting an emotion move through you is healthy. Letting an emotion define you is not.

to the curious

2012-01-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

"The questions are more important than the answers."

The Future Belongs to the Curious from Skillshare on Vimeo.

"We are all lifelong learners,

from day one to twenty-thousand-and-one,

and that’s why we keep exploring,

wondering and discovering,

yearning and learning,

reaching with more than just our hands…

The future belongs to the curious.”

see what happens

2012-01-08T13:01:00.001-07:00

I've been reading and thinking a lot about passion and purpose.

I've been focused on passionate, purposeful doing this year... as opposed to striving, frenzied accomplishment.

The idea of mindfully working at those creative things that are important to me... those things that I do when I'm taking a break from the things I am suppose to be doing... all sounds wonderfully Zen and calm and right. But sometimes, sitting alone in a room with a blank something (paper, canvas, word document) and trying to fill it up with something meaningful, something soulful, something wholehearted... well, that can be a daunting task.

Then I remember... I just need to show up. No more striving... no more frenzy. One simple step forward... show up with the blank something and the goal of seeing what happens.

have the richest fluency

2012-01-07T11:16:00.001-07:00

"This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body."

~ Walt Whitman

(In his preface to Leaves of Grass, 1855 edition)

How is your own This is what you shall do... for the new year going?

Perhaps Whitman had it right... maybe we shouldn't worry so much about a list of resolutions... instead, hold a vision of the person you aspire to be.

What do you need to do to be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in words?

Don't get discouraged... you have 51 more weeks to give it a try.

a leap toward passion

2012-01-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

I will begin something new this year and it excites me. I am curious and I want to write about something I love. I am following my passion, with no thought to where it might lead. The destination isn't the point, the act of doing is what I'm after.

If you're curious, check it out here.

What new ideas excite you this year?

Do you want to travel, or write a book, or take up singing, or painting? Maybe you want to run a 10K, or ride a bike, or do yoga. Maybe you just want to organize your closet.

If it excites you, follow through. We can take the leap together.

give us what you've got

2012-01-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the man who, after learning he only has three months to live, quits his job and becomes a painter?

A year later the cancer is officially in remission but he doesn’t pick up his old life... he continues on as a successful painter. He says he has never been happier.
The idea of death does not cause people to change; it causes them to step back and see how necessary change is. It gives them a reason to overcome resistance.

I am reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It's about creativity and overcoming resistance.

“The most important thing about art is to work.

Nothing else matters except

sitting down every day and trying.”

~ The War of Art

My favorite quotes from the book all seem to come from page 146:

“We’re not born with unlimited choices.

We can’t be anything we want ot be.

We come into this world with a specific, personal destiny.

We have a job to do, a calling to enact, a self to become."

“Our job in this lifetime is not to shape ourselves

into some ideal we imagine we ought to be,

but to find out who we already are and become it.”

“If we were born to overthrow the order of ignorance

and injustice of the world,

it’s our job to realize it and get down to business.”

As a last bit of advice, Steven Pressfield challenges all of us:

Your creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention... It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.

2012-01-02T06:46:00.001-07:00

“So, I love you because

the entire universe conspired

to help me find you.”

~ Paulo Coelho

to the undeniable poetry of it all

2012-01-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

in a new year...
all that you sought and didn't find
all the good that you tried for and didn't achieve
all that you dreamed but didn't dare do
all that you hoped for

Dear New Year...

2011-12-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

For all that has been, thanks.

For all that will be, yes.

~Dag Hammarskjold

here, now, this is enough

2011-12-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

Every Christmas during dinner we each write a Christmas Wish and put it in these cute little silver ball ornaments (I got them at Red Envelope). The following Christmas, during dinner, we open the ornaments to see if our Christmas Wish came true. Last year I wished for adventure and travel in Spain.
This year I hesitated... what do I want? There's the standard: good health, love, family, peace, happiness?

What's your Wish?

As the New Year approaches, have you considered - What has gone well for you in 2011? What do you hope for in 2012?

I think my wish for 2012 will be... letting go, striving can be exhausting.

Here, now, is beautiful and I'm grateful for it.

santa meditation...

2011-12-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Silent Mind

(sung to the tune of Silent Night)

Silent mind, holy mind,

All is calm, all is bright,

Deep Vipassanna, thoughts rise and fall,

With clear insight detached from them all,

Sit in heavenly peace, sit and contemplate.

joy

2011-12-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

I see joy as a sustained sense of well-being...

an internal peace.

Joy is a connection to what matters.

Wishing you joy this holiday.

to the wonderful world...

2011-12-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

I've traveled the world twice over,

Met the famous; saints and sinners,

Poets and artists, kings and queens,

Old stars and hopeful beginners.

I've been where no one's been before.

Learned secrets from writers and cooks;

All with one library ticket...

To the wonderful world of books.

practicing peace

2011-12-18T21:01:00.003-07:00

I'm reading a beautiful little gift of a book,

Practicing Peace in Times of War, by Pema Chödrön.

“A solid reinforcement on how to stop the reflexive and habitual emotional reaction to perceived hostility through patience, pausing, and breathing. It’s not easy, but it is simple.”—Publishers Weekly

"War and peace begin in the hearts of individuals," declares Pema Chödrön at the opening of this inspiring and accessible book. She goes on to offer practical techniques any of us can use to be peace in our own lives. We can soften our habits of thought and action. It's never too late, she tells us, to look within and discover a new way of living and transform not only our personal lives but our whole world.

The journey toward peace in the world begins with peace in our own lives. War begins when we harden our hearts, and we harden them easily... at first in minor ways and then in quite serious, major ways... such as judgement, hatred and prejudice.

Peace is softening what is ridged in our hearts. It's not easy, but it's simple.

looking at the stars

2011-12-13T13:43:00.001-07:00

We are all in the gutter,

but some of us are looking at the stars.

~ Oscar Wilde

  "His mom smiled, and pointed to a bulletin board next to her desk. Unlike the refrigerator at home, it had just one quote taped to it.
   Ben read it out loud: "'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.'"
   Because his mom was the town librarian, Ben was used to being surrounded by quotes from books, many of which he didn't fully understand. But this one struck him as particularly strange.
   He thought about it for a moment, came up with nothing, then said, "What does that mean?"
   His mom smiled and shrugged.
   He was sure she knew exactly what it meant, but she liked him to figure out things for himself."

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

It is one of those weeks when I notice that I have stumbled into the gutter further than usual. And yet, once I notice that fact, I can simply look up and there they are... the stars. They are still there; and they always have been.

Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don't worry about clear mind: it is always there. When thinking comes, behind it is clear mind. When thinking goes, there is only clear mind. Thinking comes and goes, comes and goes, You must not be attached to the coming or the going.

— Zen Master Seung Sahn

beautiful repetition

2011-11-29T19:45:00.002-07:00

Our first week back, we get up, share a little time at breakfast, then into the car. On the walk from the car to school, one holding my hand quietly and one full of conversation and excitement. Then we go our separate ways. Throughout the day, I still become disoriented when I don't hear or see them around me... until I remember about school.

I keep mental lists all day long, of things to remember to tell each of them. I'm glad for the productivity I have on my own. But, still...

After school I cook, while they do their homework. I set the table for dinner, we play, then reading, and lights out.

Tomorrow we'll get up and repeat some version of it, again.

And I am so thankful for the beautiful repetition.

think twice

2011-11-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Black Friday has come and gone. How did you fare?

Friends of mine went both ways. Some arose early (or stayed up late) to brave crowds and secure deals. Others spoke out against our addiction to consumerism. Both sides of the debate became quite heated.

My thoughts on Black Friday boil down to a question...
What does it say about a country when one day is a holiday for giving thanks and expressing gratitude, and the very next day is an all-out race to buy more?

Is Cyber Monday any better?

Today I came across this ad by Patagonia:

"Don't buy what you don't need.

Think twice before you buy anything."

Thank you, Patagonia. Those are words to live by.

present actions

2011-11-26T14:42:00.003-07:00

I've always wanted an oracle. Some kind of divine truth to let me know what my role in life is to be. I've had my cards read, my charts studied, seen sooth sayers and mediums - Always looking for my fortune to be told. I've imagined that some oracle exists out there, that somehow knows me better than I know myself.

However, the magical oracle we seek lives within us, if we can quiet our minds and listen. The present moment can tell us all we wish to know. There is a Buddhist saying that goes... "If you want to know your past, look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future, look into your present actions."

departing question

2011-11-22T02:28:00.001-07:00

"If you ask me what I came to do in this world,

I will tell you,

I came to live out loud."

~ Emile Zola

What have I learned from living in Barcelona, Spain for three months? That's my departing question. What new insights do I want to take home with me?

Live life on purpose, not on default. Make conscious and deliberate choices. When you don't choose, circumstances choose for you. Live deliberately.

Wherever you go there you are. Be here now. Give what you're doing your best and fullest attention.

Get out of your comfort zone. Discover your talent. Create a new habit or break an old one. There is great beauty in 'shaking things up'. When you change, your world will change with you.

Say "no" to things that no longer serve you.

Keep an open heart. Practice gratitude. Be authentic. Be of service. Be generous. Stop waiting. Be joyful.

Every day set the simple goal of being more awake and less distracted.

I like that I have figured it out and have so much to learn, both at the same time.

that's how

2011-11-21T02:02:00.001-07:00

I'm always doing things I can't do.

That's how I get to do them.

~ Pablo Picasso

through you

2011-11-20T04:39:00.001-07:00

Don't worry about what people think of you.

Think about what people experience through you.

those who look on

2011-11-19T12:00:00.002-07:00

The world is a dangerous place.

Not because of those who do evil,

but because of those who look on and do nothing."

- Albert Einstein

In Birmingham in the 60s the actions of the demonstrators were called "wasteful and worthless". Black citizens were told to use the courts and that negotiations should be among leaders and not in the streets. But Dr. King promised to protest every day until "peaceful equality had been assured".

True power lies with a just cause. Power to the Peaceful.

Shepard Fairey...

2011-11-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

Difficult things take a long time,

impossible things a little longer.

today I am grateful for the sea...

2011-11-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I'll meet you there

2011-11-17T12:37:00.003-07:00

Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase each other

doesn't make any sense.

~ Rumi

enjoy every sandwich

2011-11-15T03:35:00.000-07:00

"We are all dying, some sooner, some later.

The real exception is to truly live."

~ Lee Lipsenthal

I just finished reading Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal. It is a great book about humanity, and uncertainty, and gratitude. When you take those three ingredients and mix them all together, you get a life fully lived.

Imagine that you've been told that you have six months to live.

What do you need to do?

Who do you need to talk to?

Where do you need to visit?

How will you spend your remaining time?

It can be a beautiful gift to remember that life has an expiration date. We are all dying, some sooner, some later. Life is unfolding exactly as it is meant to. Stress and suffering are optional; creations of our own minds.

"What keeps me non-agitated about death is appreciation for the life I've already had."

mediocre minds

2011-11-15T02:56:00.002-07:00

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition

from mediocre minds."

~ Albert Einstein

US Democracy has always survived thanks to the mediocre minds of those who'd suppress it.

Marianne Williamson Speaking About the Occupy Movement, Berkeley, CA November 2011 from Marianne Williamson on Vimeo.

to be happy and well

2011-11-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

My kids play an online game called ToonTown. Whenever the other players in the game need help you can give them a "toon up". You add energy to the other players so they can keep going. One of the ways to give a "toon up" is to sprinkle confetti or glitter on the other players and their "life points" will increase.

We use this idea a lot when we see people on the street who appear down on their luck. Someone sleeping in a doorway or sitting on the sidewalk with a cup for spare change. At times it feels impossible to give to everyone. So, when we walk by we mentally sprinkle a "toon up" over them. I may not always have cash for everyone, but I can wish them peace, success, and a few more "life points".

"The next time you go out in the world, you might try this practice: directing your attention to people -

in their cars, on the sidewalks, talking on their cell phones - just wish for them all to be happy and well.

Without knowing anything about them, they can become very real, by regarding each of them personally and rejoicing in the comforts and pleasures that come their way.

Each of us has this soft spot: a capacity for love and tenderness. But if we don't encourage it, we can get pretty stubborn about remaining sour."

―Pema Chödrön

kindness

2011-11-08T04:11:00.001-07:00

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

~ The Dalai Lama

Kindness has nothing to do with the other person.

the beauty of rereading

2011-11-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

I love to read. I read a lot. As a kid, I didn't read from a sense of advancement or learning; I read because I loved it... and it's still true today. I feel about bookstores the way some people feel about shoe stores. I could spend all day there combing the isles and scanning the tables. A window display of books can stop me in the street.

I just read How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen.
In this book she says, "For some of us, reading begets rereading, and rereading begets writing. (Although there is no doubt which is first, and supreme; as Alberto Manguel writes in his wonderful A History of Reading, 'I could perhaps live without writing. I don't think I could live without reading.') After a while a story is familiar, the setting known, the characters understood, and there is nothing left to discover but technique. Why that sentence structure and not something simpler, or more complex? Why that way of ordering events instead of something more straightforward, or more experimental? What grabs the reader by the throat? What sags and bags and fails? There are only two ways, really, to become a writer. One is to write. The other is to read."

My daughter is a writer. She reads with a love stronger than my own. She is also a re-reader. She has read pseudonymous bosch so many times that she begins to have his voice, his lilt, his sarcastic wit.

Because of the way I speak, people often ask me if I'm from the south. I think I've just read and reread To Kill a Mockingbird so many times that Harper Lee and Scout (Jean Louise Finch) have become part of me.

Anna Quindlen gives us a wonderful reminder: never discourage rereading. It is from that familiarity that structure can be seen and admired, interpreted and adopted.

"Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home."

~ Anna Quindlen

an enduring way

2011-11-05T06:33:00.000-06:00

As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way.

~ Sharon Salzberg

something bigger

2011-11-04T06:40:00.000-06:00

I'm currently reading two books: An Unquenchable Thirst by Mary Johnson and The 29 Gifts by Cami Walker. These two books and the fact that I have spent the past three months living out of a single suitcase has me rethinking most material things. Is it possible that less really is more? Can some possessions actually take more than they give?

The book An Unquenchable Thirst is a memoir by Mary Johnson recording the 20 years she spent as a nun with Mother Theresa and the Missionaries of Charity. The subtitle: Following Mother Theresa in Search of Love, Service, and an Authentic Life is, for Mary, a dream realized. In the end, her dream transcends any particular religious belief or religious rules.

A thoughtful excerpt from Unquenchable:

"A plaque in the basement proclaimed Mother's words: Do little things with great love. I understood this to mean that my activity didn't matter as much as my attitude."

In the book The 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life, Cami Walker recounts her diagnosis of MS at the age of 31. From depression, addiction, and isolation she opens herself to the idea of giving and in turn changes her life.

One of my favorite quotes from 29 Gifts is:

"No matter how much we have materially, we are often in a place of scarcity: we never think we have enough or that we're good enough. Instead of getting lost in a sense of lack, once we realize we are part of something bigger, it becomes clear we have many gifts to offer the world."

Could you give a gift each day for 29 days?

A gift can be anything: a thank you note, a tip, spare change, holding the door for someone, a prayer, a kind word, bake something for someone, send a friend your scarf that she admired, the list can be endless...

"Gratitude keeps your heart open. When you give with an open heart, you receive the profound gift of humility."

I'm going to give it a try. Write down your gift each day. If you miss a day, start over.

And remember - keep it simple, grand gestures aren't necessary...
"When you are over-giving, you are not living in abundance, but in scarcity. When you give from a place of service, honesty, and fullness, you are left feeling revitalized. When you give from a place of responsibility and obligation, you negate the gift and nothing changes. You may in fact be left feeling resentful and drained."

Good Luck and Happy Giving!

you say you want a revolution...

2011-11-01T04:16:00.000-06:00

On January 10, 1776, an Englishman and revolutionary self-pulished the pamphlet Common Sense:

"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer.”

~ Thomas Paine

2011-10-31T16:36:00.001-06:00

"Art is either plagiarism or revolution."

~ Paul Gauguin

interesting and true

2011-10-25T13:07:00.001-06:00

When the world seems to be shouting, “Why bother?” Square your shoulders, ground your feet firmly and say, “Because I believe in myself.”

I believe that we all have something special to give the world.

I believe that each vision of life is unique.

There is no substitute for you.

When someone needs you ~ your book, your art, your beauty, your particular brand of truth ~ no one else will do.

In Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel, Jane Smiley said,
"What is difficult is not to write something new but to write something interesting and true."

If you’re having a hard time seeing what sets you apart as a creator, take Smiley’s advice and look for what is true and interesting.

your own

2011-10-19T14:45:00.000-06:00

I’ve realized that most of the rules that hold me back actually don’t come from the outside. They’re self-imposed. It's time to end that.

Hopefully, you’re living life according to the coolest set of rules ever: your own. Lovingly designed by none other than you.

just be together

2011-10-19T01:21:00.000-06:00

Let's trade in all our judging for appreciating.
Let's lay down our righteousness and just be together.

RAM DASS

2011-10-17T13:10:00.000-06:00

I cut this cartoon out a few days ago so I could remember that,

"every jerk has a sad human being trapped inside."

Every greedy executive, every thoughtless banker, every 'jerk' needs compassionate energy.

"I send you peace."

Then yesterday I listened to President Obama's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication speech. I was once again inspired to believe that we are 'tied in a single garment of destiny', God resides in each of us. That light in me is also in you.

Here is my favorite excerpt from yesterday's dedication:

And just as we draw strength from Dr. King's struggles, so must we draw inspiration from his constant insistence on the oneness of man; the belief in his words that "we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny." It was that insistence, rooted in his Christian faith, that led him to tell a group of angry young protesters, "I love you as I love my own children," even as one threw a rock that glanced off his neck.

It was that insistence, that belief that God resides in each of us, from the high to the low, in the oppressor and the oppressed, that convinced him that people and systems could change. It fortified his belief in non-violence. It permitted him to place his faith in a government that had fallen short of its ideals.

And so at this moment, when our politics appear so sharply polarized, and faith in our institutions so greatly diminished, we need more than ever to take heed of Dr. King's teachings. He calls on us to stand in the other person's shoes; to see through their eyes; to understand their pain. He tells us that we have a duty to fight against poverty, even if we are well off; to care about the child in the decrepit school even if our own children are doing fine; to show compassion toward the immigrant family, with the knowledge that most of us are only a few generations removed from similar hardships. (Applause.)

To say that we are bound together as one people, and must constantly strive to see ourselves in one another, is not to argue for a false unity that papers over our differences and ratifies an unjust status quo. As was true 50 years ago, as has been true throughout human history, those with power and privilege will often decry any call for change as "divisive." They'll say any challenge to the existing arrangements are unwise and destabilizing. Dr. King understood that peace without justice was no peace at all; that aligning our reality with our ideals often requires the speaking of uncomfortable truths and the creative tension of non-violent protest.

But he also understood that to bring about true and lasting change, there must be the possibility of reconciliation; that any social movement has to channel this tension through the spirit of love and mutuality.

If he were alive today, I believe he would remind us that the unemployed worker can rightly challenge the excesses of Wall Street without demonizing all who work there.

Be inspired to believe in the "oughtness" of tomorrow rather than focusing on the "isness" of today.

2011-10-17T01:21:00.002-06:00

Through our hopes and fears,

our pleasures and pains,

we are deeply interconnected.

-Pema Chödrön

really great people

2011-10-16T12:31:00.001-06:00

"Really great people make you feel that you, too,

can become great"

~Mark Twain

where my work lies

2011-10-12T01:12:00.002-06:00

I would like my life to be a statement
of love and compassion
– and where it isn't,
that's where my work lies.

RAM DASS

true strength

2011-10-11T03:38:00.000-06:00

“In separateness lies the world’s great misery,

in compassion lies the world’s true strength.”

~Buddha

human together

2011-10-09T16:06:00.001-06:00

My humanity is bound up in yours,

for we can only be human together.

~ Desmond Tutu

(happy 80th birthday)

at the Innovation Museum in Barcelona, Spain

2011-10-06T07:53:00.001-06:00

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T02:38:00.000-06:00

“Steve Jobs changed my life totally and utterly (and obviously, I’m not the only one). From the moment he introduced Macintosh with mesmerizing flair, I was hooked by his charisma. I knew that his invention would change everything. Even though I’ve met him only a few times, I felt a deep personal connection to him and his work that transcends the rational. When I heard the news today, I felt physically ill and terribly sad for his wife and children. I will always be grateful to him and the teams he led that brought us the Mac, the iPod, the iPad, Pixar, iTunes...

… Quite simply he is my hero.”

~ Tom Rielly

My thoughts exactly... For some reason, I felt a deep personal connection to him and his work that transcends the rational.

play on

2011-10-05T16:48:00.000-06:00

If music be the food of love, play on.

~ Shakespeare

Cory Booker at Zeitgeist

2011-10-03T04:00:00.004-06:00

I love Cory Booker. He is my favorite mayor! Even though I don't live in Newark, NJ., I always give to his campaign... and whenever we fly into Newark, I always tell the kids, "We're in Newark: home of my favorite mayor, Cory Booker!" I have said this so many times that by the time I get to ... home of my favorite mayor... everyone chimes in "Cory Booker!"

In a nutshell, Cory Booker is fabulous. After you watch his recent speech at Google Zeitgeist, I'm sure you'll think so too. And the next time you fly into Newark, you'll say to your seat-mate... "Oh, Newark, home of my favorite mayor, Cory Booker!"

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-03T02:20:00.000-06:00

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you,

then they fight you, then you win.

Mohandas Gandhi

Follow what's going on with Occupy Wall Street

Follow on Facebook and twitter

little bit of good

2011-10-02T15:31:00.000-06:00

Do your little bit of good where you are;

it's those bits of good that change the world.

~ Desmond Tutu

InsideOut

2011-10-01T03:15:00.001-06:00

French Street Artist, JR, is working on a new web series and documentary due out next year.
His first installment was post-revolutionary Tunisia.

Meet JR below as he wins the 2011 TED Prize.

JR's Wish:

"I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we'll turn the world...INSIDE OUT."

Check out the InsideOut website to make your own portrait.

Samaritan Experiment

2011-10-01T02:08:00.000-06:00

"This money was left here intentionally and specifically for your use. I know it's not much - perhaps just enough to treat yourself to a cookie, coffee, a lottery ticket, or donation to the homeless...

In any case, I hope it changes your day for the better.

Enjoy!"

2011-09-25T04:41:00.000-06:00

you're breathing anyway. all you have to do is notice it

50 people one question

2011-09-24T10:27:00.000-06:00

for more, check out their link:
Fifty People One Question - Exploring human connections through people and place

Dumbledore...

2011-09-23T03:33:00.000-06:00

Rest in Peace, Troy Davis

2011-09-22T03:18:00.002-06:00

Troy Anthony Davis was executed by the state of Georgia at 11:00pm September 21, 2011.

Final letter from Troy Davis:

To All:

I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year. I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime.

As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.

I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.

So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.

I can’t wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,

“I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!”

Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!

abolute joy is...

2011-09-21T02:02:00.000-06:00

...realizing you already have everything you need.

The greatest joy is doing what you love

and believing that's enough.

Grandpa Green

2011-09-20T05:18:00.002-06:00

I love Lane Smith. Did you read It's A Book by Lane Smith? It is wonderful and had a hilarious twist at the end... jackass :)
Lane Smith's new book Grandpa Green is also bold and endearing. Beautiful & clever, this book will delight adults as they read it to those who are still growing.
Absolutely lovely...

generosity

2011-09-17T09:49:00.000-06:00

Could you lead with generosity for a day? ... a week? ... a month?

Sasha Dichter: The Generosity Experiment from TED Blog on Vimeo.

peace

2011-09-15T06:39:00.000-06:00

Better than a thousand hollow words,

is one word that brings peace.

~ Buddha

Midnight in Paris

2011-09-14T03:48:00.000-06:00

On the plane I watched Midnight in Paris... again.

It reminded me how much I like F. Scott Fitzgerald.

"For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

2011-09-13T06:10:00.000-06:00

If the world seems cold to you,

kindle fires to warm it.

a perfect question...

2011-09-12T06:27:00.000-06:00

"Have you been blessed with the knowledge and the wisdom to recognize your role in this world and create the opportunity for your beauty and your energy to touch others as you pass gently through their world?"

~ Crystal Street

Whose path will you cross today and what energy will you share? What ripple effect will that have?

Examine your work and your presence in the world and look for the positive influence you've had.

How does what you do influence those around you?

As Gandhi would say, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Emulate the beauty you wish to see ... Be the peace, be the compassion you long to see in the world.

Whatever your platform, you have the ability to touch others.

restraint you must choose

2011-09-12T05:01:00.001-06:00

National Day of Catalonia

2011-09-11T09:29:00.000-06:00

support peace

2011-09-11T09:01:00.000-06:00

Support peace and dignity for all humanity.

peace is every step

2011-09-11T02:08:00.000-06:00

"Peace must first be developed within an individual.

And I believe that love, compassion, and altruism

are the fundamental basis for peace.

Once these qualities are developed within an individual,

he or she is then able to create

an atmosphere of peace and harmony.

This atmosphere can be expanded and extended

from the individual to his family,

from the family to the community

and eventually to the whole world."

(Foreward, H.H. The Dalai Lama, page v.)

for September 11th

2011-09-10T15:06:00.000-06:00

from Macys...

Hug your children

Spend the day with family

Think of an old friend

Wave to your neighbor

Go for a long walk

Light A Candle

Share your thoughts

Take a moment for yourself

Be there for someone else

Watch the sunset

Look forward to sunrise

your time

2011-09-09T03:46:00.000-06:00

"Your time is limited,

so don't waste it living someone else's life.

Don't be trapped by dogma,

which is living with the results of other people's thinking.

Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important,

have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

- Steve Jobs

buen viaje

2011-09-05T20:53:00.000-06:00

“If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.” ~Unknown

Freak Alley Mural Project

2011-09-02T11:59:00.000-06:00

There's new street art in Boise's downtown.

Check out the walls along Bannock Street

between 8th and 9th

nothing much

2011-08-30T07:25:00.000-06:00

Hold fast to the great thought

and all the world will come to you,

harmless, peaceful, serene.

Walking around, we stop

for music, for food.

But if you taste the Way

it's flat, insipid.

It looks like nothing much,

it sounds like nothing much.

And yet you can't get enough of it.

~ Lao Tsu

he was me

2011-08-29T10:43:00.000-06:00

Just in case you have a meeting to follow up on the meeting to re-think the way meetings are called...
instead, give a nod to your own dream today.

everybody is a reader

2011-08-28T13:14:00.000-06:00

"I am a reader, a flashlight-under-the-covers, carries-a-book-everywhere-I-go, don't-look-at-my-Amazon-bill reader... I am as much a composite of all of the book characters I have loved as of the people I have met."... reading these lines I knew that The Book Whisperer author, Donalyn Miller, and I are cut from the same cloth.

As a reader, you know what no literary expert could ever teach: Reading changes your life. Reading unlocks worlds unknown or forgotten, taking travelers around the world and through time. Reading helps you escape the confines of school and pursue your own education. Reading shows you how to be a better human being.

If you want to inspire a love of reading in your children, you need to read The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller

meditation

2011-08-28T10:37:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the best meditation can happen in a moment, and everyone has a moment...

(ps- I love the visual of the "blue glow")

book trailers

2011-08-27T10:56:00.000-06:00

Now that school has started, what are you reading?

If you are in elementary school,

may I make a few suggestions...

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberg

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Sidekicks by Dan Santat

Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco by Jarrett Krosoczka

Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

and, of course, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Cabin Fever

let it be

2011-08-26T18:40:00.000-06:00

The Buddha said we experience the peace of nirvana by letting things be as they are. Indeed, applying the Beatles' exhortation to "Let It Be" can bring a lot of serenity and equanimity.

And when the night is cloudy,

there is still a light that shines on me.

Shine until tomorrow,

let it be.

enoughness

2011-08-25T17:06:00.001-06:00

‎"Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance."
~John Petit-Senn

Abundance is not a number or acquisition.
It is the simple recognition of enoughness.
~ Alan Cohen

turning 50

2011-08-25T07:29:00.000-06:00

I think Colleen Wainwright is amazing! I've never met her but I am sure we would be fast friends based on her enthusiasm alone.
Colleen turns 50 in 50 days, and guess what she wants?
I'll let her explain in this video:

Check out WriteGirl and Colleen's website.

to infinity and beyond...

2011-08-22T12:21:00.001-06:00

Improve Everywhere placed a lectern with a megaphone on it in NYC.

Attached to the lectern was a sign that read " Say Something Nice".

This is what New Yorkers had to say...

Say something nice today

Stone of Hope

2011-08-22T12:09:00.001-06:00

The Martin Luther King Memorial Opens to the public today with the official dedication on Sunday.

The MLK Memorial is the first on the National Mall that honors an African American and the first that honors a person who did not serve as president. The sculpture is named from a line in Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech:

"With this faith we will be able to hew out of a mountain of despair

a stone of new hope."

view the virtual tour:

compassion

2011-08-16T11:03:00.000-06:00

"The compassion we feel normally is biased and mixed with attachment.

Genuine compassion flows towards all living beings,

particularly your enemies.

If I try to develop compassion towards my enemy,

it may not benefit him directly,

he may not even be aware of it.

But it will immediately benefit me by calming my mind.

On the other hand, if I dwell on how awful everything is,

I immediately lose my peace of mind."

-- Dalai Lama

Are you dwelling in how awful everything is or are you dwelling in compassion?

Remember, your judgement of others defines you, not them.

turn uncertainty into fearless creativity

2011-08-15T20:58:00.001-06:00

I just pre-ordered The Uncertainty Book by Jonathan Fields... can't wait.
Check out the book trailer:

"Let's face it-the leap of faith required to follow a dream is usually accompanied by gut-wrenching, knee-quaking, soul-shaking fear. Jonathan Fields knows this-but instead of offering an empty pep talk, he delivers daily practices that can help you transform fear and uncertainty into confidence and creativity."
-Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind

cardboard box

2011-08-13T10:11:00.001-06:00

The Adventures of a Cardboard Box from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

The story of a boy who meets and befriends a large cardboard box. This film was made for the Nokia Shorts 2011 competition.

meanwhile...

2011-08-04T09:39:00.000-06:00

Have you ever read something and then had to laugh out loud because it was so... you?
Last night I was reading out loud to my kids and this paragraph from pseudonymous bosch made me laugh:

Meanwhile? Did I really just write Meanwhile? Meanwhile is to writing what Um is to speaking. A space-filler. A sign that someone doesn't know what to say or how to say it. Meanwhile belongs with phases like on the other hand - phrases that a good writer should never use. On the other hand, there's something about Meanwhile that I rather like - especially when it's followed by an ellipsis, like this: Meanwhile... Can you hear that sense of menace? That sense of, Uh-Oh, just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

If you haven't read The Secret Series by pseudonymous bosch, you're missing out. On the other hand, maybe you don't like reading for entertainment. Meanwhile, if you're reading this... it's too late!

through a different prism

2011-07-31T11:32:00.000-06:00

"When I'm really into a novel, I'm seeing the world differently during that time - not just for the hour or so in the day when I get to read. I'm actually walking around in a bit of a haze, spellbound by the book and looking at everything through a different prism." - Colin Firth

well being

2011-07-30T13:00:00.004-06:00

I'm reading the book Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being by Martin E.P. Seligman, the guru of "positive psychology".

Seligman identifies factors that can help us thrive which he calls P.E.R.M.A.: Positive emotion, Engagement with what we are doing, good Relationships, Meaning, and a sense of Accomplishment.

Professor Seligman says, we think too much about what goes wrong and not enough about what goes right in our lives. He suggests we do the Three-Good-Things exercise... that is, every night for the next week, set aside 10 minutes before you go to sleep and write down 3 things that went well that day and why they went well.

Also he says we should identify our signature strengths. You can do that here: on his web site authentichappiness.org

And just for fun, why not find out your well-being score at well-being tracker

second hand

2011-07-30T09:34:00.000-06:00

The term "second hand" can mean two things...
it refers to the ticking hand of a clock and it describes re-used items.
Hmmm....
are you obsessed with either? would you rather save time or save stuff?
or...
is there a balance that can be struck between these two modern obsessions.

Second Hand from Isaac King on Vimeo.

a conscious listening world...

2011-07-29T10:03:00.000-06:00

... a world of connection, a world of understanding, and a world of peace.

a bit of understanding from Cabaret...

2011-07-27T09:06:00.001-06:00

Meine Damen und Herren,
Mesdames and Messieurs
Ladies and Gentleman
Is it a crime to fall in love?
Can we ever tell where the heart truly leads us?
All we are asking is eine bisschen Verstandnis
Why can't the world leben und leben lassen?
'Live and let live....'

images from the AP wire ... the first weekend of legal gay marriage in NY