Writings: Embracing your Ikigai
Ikigai (生き甲斐, pronounced [ikiɡai]) is a Japanese concept meaning “a reason for being”. Everyone, according to the Japanese, has an ikigai. Finding it requires a deep and often lengthy search of self.
Category: Writings
Ideas & such
Writings: Putting the ‘happy’ in the new year
These are days of miracle & wonder – this has been a year of change & transformation & transition & letting go for so many people around me. I treasure that we have shared so much as we’ve walked together – and as everyone says “Happy New Year” tonight, I hope you know that the…
Writings: The Story of a River, with Thich Nhat Hanh
Born on the top of a mountain, the little spring dances her way down. The stream of water sings as she travels. She wants to go fast. She is unable to go slowly. Running, rushing, is the only way, maybe even flying. She wants to arrive. Arrive where? Arrive at the ocean. She has heard…
Doing Business: Does your company really want to hang out with me?
Does your company really want to hang out with me? by Derek Sivers Imagine you have a crush on a girl at the bank. Every time you talk, it’s only business. But one day she says, “Here’s my cellphone number. Call anytime.” Wow! She likes you! You call her and ask her out. She says…
Writings: Don’t believe everything you think
Don’t believe everything you think. First time I heard this, I thought, “Well, that’s dumb. You wouldn’t think it if it wasn’t real to you. Besides blah blah blah….” If you’ve ever been inside my noisy head, you know I just went on. And on. Then I looked at what I had just thought…
Writings: “The only way out is in, and the only way beyond is through.”
“Spiritual materialism is rampant and a life filled with spirit is a rarity. I don’t care how many crystals you have, how vegan your food is, or whether your Venus is in Jupiter since the last time you blamed your problems on the moon. “If the way we carry and express ourselves condemns others while…
Writings: Those who have ears to hear…
HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN “If we can learn to listen, maybe life will tell us how it needs to regenerate. In the ancient ways, the leader was not the one who told people what to do, the leader was the one who listened, watched the signs, was attentive to the inner world. Sufis talk…
Writings: Old Zen story…and, seriously, why are you still carrying her?
You’ve heard this one before, hey – A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if…
Writings: Live, simply
Interesting as it is to have a business magazine talk about what a vow of poverty looks like, feels like, sounds like….even more interesting to hear from someone who lives it. See what you think – here’s more from Sister Amy:
Writings: From anger…the next step
It’s easy to say “I love you”. It’s easy to talk about love, and presence, and the Absolute, and ‘being aware of awareness’, and cultivating a deep acceptance of what is. It’s easy to teach, to say things that sound true, and good, and spiritual. But these are just words. There is a world before…
Writings: The two hungers
Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert talk about the two “hungers.” There is the Great Hunger and there is the Little Hunger. The Little Hunger wants food for the belly; but the Great Hunger, the greatest hunger of all, is the hunger for meaning… There is ultimately only one thing that makes human beings deeply and…
Writings: The Silence, by Wendell Berry
Though the air is full of singing my head is loud with the labor of words. Though the season is rich with fruit, my tongue hungers for the sweet of speech. Though the beech is golden I cannot stand beside it mute, but must say “It is golden,” while the leaves stir and fall with…
Writings: Rain, rain, and more rain…
When I was kid, I used to take my shoes off when I had to walk to the bus stop when it was raining, so my socks & shoes wouldn’t be wet all day at school. I found that I really liked walking in the rain, sloshing in the mud with the inter-toe mud…
Thoughts: Probably my favourite fable in the world…good? bad? who knows?
I’ve heard this story in several places, most notably as told by Dan Millman, Derek Sivers, and others. I feel it’s a nice cautionary tale about celebrating too early, before we know how the whole story is going to turn out, or getting down because we think we’re losing in the game. Either way, wait…