You Are Enough: Speaking Up without Blowing Up. “To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh “I aim to please. It’s okay, no worries. I could never voice this to people. I always seemed to end up doing things I didn’t want to do or helping people with things that they should do themselves. I was sitting in an aisle seat on an airplane once when a man asked me if I wouldn’t mind swapping with him. I didn’t want to do it, and yet I did. It never rains but it pours. The meal cart arrived, and because we were at the back, they had run out of the vegetarian choice, so I had nothing to eat.
My bag was in the compartment above my original seat, so I couldn’t just stand up and get my book. The other guy next to me was hogging the middle arm rest. I was fuming inside because I did not stand up for myself and for what I wanted. The truth is, I was a people pleaser and didn’t like others to be inconvenienced. My key insights that pushed me to change were: The Surprising Secret to Being on Time. “Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh For many years, the only way I knew to get from one place to another was to rush.
I was chronically “running late.” In fact I couldn’t conceive of managing time in any other way. I usually would get to an appointment in the nick of time, but never without a rush. Now, if rushing occurred in a vacuum, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. There’s an old Disney cartoon from the 50’s called Motor Mania, starring Goofy. His entire personality changes. We all laughed at Goofy’s crazy behavior because it rang true. It’s common to treat each other terribly when we’re “in a hurry.” When my kids were young, I believed my job as a good parent was to teach my children how to hurry. Arriving at school just before the bell, Charlie would casually start the long walk across the playground to his classroom. The kid was infuriatingly slow. “Hurry Charlie!” Charlie would pause and turn, “What?” “I said, ‘HURRY!’” I was seriously worried about my child. Rohan Gunatillake: 'Slow down and enjoy the karma of your devices'
This article was taken from the December 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online. Thanks to the global spread of startup culture, you're just as likely to run into an over-caffeinated entrepreneur or over-pitched investor in London's E1 or Edinburgh EH1 as you are in the zip codes of San Francisco and the Bay. Whether it's the Fen, the Glen, the Roundabout or the Gorge, policy-makers tend to get excited about nominally replicating Silicon Valley's success.
And when they do so they invariably focus on technology businesses' relationships to outward-looking universities, all set within creative, vibrant places to live. There is, however, one ingredient in the Bay Area cocktail that the wonks overlook: namely the role played by spiritual and contemplative communities in the development of digital culture. All this is a good start. Coming Out of the Spiritual Closet. €œThe role of the teacher is to plant the teacher in the student.†– Thich Naht Hahn There are all types of teachers. Academic teachers, teachers of the arts, dance teachers, middle school teachers, swim teachers, and of course, the one that’s stumped me the most over the years…spiritual teachers. What does it mean to be a teacher? I’ve been sitting (and struggling) with this question consciously for the past year since I started working at Buddhist Geeks.
A good friend of mine was gently nudging me to take the next step in my practice by teaching. Through his heartfelt challenge and because I had such a strong charge towards the idea, it was only proper that I explore this consideration more deeply. After all, I was slightly curious and mildly excited. As I dove deeper into this inquiry, I first bumped up against my unexamined assumptions and beliefs about what it means to be a teacher. These judgements quickly turned to insecurity. What is Integral Meditation? 1. » 12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk. “We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” - Thich Nhat Hanh By Leo Babauta I’m not a Zen monk, nor will I ever become one.
However, I find great inspiration in the way they try to live their lives: the simplicity of their lives, the concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days. You probably don’t want to become a Zen monk either, but you can live your life in a more Zen-like manner by following a few simple rules. Why live more like a Zen monk? Because who among us can’t use a little more concentration, tranquility, and mindfulness in our lives? Because Zen monks for hundreds of years have devoted their lives to being present in everything they do, to being dedicated and to serving others. One of my favorite Zen monks, Thich Nhat Hanh, simplified the rules in just a few words: “Smile, breathe and go slowly.”
“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” - Shunryu Suzuki. 1.A.7 Zen. Zenhabits. By Leo Babauta I know a lot of people who fall into a slump, losing the habit of exercise, procrastinating with work, slipping into a bad diet, and generally not feeling motivated.
It’s hard to get out of a slump like that. It’s hard to get going again, to get started when all the forces of inertia are against you. Here’s how to get started, in just a few easy steps. Pick one thing. With every single step, you’ll feel better. Just announced: Dealing with Your Struggles video course. 5 Quotes By Lao Tzu that, if applied, will change your life! 1. “If there is to be peace in the world, There must be peace in the nations. If the is to be peace in the nations, the must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbours. If there is to be peace between neighbours, there must be peace in the home.If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.” Peace in the world begins with yourself, be a lovable person, be positive and forgive quickly!
2. “Be careful what you water your dreams with. Are you are worrier or a warrior? 3. Gratitude is the best attitude. 4. In order to achieve your dreams, or to be a ‘better’ person you have to let go of your old life. 5. Everybody knows deep down what he truly wants. Related posts: Welcome To Personal Tao - Personal Tao. What Happened to Downtime? The Extinction of Deep Thinking & Sacred Space. Interruption-free space is sacred. Yet, in the digital era we live in, we are losing hold of the few sacred spaces that remain untouched by email, the internet, people, and other forms of distraction.
Our cars now have mobile phone integration and a thousand satellite radio stations. When walking from one place to another, we have our devices streaming data from dozens of sources. Even at our bedside, we now have our iPads with heaps of digital apps and the world’s information at our fingertips. There has been much discussion about the value of the “creative pause” – a state described as “the shift from being fully engaged in a creative activity to being passively engaged, or the shift to being disengaged altogether.” This phenomenon is the seed of the break-through “a-ha!” However, despite the incredible power and potential of sacred spaces, they are quickly becoming extinct.
Why do we crave distraction over downtime? Why do we give up our sacred space so easily? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.