Unexpected Depths of Stillness It seems like most days we are not expecting to find depths of sacred stillness. We have our list of things to get done and hope we have enough time to do them. Deep sacred stillness would just get in our way, an obstacle we would need to avoid. Our underlying attitude seems to be we are doing fine by ourselves and do not need anything more. Could we please set aside depths of sacred stillness until they are... Read more
Staying in Bed to Read Books The spiritual discipline I have practiced the longest might be staying in bed to read books. Before I went to law school, long before I started seeing myself as contemplative, I loved to read in bed. My parents used to worry I was damaging my eyes because I kept reading as it got darker outside. Some people have a favorite chair or a desk where they like to read. For me, there are few things which contribute... Read more
Starting From a Strong Foundation It is the first week of the year. Some of us have already given up. We set out with great intentions and expectations. This year was going to make all the difference. Our leadership would grow stronger and shine brighter this year. We knew where we wanted to go this year and nothing would stand in our way. Our plan was to build strong, healthy habits. We would develop leadership which stand the test of time. One... Read more
Plumbing the Depth of the Present Many of us tend to overlook the depth of the present moment. We may become distracted and trapped in the depths of the past or the future. Our actions we wish we had never taken or the pain we hope to avoid can capture our attention. Some of us have pasts filled with deep pools of regret or missed opportunities. The future might be full of fears or fantasies waiting to lure us in and seize... Read more
How Do We Make a Fresh Start? A lot of people I know look forward to New Year’s each year as a time to make a fresh start. Some of them spend time thinking about how they will resolve to change in the coming year. People see New Year’s as an opportunity to turn the page and put the past behind them. We plan a great deal of kindness, generosity, healthy nutrition, and exercise next year. Many of us have excellent intentions... Read more
Questions For Deeper Reflection It can be helpful to look back over the past twelve months. We remind ourselves of our experiences and the questions and insights we have gained. What are the experiences and ideas you remember most clearly from 2017? Are there insights or questions which have grown in you during the last twelve months? Who are the people who have inspired you this year? Are there books or films or conversations from 2017 which will make lifelong differences in you?... Read more
The Week at the End of the Year This is it. The final week of 2017. The week at the end of the year. There is still a little time left. Some of us are still stretching to try to reach the goals we set for ourselves this year. We may be fooling ourselves or we may have just enough left in us to complete our tasks. In a few days we will reach the end of the year. Some... Read more
What is Christmas All About? For some of us, Christmas is all about making money. The fourth quarter of the fiscal year is when retail sales turn from the red into the black. Christmas has become the Holiday Season. It is the time of year for sales and shopping. Christmas is the engine which drives the financial train of the economic year. For other people, Christmas is all about families. They need to make sure they give their families what... Read more
Following Scrooge’s Example For some reason, Ebenezer Scrooge has been on my mind lately. It could be because we have been inundated with versions of A Christmas Carol this week. Whether in writing or on film, the story captures our attention and our emotions. A movie called The Man Who Invented Christmas describes how Charles Dickens sparked Victorian holiday celebrations. Many of the practices in his story have become our familiar holiday traditions. We feel nostalgia for his ideas whether... Read more
Finding Stillness in Everyday Life What? Is this some kind of joke? My everyday life is already filled with things I need to do, decisions I need to make. It feels like there is always something more to think about, to work out, to understand. Where is there stillness in everyday life? Who has time to find it every day? These are some of the responses I get when I talk about stillness in everyday life. Stillness may be fine for “spiritual’ people, but... Read more
Strategic Monk
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