The less screen time I’m on, the more I learn and produce.
happiness
Security
drizzling cold and gray
apprehension spurious
refuge lies within
The Desert Speaks
Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness.
Eckhart Tolle
Commonly Kept
ornery goldfish
in search of the next nibble
never satisfied
The Basics of Happiness
“Happiness is a living thing. You need to feed your happiness in order to have happiness last. It’s like love. If you don’t feed your love, it will die. Understanding and compassion are the foundation to happiness.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Dog Daze
Connect to Something Big*
*From Ryan Holiday’s Thought Catalog: Find a Way To Connect To Something Big— Marcus Aurelius would look up at the stars and imagine himself running alongside them, he’d see them for their timelessness and infiniteness. Try that tonight or early in the morning and try to make it a daily practice. A glance at the beautiful expanse of the sky is an antidote to the nagging pettiness of earthly concerns, of our dreams of immortality or fame. But you can find this connection from many sources: A poem. A view from the top floor. A barefoot walk across the grass. A few minutes in a church pew. Just find something bigger than yourself and get in touch with it every single day.
Seize the Alive Time*
Ryan Holiday recommends seizing the “alive time.” You know, the moment in front of you – the only one that counts. Look into the eyes of the person speaking to you, don’t check your phone when at lunch with others.
Alive time.
“Face fears. Reach out and connect with someone. Do something you’ve been putting off. Expose ourselves to sunlight and nature. Be still and empty. Prepare for what lies ahead. Or just live because who knows how much time we have left.”
Ryan Holiday
Today, educators from all over Arizona are marching from Chase Field to the Capitol. We are working to create change. Change is uncomfortable. It’s not easy. But it’s necessary and unavoidable.
I march for Lily, who wants to be a teacher someday.
I march for my students, who deserve resources to learn and become critical thinkers and productive adults in our society.
I march for myself and my peers who deserve to have resources to get our jobs done and to feed our families.
I march for education which is the only antidote to discrimination, violence and inhumanity.
*9th Habit from From Ryan Holiday’s blog “13 Habits You Should Adopt Every Single Day” (Thought Catalog)
Feels Like…
My teenage daughter and I had a conversation about her anxiety and panic disorders. She described it like this:
“It’s like wearing wet jeans to school. It’s really uncomfortable and smells bad and you want to take them off, but you can’t just whenever you want. You can’t take them off while you’re at school.”
Listening patiently and doing your best to understand are the first steps to alleviating the stress and anxiety of our loved ones.
Fortune
When I interact with my dog, I am always 100% present.
(While typing, I accidentally typed “god” instead of “dog.” Is that a mistake, or kismet?)
Kismet 