Children seem to have no trouble being wide “awake to life.” Neither do puppies for whom every walk involves unbounded enthusiasm and sheer ecstasy at the wonder of it all. The boundless joyfulness and inquisitiveness they show is inborn. It is a natural endowment for being born into this world. Where does that sense of wonder and awe go with time’s passing? Is it recoverable? What is the path by which we can recover it? Read on to learn the steps to "wake up" your brain and reinvigorate your life.
Why PAUSING Ignites a Revolution to Develop Your Evolutionary Health
Modern medicine has brought us revolutionary advances that support better health. But, is the health that modern medicine supports what we mean by true healing? I think not. True healing is not just revolutionary but actually evolutionary. Over millions of years, we have gradually evolved to become self-organizing creatures capable of self-correcting and self-healing in the face of the vast majority of problems that beset us.
The Care & Feeding of a Human Soul
What is the recipe for living a full and fulfilling human life? What are the essential ingredients? Can they be mixed together quickly or does the recipe require slow cooking? These questions actually have science-based answers that align well with ancient wisdom. The real conundrum is why, when the “answers” are at hand, do relatively few people take full advantage of them and adjust their lives accordingly.
How Holiday Cheer Can Bring Joy to the World
December. Winter break. Kids on vacation. Time off work. The Holiday Season. Christmas and Hannukah, which this year begin on the same day, reminding us, if we choose to remember, that an invitation to rededicate ourselves and renew our world is upon us. The Winter Solstice. Lights, smiles, fireplaces and burning logs, get-togethers, hugs and laughter. For many, lots of joy. For others, bittersweet memories, unfulfilled dreams and unsatisfied wishes, maybe even loneliness or melancholy. And, of course, there is counting off yet another year of a finite but unknowable number. The ledger is longer, fuller but still not complete.
How We Die
Time Flies, But Meaning is Eternal
Sean Carroll*, a physicist who explores the universe said, “Life is not a substance, like water or rock; it’s a process, like fire or a wave crashing on the shore. It’s a process that begins, lasts for a while, and ultimately ends. Long or short, our moments are brief against the expanse of eternity.” How does this strike you? Does this view leave you feeling small or even frightened by our insignificance in the vastness of the universe? If our lives are just a fleeting process, how can we make the process as meaningful and fulfilling as possible? How can we make our mortal time here matter and make a lasting impact?
Does Scheduling Activities Ruin the Fun?
A recent study (http://bit.ly/ClocksAndFun) argues that when leisure activities are scheduled, people report them as being less enjoyable than when such activities take place in the spur of the moment. This makes sense, but only up to a point. After all, who doesn't like spontaneity? Dopamine and anticipated pleasure seem to matter more.
Resilience is Necessary, but not Sufficient
Much has been written about resilience. Who wouldn’t want to be more resilient if it means being able to bounce back and pick ourselves up after our setbacks in life? With the inevitability of challenges, losses and suffering in life, the capacity to show resilience is clearly important. Knowing that there are well-established practices that strengthen our resilience skills is comforting. But, is being resilient “enough?”
Who Hides Behind the Masks We Wear?
The central issue remains for us all: Is our public face authentic? Robert Johnson said that who we show ourselves to be in public represents our “psychological clothing.” That clothing is like a mask we wear as we attempt to show the world who we want the world to believe we are, while at the same time hiding or “masking” the parts of ourselves we have come to believe are unwanted, unaccepted, unworthy, unvalued, or in some other way undeserving of being shown in public. Who are we beneath our psychological clothing?