Practices for life
Quality sleep, meditation and mindfulness, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness and courage are practices that help you towards happiness.
Ideas for the summer holidays
Holidays are a great time to be with ourselves and to be with others, to practice mindfulness, meditation, gratitude and listening.
Be kind
Great teachers have appeared throughout human history, and in many traditions − Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Judaism. Their teachings, although given in different times and in different places, have things in common: kindness, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness and love. We are essentially hairless primates with strong egos and strong tribal instincts which distort these great teachings to create the basis for massive hierarchical organisations where politics, tribalism and appearances become more important than the original teachings. Followers try to make an even greater mystery of these teachers by creating a divine hagiography. Unscrupulous men and women will often use these organisations to their own benefit. There is no doubt that…
That sweet moment of connection
If you try to bring mindful awareness to your life and if you meditate, you will be familiar with the different states of your mind: how it changes, moment to moment and day to day. Some days your attention rests easily in the present moment; you are aware of thoughts arising and releasing them is easy. There are also days when the mind is more active and to maintain concentration is more difficult as the mind is shouting for attention like a spoilt child throwing a tantrum. In these moments simply sitting still can feel uncomfortable. The practice of mindful meditation is a great teacher of patience and humility. Then…
Anger is hell
Anger and its twin brother hatred are based on projections and exaggeration, not on objectivity or wisdom. Johnny was living in his own private hell, surrounded by people who just wouldn’t behave how they should. His need to be right was paramount. He was constantly frustrated that the world simply would not work the way it should. He was furious that people would not see him the way he wanted them to, the way they should. He often felt righteous in his anger and hatred. He couldn’t see that 'righteous hatred' is in the same category as 'righteous cancer' or 'righteous tuberculosis' − all utterly absurd concepts. The few friends…
The persistent illusion
Whatever way you cut it, whatever the point of view: physics, spiritual, social, organisational − we are not only connected, but also highly interdependent. The point of view that goes counter to this is that of the ego. Ego creates separation. When we live from the perspective of the ego (as most of us do, most of the time), we divide the universe into two categories: Me (everything inside this bag of skin) and mine (everything that belongs to what’s inside this bag of skin). This gives rise to the bubble in which most of us live, most of the time − the bubble called the “me centred universe”. From…
The rudiments of happiness
Be present: Most suffering is caused by too much thinking. Choose to be present in your physical life, rather than in the drama of your imagined mental life. “Think less, be more!” Be kind to yourself and to others: Treat yourself at least as well as you would treat a good friend! Unless we take care of ourselves, we will not be able to take care of others effectively. You could search the whole world, but you will not find anyone who deserves your love and kindness more than you do. Be grateful: Never lose sight of the mind-boggling miracle, the privilege of being alive, being conscious and being here.…
Thank you to my true love
We are in the 30th year of our relationship and the 29th year of our marriage. It has been quite a ride. I want to share with you some of the things I have learned and to say thank you to Rhea. When I met Rhea I was divorced, living alone. Rhea lived opposite with two little girls aged four and two. My previous marriage (which lasted four years was doomed from the beginning: two people in pain with very limited emotional and self-awareness, hoping that the other would fill the emotional hole. I had already spent some six years seeking truth, connection, peace and happiness. I had already “woken…
ADOPT AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Gratitude is the most effective investment that you can make in your own wellbeing, health and happiness. In terms of return on investment (effort versus result) there is no more effective attitude or practice to adopt, than that of gratitude. It gives us access to the joy and wonderment of life which in turn, are antidotes to feelings of scarcity and loss. It helps you meet life's difficulties with a more open heart ─ to simply meet life in each moment as it rises. We're told (particularly as children) to be grateful for our blessings or good fortune. This is an excellent idea but does not go far enough. We…