Sometimes we feel like we need to force change. We know where we want to end up; we create plans and mood boards; we talk about change, announcing our intentions to the world, inviting it to hold us accountable. We plunge in, try, fail, try again, fail again, grow discouraged, try from a different angle, …
Do you have trouble letting go of things? As I was looking around my office, where I meditate and work, I was reflecting on the things that ended up here. In particular, on the large drum - larger than a hatbox - made out of a light wood and filled with excelsior, that is the …
Yesterday I cleaned out my closet. People tell me that I bring stillness and calm and that is the image I try to bring. Nothing dramatic, a peaceful presence, neat and organized. I wrote recently about how I cultivate a calm, peaceful space in my office. Yet every one of my closets is overflowing with …
In one of my favorite Zen stories, a traveling Zen master stops at a temple, where he is invited to speak to the congregation. As the Zen master greets people entering the temple to study, he is joined by the temple’s proctor, the person in charge of admitting people to the temple and maintaining order. …
I have been thinking this morning about Orpheus. Orpheus is, I believe, the ancient Greek musician whose beloved wife died. Orpheus loved her so much that he journeyed to hell. There he so moved Hades – the god of hell – with the beauty of his music, that Hades allowed Orpheus to lead his wife …
Continue reading Off the Shelf: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
