What does it mean to shoot the second arrow? It comes from a Buddhist Parable. Source - True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart, by Tara Brach The Buddha once asked a student, “If a person is struck by an arrow, is it painful?” The student replied, “It is.” The Buddha [...]
I was raised to think that emotions were something to be suppressed and controlled, and showing emotion was a sign of weakness, especially at work. Whether it was showing fear or regret or even showing too much happiness or feelings of accomplishment, it was an opening for someone to take advantage of you. But I’m [...]
Are you holding a grudge against yourself? For most of us, holding that grudge feels like anger, disappointment and judgment directed towards our self. That feels awful, huh? Don’t worry, we can do something about it. I’m often given the opportunity to speak about inner compassion. It doesn’t matter where I go, from beautiful churches [...]
What if you went your whole life without remembering to find the magic? What if you forgot to let a warm sunbeam strike your cheek and set you a glow from the inside? What if you never made time to brush a rose petal across your lips? What if you forgot to splash in the [...]
My Mom is an expert gift giver. She is on the hunt year-around, carefully thinking about the people she loves, picking out the things she thinks will bring them the most joy. Seeing a loved one open up the perfect present is a reward in and of itself, but sometimes we can get so focused [...]
Compassion is not for the weak. Compassion can be one of the boldest and courageous acts you can take. But don’t worry it comes naturally. Looking into the eyes of someone who is suffering we naturally empathize with the person. This is how we are wired, when we see another suffering we can feel it, [...]
I’m standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes and there is an epic battle going on. I’m fighting with my housemate about how he damaged my car, and he is yelling back at me. I’m very self-righteous and indignant. The problem is, my housemate moved out 2 months ago. THIS epic battle only exists in [...]
If you can’t tell by the title, this blog post is about making poor choices. When it comes to taking care of ourselves sometimes we can do a poor job of it. I want to talk about that. For many people eating a muffin out of a vending machine is not that big of a [...]
It’s 6:30 and I’m getting ready for an early coffee meeting. I pull my shirt from the basket of clothes, and I think to myself, “Ugh, I should have taken time to hang up the laundry last night.” I glance into the mirror as I’m leaving the house and say, “Man, I really need to [...]
