Many years ago one of my teachers said, “…Before Enlightenment chop wood carry water, after Enlightenment, chop wood carry water….”. What’s the difference? The tasks are the same. The need is the same. What about the frame of mind? Who is chopping the wood? And who is carrying water? I have also been told that,…
When I was around five years old, my father set aside some of his small hand tools in a toolbox for me to use. Often in the evenings or on the weekends when my father was working on a project, I would be there with him fashioning something from scrapes of wood he had discarded.…
Since every day we seem to be bombarded with more and more stress, Alex and I would like to share some simple tips, and stories with you to hopefully put a smile on your face and help you keep your head screwed on straight in these very, very challenging times. Remember, we can move through…
When I was much younger and things didn’t magically fall into place I would push harder, try to endure, and stay on task. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. Then later in life when I experience a very serious head injury everything changed. All of a sudden, I was no longer able to override…
As far back as I can remember I have been fascinated by stillness. Stillness is different than the absence of noise. In stillness there exists a richness where you can delve into the fabric and meaning of the moment or life. Everything I do or create is an extension of that stillness and my desire…
Recently on my morning walk I found myself exploring a playground and reminiscing about the playgrounds I used to play on when I was younger. I can still remember spinning around and around on the merry-go-round and squealing with joy, as my world became a dizzy blur. The older children would periodically jump off and…
Today I would like to talk about masks. We all wear masks from time to time. It is a way to protect ourselves, hide our inner most feeling, maneuver difficult situations, and explore new ways of being. Unfortunately, if you aren’t aware of your mask and the reason you feel a need to wear a…
Today I would like to tell you a story about how my daughter helped me shift from my reactive mind to my problem-solving mind one sunny afternoon over lunch. The reason I feel this is important is because there is an excessive amount of stress in the world today. With this in mind, I feel…
Today I would like to tell you a story about Whimsey, who was our family dog many years ago. Every morning after we took our morning walk I would sit down at my desk to work. While I was busy, Whimsey sometimes would play with a toy, though her favorite past time is finding things…
Today I would like to share some excerpts from a poem I wrote many years ago because over the years I have found it to be a helpful reminder of what I need to do when I am overwhelmed or disoriented by stress. For many decades I have known that doing something creative or connecting…