Category Archives: psychology
War and Peace
To escape the news recently, I’ve been immersing myself in 19th Century novels, and one theme keeps coming across: the destructive human obsession with social status. In Tolstoy’s War and Peace, for example, Prince Andrew Bolkonski, infatuated with dreams of … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, change, coaching, happiness, meaning, psychology, self-care
Tagged envy, glory, psychology, social status, success, Tolstoy, War and Peace
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Time Out
I’ve written almost nothing on this blog since the inauguration of Donald Trump. Partly I think it’s because I’ve been so outwardly focused – fixated on the daily, minute-by-minute news of the disturbing, twisted, often absurd machinations of this new … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, anger, change, positive psychology, psychology, self-care, service, social justice, work, writing
Tagged anger, Buddha, depression, Donald Trump, Harper's, hope, news, Thoreau, time out, Walter Kirn, writing
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No Expectations
There’s a classic zen story that goes like this: A young man approached a great master and asked to become his student. The student asked the master: “How long will it take me to become a master?” “15 years,” replied … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Buddhism, change, coaching, happiness, meaning, mindfulness, positive psychology, psychology, Uncategorized
Tagged aspirations, Buddhism, Deborah Ratner Helzer, expectations, Field Guide to Getting Lost, Kenneth Sheldon, Martin Seligman, motivation, positive psychology, Rebecca Solnit, self-determination theory, success, Tim Kasser, Zen
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Learning from Silence
There’s nothing like a 7-day silent retreat to shut you up. I don’t mean just during the retreat, when, of course, you’re supposed to be quiet. But even after. I’ve found that since returning from a week-long meditation retreat in … Continue reading
Posted in coaching, compassion, meditation, mindfulness, psychology, writing
Tagged change, coaching, meditation, mind, psychology, retreat, silence, writing
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Separating the Normal from the Natural
I’m getting ready to head out on a 7-day silent meditation retreat, and I’ve been feeling a little weird about it. So I really appreciated coming across Paul Graham’s essay, The Acceleration of Addictiveness, which in large part explains why … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, change, coaching, freedom, happiness, health, meditation, mindfulness, nature, psychology, self-care
Tagged addiction, Buddhism, independence, meditation, Paul Graham, technology
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What Would You Do If Nobody Knew?
When thinking about what to do with our lives, it’s easy to get sidetracked by the idea of doing something, rather than how we’d enjoy the experience of doing the thing itself. I loved the idea of being a public interest … Continue reading
Posted in change, coaching, freedom, happiness, psychology, self-care, Uncategorized, work
Tagged Alain de Botton, anonymity, career coaching, careers, employment, jobs, management consulting, meaning, Paul Graham, prestige, Tal Ben-Shahar, warren bennis, work
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Coaching for “Wholeness”
I have mixed feelings about social media, and often feel more assaulted than supported by what turns up on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. But there are always exceptions, and I’ve noticed that Maria Popova’s thoughtful and far-ranging blog Brainpickings … Continue reading
Posted in coaching, happiness, jobs, meaning, psychology, self-care, work
Tagged Brainpickings, coaching, Maria Popova, Martha Nussbaum, Parker Palmer, psychology, wholeness
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How To Deal With Annoying People
I was on a conference call the other day, when a familiar voice started talking. Within seconds, my blood started to boil. It wasn’t so much that the person was saying anything particularly wrong or offensive; what she was saying … Continue reading
Posted in anger, coaching, compassion, happiness, health, mindfulness, psychology, self-care, work
Tagged anger, coaching, emotions, Marshall Rosenberg, nonviolent communication, psychology, Thom Bond
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Some Simple Career Advice
I sometimes hear from recent college graduates struggling to start their careers. They want to know how they can get into human rights work, or journalism, or some combination of the two, and they think that because I’ve done both … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, change, coaching, happiness, health, jobs, meaning, positive psychology, psychology, service, social justice, work
Tagged careers, coaching, Edward Deci, goals, human rights, Kenneth Sheldon, law, Richard Ryan, Tim Kasser, work
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