Tag Archives: Buddhism
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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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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The Demoralizing Science of Success
One of the most interesting subjects in the field of Positive Psychology is the science of human motivation and success. Why are some people so motivated and so successful? Why do some people not even bother to try? And how … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, change, coaching, compassion, environment, happiness, meaning, meditation, mindfulness, positive psychology, self-care, work
Tagged Buddhism, compassion, Ellen Langer, failure, Harvard, meditation, mindfulness, positive psychology, science, Seymour Krim, success, Tal Ben-Shahar
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It’s Not a Package Deal
One of the problems with being a cynic is that, when you’re trying to learn something new, it’s easy to focus on all the things that sound wrong or silly or otherwise questionable and to disregard the entire lesson or … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, change, coaching, neuroscience, psychology, Uncategorized
Tagged Buddhism, change, cynicism, Freud, learning, meditation, neuroscience, positive psychology, psychology, skepticism, Twitter
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How to Help
It seems almost impossible these days to listen to the news without getting depressed. Whether it’s the flood of refugees fleeing war-torn Syria or another idiotic inflammatory statement by Donald Trump, the deluge of information about the world’s disasters and … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Buddhism, coaching, psychology
Tagged Brian Lehrer, Buddhism, Christina Feldman, CNN, Donald Trump, humanitarian aid, political change, politics, refugee crisis, Syria, von Goethe, WNYC
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You Can’t Own It All
When I go on vacation, I like to find a remote and quiet spot. In fact, much of the reason I go on vacation is to escape the sounds of sirens and jackhammers and car alarms and blaring music I … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Buddhism, change, compassion, environment, happiness, meditation, mindfulness, nature
Tagged activism, advocacy, Buddhism, environment, environmentalism, grasping, happiness, Headspace, jet skis, Maine, meditation, Michel Serres, Nature Conservancy, noise pollution, peace of mind, pollution, private property, property ownership, real estate, The Natural Contract, trulia, vacation, wilderness
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You Are Not Who You Think You Are
When I was a child, I used to regularly freak myself out by the thought that one day I would no longer exist. How could I – my consciousness – simply disappear from the world, when to me, at least, … Continue reading
Posted in coaching, happiness, psychology
Tagged Buddha's Brain, Buddhism, Charles Taylor, coaching, judgments, neuroscience, psychology, Rick Hanson, self, self consciousness
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The Neuroscience of Change: More Cause for Compassion
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to make lasting change, you may find comfort in knowing that one reason is human biology. Neurobiology, in particular. That’s not cause for despair: because with sustained effort and support, our brains … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged addiction, brain, Buddha's Brain, Buddhism, change, coaching, compassion, evolution, habits, happiness, Jim Hopper, neuroscience, Rick Hansen, trauma, yoga
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A Deceptively Simple Practice
I’ve written before about my difficulties with a daily meditation practice, but since I’m increasingly convinced of the benefits of mindfulness meditation and other forms of mind training on health and overall well-being, I was particularly pleased to come across … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, change, coaching, happiness, health, mindfulness, psychology, yoga
Tagged Buddhism, coaching, health, Jim Hopper, Kripalu, meditation, mindfulness, motivation, Rumi, yoga
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