For the first half hour bumping through the clouds in this small plane I’ve been trying to make small talk with the guy sitting next to me. The weather. Is this vacation or work? Where is home? Short questions and … Continued
Recently a wind storm knocked over one of my favourite trees in our neighbourhood, a large cedar that must have been about 200 years old. City workers moved in with saws to shave the new stump, revealing the wide and … Continued
Mindful Communication; A Mirror for Effective Feedback Kris, the woman sitting next to me on the plane, was returning from what she called a ‘new kind’ of management conference. “What was different about it?” I asked, curious about her … Continued
Last week around 45 people celebrated New Year’s in a silent winter retreat in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Along with plenty of sitting meditation, we were exploring what happens when we make a commitment , like quitting … Continued
Blessings and Hearts Today my American family and friends are celebrating Thanksgiving. Internet sites are posting stories about all we have to be thankful for. In particular, I was reading a text by psychologist Dr. Robert Emmons about the … Continued
Joy slips into my life by surprise. I click an e-mail attachment and the eyes of my friend’s new-born baby blink open. The traffic’s stopped in the rain at a construction zone– out of nowhere, a brilliant rainbow! A spring … Continued
Normally we think of mindfulness as a peaceful experience. But there is an unbearably painful side to this practice of waking up. For me, this happens when a story from the news comes to life and pierces my heart like … Continued
I’m grateful to have been invited to join the radio program An Organic Conversation http://www.anorganicconversation.com/ on March 17. The topic is listening as love. To me, this is the magic of mindful communication. Here’s a simple formula for this: Stop! … Continued
Using mindful communication as a relationship practice is like a magic mirror. Just like the fairy tale queen, we want this mirror to tell us the truth but secretly we sometimes would rather not know. If we look carefully into … Continued
Sometimes it’s easier it is to see the qualities in a rock than to find anything interesting in another person. From a distance, most people are easy to admire. And our inner circle of friends and family can be endlessly … Continued