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THIS INTENTIONALLY RUNS THROUGH the email below and the link is key to the video.
At times I have some non-typical thoughts. Yesterday a dear friend prefaced some words to me with “If you were a normal person I would have been surprised, but I know you aren’t normal.”
I am not.
I have some big ideas that are core to me that seem a tad out of place in most places.
Read MoreNot long ago, I went to a bouldering gym in New York with two friends. One of my favorite things about climbing is how communal it is, and on this particular day a group of people had gathered around one course, lining up to try it and cheering strangers on. It was very simple, consisting of only four holds – one large one near the group with a flat top, two smaller holds on the sides of it, and then a larger ledge straight above almost reaching the top of the wall. The only way to finish the course was to step on the one below with one foot while grabbing the smaller holds, swinging your body towards and away from the wall, and then jumping up to grab ahold of the top ledge with both hands. The only way to finish was to psych yourself up, believe that you could do it, and jump with the momentum with both arms straight up.
Read MoreWe started one of our Road Makers gatherings a couple years ago with each person revealing some of our pet peeves… Learning our pet peeves certainly helped humanize all of us in short order by celebrating and laughing at our irritations. It was truly fun mainly I suppose because the group we gathered that night was very willing to be self-effacing! We all could laugh at ourselves pretty darned well. Maybe it was just the magic of the moment.
Read MoreCan we talk about LeBron?
I Just got back from another extensive trip throughout Europe. As a result, I only got to follow the NBA championships from afar. But, wow, LeBron James is simply a magnificent leader for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They had no (statistical anyway) business getting as far as they did – and it was incredible to watch.
Read MoreOn the Community for Change "zoom" calls over the past year, we've brought medium-sized groups together over video to discuss huge topics in a small amount of time. We figured if we shoved "racism" or "post-election divisiveness" into a room for 40 minutes and shut the door with all of us staring at each other over video from all corners of the world, we might actually get some real conversation out of it. No more beating around the bush. We're all here. We all respect one another. So let's talk.
Read MoreA giant Earthworm wiggles its way up from the ground and the kids squeal with delight. “Look at this bug!” Someone else shouts, and I feel a spritz of water on the back of my legs as someone walks by with a tilted watering can. We grab the “Good Bug, Bad Bug” book to see if we’ve got a garden friend or a garden foe. Meanwhile, Sam is munching on his fourth bowl of self-picked salad.
Read MoreMy boyfriend Chad and I spent last weekend at my sister’s apartment in downtown Brooklyn. The living room was super cozy and the bedroom walls held unique artwork from foreign places. The views were incredibly beautiful on the balcony of the 22nd floor. Despite all of that though, the most striking thing was the consciousness this elevation provided.
Read MoreWhile on the road last week, I did a pretty good job of meditating each night. I’ve found this is the best way to overcome both jetlag and the buzzing distraction of being on the road.
Most nights, I did one of the guided mediations on my Insight Timer app. Near the end of my trip I found a guided meditation by Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn.
“OK,” I thought, “this is going to be some serious meditation!”
Read MoreSome people (even beyond Brinton)… love… ants and bees…
I marvel at the collective consciousness.
Ants and bees – it seems -- do have major advantages:
They don’t seem to suffer the downside from “politics” or “corporate ladders” or “bonus pools” or “exit strategies” or “529s” or “remote working” or “promotions” or “work/life balance” or “face time” or “timing of vacations” or “transference overlays with authority or bosses” or “how millennials are different” or “automation”...
Read MoreZen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh probably makes for a very good houseguest. He abides by a simple practice: Whenever you visit someone’s home, do their dishes for them.
Read MoreI’ve just returned from a week and a half in Denmark. There, I learned about, and experienced, a Danish concept called “hygge.” Most pronunciation guides simplify the sound to hoo-ga. But it’s NOT like Chatta-NOOGA. I’d spell it phonetically as heueu-gae – where you breathe out the H, make more of an “ew” than an “oo” sound, and finish with a “gae” sound like the “ae” sound in “Michael.” In short, pronounce it like you’re pretending to be on an episode of The Californians.
Read MoreAfter a series of personally testing events my sophomore year of college, I found myself up late one night in my dorm room ignoring homework and researching schools I could potentially transfer to. When I emailed my old admissions counselor for the small college that was a close second choice to my current university, she immediately called my cell phone the next day and highly encouraged me to apply as a transfer student. Within two weeks, I received an email saying that I had been accepted.
Read MoreA famous quote from Confucius reads: “the man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” I’ve always liked that quote, but I think there’s even more to a question than just getting smarter.
Read MoreWhat a wonderful day to be a teacher. What a wonderful way to get to know the Earth better - through the eyes of a child. What a gift to have a boyfriend who is a wonderful father to wonderful kids - to have a glimpse of life in this role.
How easy it is to get caught up in the stress of managing it all and doing it all “right” - Life that is.
Read MoreAbout 3 years ago, Jaime and I led a mini workshop in NYC about Wellbeing. Dad came to show his support (he was always really good like that.)
Read MoreStillness is something I’ve always aimed for, but a practice I find immensely difficult. It’s the same flaw that so often gets me into trouble with the bees.
Read MoreRight here.
Right now.
At this moment.
I stand.
My feet are on the ground.
Breath enters my nose.
I hear.
Read MoreThis week I had one thought that stayed with me all week.
When I was 16-18 years old, I knew a girl called Mira. We used to study Maths together, she knew statistics, and could explain it to me. She found me really funny - she would laugh hard- with tears coming out, and she was good looking.
When I got to 17 or 18, any girl who paid attention to me was gonna get my attention back.
Neuroscientist Irving Biederman (University of Southern California) and his colleagues have identified a mechanism in human brains that leads us to one clear conclusion: we are designed to be ‘infovores’.
This is because we have a reward system that associates the release of innate opioids with acquiring new information. I have always been a very curious person, and indeed I am my happiest when I’m finding things out.
I had one of those driveway moments a couple days ago—listening to Frank Oz interviewed on the New Yorker podcast about his new documentary, “Muppet Guys Talking.” Oz was the voice of iconic muppets like Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Cookie Monster, Bert, Grover, and Animal. He also brought a little character called “Yoda” to life. He’s also directed a dozen or so feature films (Little Shop of Horrors, Bowfinger, The Score).
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