In his book, Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabat-Zinn tells a story of how farmers in India would catch monkeys that were destroying their crops. Because they practiced compassion, shooting or killing the monkeys was not an option. They had to find a way to capture the monkey, and then return it to the jungle. After observing the monkeys, one farmer found a way. He cut a small hole in a coconut, just big enough so that the monkey could slide its hand through. He put a banana inside the coconut, Continue reading →

Is it true that people do the best that they can? Well, I believe it is. Now, before you hit delete, hear me out. Our actions are merely a byproduct of our thoughts, our emotions, our level of energy. Yes, we are certainly capable of, and can change our actions, but we first have to make a shift in how we think. So, when someone says (and yes, I’ve heard this countless times in response to my “they’re doing the best they can”), “But what about the person sitting on the couch, watching tv, Continue reading →

There may not be an answer, but I will listen   This morning I had a rather aggravating “encounter” (let’s call it). I had done a meditation earlier in the morning on letting go, and was really working on releasing any tension and negative thoughts that I had. Going into the meditation, I was ruminating about a situation that was really bothering me. So doing this Letting Go meditation was definitely what I needed. When I finished, I really felt so much more relaxed and at ease than I had when I Continue reading →