President Obama said, “The most important thing we can all do is treat each other with kindness and respect.” Let’s make it so! But Is it enough to say the words, or do we need something more to make this real?
Apr 052013
Feb 272013
Grrrr. Sometimes it feels impossible to be kind and loving, don’t you think? We get so angry and frustrated at events happening in our lives that we cannot access that loving place inside of us. Instead, our eyes go from side to side as our fists clench and minds whirr with angry thoughts. Some of [...]
Jan 232013
A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than a giant himself. ~Didacus Stella All of us stand on the shoulders of others – no-one is self-made; no-one is self-sufficient; no one person has brought into being all the things that enrich and improve our lives. And, at the start [...]
May 082012
I was speaking on a panel a few years ago about development. The other panelists were focused on meeting needs such as food and shelter, what we often call “basic needs.” Is emotional intelligence also a basic need? To answer, consider: What happens if people don’t have the skills to make good decisions, to connect [...]
Feb 282012
I heard a tale recently that appalled and fascinated me at the same time. The tale was told to me as a funny story, a hilarious situation. But I was more circumspect. A girl, about eight or nine, had been out with her sister, parents and grandparents. While she was out, she’d visited a public [...]
Sep 052011
I read an article this weekend that described Bhutan (a tiny Himalayan country) as the Happiest Place on Earth. I was intrigued and wanted to know more and I went searching. I found that Bhutan measures its wealth in terms of Gross National Happiness (or GNH) rather than Gross Domestic Product (or GDP). This means [...]
Jun 242011
I was fortunate to sit in on the Science of the Mind Forum at the “Happiness and it’s Causes” conference in Brisbane, Australia last week. During the conference I observed a dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama (HHDL), Paul Ekman (international expert in reading clues embedded in the face, body and voice), Professor Marco [...]
Nov 192010
This is a lovely video and a stunning idea; the Six Seconds’ competencies of Increase Empathy and Pursue Noble Goals are expressed here in a powerful way. What does compassion mean? How do we put it in action? And so beautifully written: The Charter for Compassion The principle of compassion lies at the [...]
Sep 112009
My ten year old is an amazing and resilient spirit. It’s hard to explain if you don’t know him, but he’s not your typical kid and we all know a kid or two like him, I’m sure. He has some learning issues that are new to us over the course of the last year. Actually, [...]
Mar 192009
Emma, my daughter, is having “the year of her life” in school — huge leaps of passion and learning and adventure. And facing powerful challenges. The most pressing being a relentless conflict with another girl, let’s call her Josie. They are both strong willed, independent, and believe themselves to be smart. Patty & I have [...]