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A Rose and Impermanence
Watch this short on YouTube Roses have petals. Roses have thorns. They bloom. They fade. That’s the arrangement. We pick a rose. Put it in a vase. Admire it. As it becomes wilted, we cast it aside. A rose is one of the few things we’re perfectly willing to enjoy while knowing it won’t last.…
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The World Cup Explained
Watch this short on YouTube The World Cup has come to North America. Interesting game. They chase a ball around all afternoon only to kick it away once they get it. We spend a surprising amount of our lives trying to get what we love. Once we get it, many of us instinctively hold on…
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Sitting in Silence: Zen Drop 30
Very often when I’m alone I find myself sitting in the silence.Not because I’m meditating or trying to clear my mind but because I’ve come to truly love it. Of course it’s never completely quiet.Sometimes the birds are chirping and I hear them but don’t always listen.And the cars go by out the window.Some of…
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An Acquired Taste: Zen Drop 29
Everybody’s got a thing. What’s yours? You have to acquire a taste for cigarettes to enjoy them. And then you love them. Most of the time. And then you have to have them. Same with coffee. It goes beyond addiction. It happens with anything. The familiar. Routine. Comfortable. It’s something like a fake desire. Or…
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The Early Worm Flips the Bird: Zen Drop 28
I’m just working as hard as I can right now.In all ways and meanings of the word work. I’m trying to anticipate my thoughtsand stay ahead of my emotions.Chess or checkers.I’m keeping it all right out in front of me. I know the weather. Jake the Snake Roberts had a deadly wrestling move.Once he had…
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Don’t Poop on the Dog: Zen Drop 27
So you stepped in dog poop. Now what? For starters, the world has enough shit to deal with. Don’t track it all over town. You’ll figure it out. Sometimes people say to “lean in.”Lean into dog shit? No thanks. Sometimes people say everything happens for a reason.Fine. You can explain that while I dig crap…
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The Workout Makes You Stronger. What You Add Makes It Harder.
What story are you adding that is making your experience more difficult? What happens when you notice? This mindful exercise practice can open the door to a new relationship with your workout and your mind. Exercise provides a clean testing ground for mindful training. Consider it a two-for-one. You work out the body, and you…
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Are These Gas Prices High or Something? — Zen Drop 26
Gas prices keep going up.So you’re standing at the pump, watching the numbers climb like it’s a horror movie. Suddenly, a wise old monk walks up and says,“Your resistance is only making this worse.” “Great,” you say. “Does that mean you’re buying?”Because then we might be getting somewhere. We’ve all heard it: grin and bear it.Which…
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Every time I Hear Pink Moon I Think of Her
Urgency without clarity. Ignoring what matters in real time. Without knowing why. And only recognizing it later through a song. Every time I hear Pink Moon I think of her. San Francisco to Seattle.The red sands of Shasta.The moon over Crater Lake. She wanted to stop and see.We didn’t. She wanted to stay in Portland.We…