Rest your stems
"All man’s troubles come from not knowing how to sit still in one room." – Blaise Pascal My good and wise friend in New Zealand, Richard, evidently determined recently that I needed instruction in how to be idle. Imagine my delight when a book arrived by that title, a gift …
Sit very, very still with Slumpy
"He moves nice. It’s his stillness that’s not right.” – Marilyn Whirlwind Years ago, I was on I-40, driving from Greensboro, North Carolina, to a small town several hours west of there, when I heard a loud bang, an explosion, then a deafening sharp scary ongoing thump, thump, bang, thump. …
Don’t export your best peaches
“The flat sound of my wooden clogs on the cobblestones, deep, hollow and powerful, is the note I seek in my painting.”– Paul Gauguin I had two brushes with greatness last week. The first arrived in the mail. I was shocked to open a 9×12 envelope and find a handwritten …
Vote for innovation
One of the smartest people I know is Jeff De Cagna. He and I used to have regular lunches together in Washington, D.C., when I lived there – I miss those wide-ranging philosophical discussions. One of my fondest memories was our co-facilitating a session about learning for a nonprofit organization. …
Retreat, advance, retreat, open, be still, advance, be human
"It’s great to be great, but its greater to be human." – Will RogersWow. We’ve been simply overwhelmed by the response to our 37days retreat (MIND THE GAP: The Power of Personal Stories) on November 10-12 near Asheville, North Carolina–a journey toward being open, human, storied. Thank you for all …
Be a Chinese Take Out Box
Those who are busy making papier mache Johnny Depp masks, handstitching Pippi Longstocking costumes for toddlers, or creating person-sized Chinese take-out boxes to walk around in might enjoy this post from last Halloween: Make your own costume.
Do it for 37days
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard This is for my friend, Mary, and for me. And, perhaps, for you. What would you do with your 37days? That’s the premise behind 37days, after all … and so, a challenge. To myself as …
Help someone buy a cow
“You may be capable of great things, but life consists of small things.” – Den Ming-Dao A few years and a lifetime ago, I co-authored a book on global leaders. If you squint and use a magnifying glass, you can even see my name on the cover. Not that I’m …
Give free hugs
"We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth…" Virginia Satir Stop. Put down that cup of coffee. Drop the busy business person façade. Before you read any further, watch this video (or click below …
You want it! You need it! Bid on it!
Once in a while you meet an extraordinary person. Every so often you meet two of them. And when the moon is full and slightly blue — or when there are Thirteen Moons — sometimes they show just how gracious and giving they are, as artist George Widener and author …
