Hard rain. Torrential rain. Rain that drums on the roof like it wants to get in. Accompanying gale force winds. Whipping through the trees, whistling and howling. Change has come to the weather. The last week of ice and frost with its pleasant, expansive open blue skies has given way… Read More »Change and Enlightenment the Zen Buddhist Way
Acceleration. It feels good to be moving. Hitting the pace. Autumn sunlight caresses the skyline and the bright yellows and subtle browns of my window view begin to blur as the train picks up speed. Swiftly approaching 120 miles per hour. Positioning my mind to have a good day, I… Read More »On Personal Development: Building People and Having Faith
Doodling with Intent This weekend I taught my son how to draw expansively. At least that’s what I’m calling it. I don’t know what the word is for drawing doodles which connect to each other but it must be a thing. The rain poured outside. The little ones had tired… Read More »Doodles, Old Souls, and Koans: Lessons from a Rainy Afternoon
Tick. Tick. Tick. The gentle, rhythmic ticking of a watch, each second marks the relentless passage of time. Now, imagine that watch transformed into a canvas. A scenic depiction. A wrist-sized snapshot of life in all it’s splendour, as well as displaying passing seconds, minutes and hours. In the vibrant… Read More »On Time: What is your relationship to your watch?
Scary Times I close my eyes. Blackness. Solitude. Fear of the unknown. I picture horrendous things out there in the darkness. My inner voice tells me they want to harm me. Shadow beings with teeth like knives and creatures with many horns and limbs. Crawling, scrambling somewhere out behind the… Read More »How does storytelling create reality?
A few days ago it was the summer solstice here in the UK. I love this time of year. The summer lies ahead of us like a vast canvas, ready for us to elevate our experiences into lifelong memories. Friends will be contacted, good times will be had. May is… Read More »On the employment market: How to mindfully embrace uncertainty
Cant catch a break? Try this. Unexpected, unprecedented. Resetting and refocusing. A kind of a break, and a new start of sorts. Three and a half weeks without my young family’s constant needs was just what the doctor ordered. Only, I didn’t know it until the opportunity was thrust upon… Read More »1 Tip to improve everything: Take an actual break
Why philosophy books though? I’ve come to realise that the only paper books I hold onto these days are philosophy books. I have never been a voracious reader but for some reason I have accumulated nearly a library on things related to Zen. This includes the topics of Buddhism generally,… Read More »Best Zen philosophy books for beginners
A nearby temper tantrum Today, I witnessed a horrendous tantrum. I was waiting in a queue to pay for lunch at Thatcham garden centre café. I had my two young children there with me. As I was keeping an eye on them clinging to my legs, I heard an awful… Read More »Learning from children: adopting a playful attitude to life
If only I could give out medals for services to my life. I would award Lex Fridman ‘Most Informative Podcaster’ for his excellent work interviewing a wide range of public intellectuals. He consistently puts out thought-provoking and intriguing episodes. His work rate is phenomenal. The discussions themselves are deep. The… Read More »On being bothered: Do you recognise your zone of control?
I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective recently. On this day, exactly one year ago we picked up the keys to our new house. With this we increased the hope of a better life ahead for us. Not that life had been particularly troublesome for us up until that point.… Read More »The Power Of Your Mind
The first Breakdown of the Day Communication matters. This was it. This was dinosaur day. A trip up the A34 to Oxford to the Museum of Natural History. Mostly to indulge my three-year-old’s current mega obsession with all things prehistoric and lizard-like but also to find a renowned cake shop.… Read More »On Communication and Stress (dealing with family days out)