When Nothing Works
I’d had tendinitis in my elbow for over a year. Even something as gentle as twisting a doorknob made me wince in pain. I went to see my brother, Bertie, who also happens to be my doctor. As Bertie examined my elbow, I reminded him of everything I had done to try to fix my problem. When it began to hurt, I used ibuprofen. When that didn’t work, we tried two injections of cortisone, six months apart. Meanwhile, I did physical therapy, tried ultrasound, used a brace, performed daily exercises, applied ice, and went to acupuncture and massage….”Nothing has helped!” I complained. “I have an idea,” Bertie said. “Something we haven’t yet tried.” “What?” I hoped it wouldn’t be too time-consuming or expensive. “You just said it yourself,” he replied. “Nothing.” { read more }
Be The Change
A beautiful passage by the celebrated Japanese farmer, philosopher – whose “Do Nothing” approach to cultivating the land, and one’s own life inspired millions. { more } |
“Today a young man knocked on my door. He was a door to door salesman. Unfortunately I could not buy what he was selling but I made sure to give him all of the attention that he needed and remained pleasant throughout his short presentation. You see not too long ago I myself was doing door to door sales and I appreciated it when people were pleasant to me so I wanted to extend him the same courtesy I rarely received. I closed the door as he left and I thought of how tired and hot he must have been. So I grabbed a bottle of water and some cold apple juice along with a clean towel and went back outside to find him. He was at the next door by that time but I caught up with him and gave him the items. He was extremely grateful and said it was the nicest thing anyone had done for him all day.” — Hasifa
Sangha of Auspicious Companions 