Sangha of Auspicious Companions

July 9, 2012

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The Importance of Learned Optimism

“[The illiterate of the 21st century,’ Alvin Toffler famously said, ‘will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.’ Martin Seligman’s celebrated book, Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, was originally published 20 years ago and remains an indispensable tool for learning the cognitive skills that decades of research have shown to be essential to well-being — and unlearning those that hold us back from authentic happiness.” This article by Maria Popova shares more. { read more }

Be The Change

“Wisdom in Blinking” is a short and beautiful passage by Mark Nepo on how our mindset influences the quality of our life experiences. { more }

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TAKING CARE OF OTHERS

Taking care of others can be done with two very different motivations. WIth one, we care for others in an unhealthy way, seemingly sacrificing ourselves, but really acting out of fear or attachment. People who are attached to praise, reputation, relationships, and so forth and who fear losing these may seemingly neglect their own needs to take care of others. But in fact, they are protecting themselves in an unproductive way. Their care comes not from genuine love, but from a self-centered attempt to be happy that is actually making them more unhappy.

The other way of taking care of others is motivated by genuine affection, and this is what the Buddha encouraged. This kind of affection and respect for others doesn’t seek or expect something in return. It is rooted in the knowledge that all other beings want to be happy and to avoid pain just as much as we do.