 “Shelagh Gordon was another name in the obituaries, an ordinary woman who had died suddenly.” Or was she? Here’s what her passing revealed about Gordon: “Her relationships were as rich as the chocolate pudding pie she’d whip together…She was both alone and crowded by love…She was the interpreter, she made sure everybody understood each other’s feelings…You could put your heart on the table and you know that she’d never step on it, because she took great pride and honor that you gave that to her.” Four years ago, a newspaper dedicated unprecedented coverage to 55-year-old Shelagh Gordon’s funeral — in a memorable attempt to illustrate the impact one ‘ordinary’ person can have. Read More >>
75,925 reads, 809 shares 
 If you were going to invest now in your future best self, where would you put your time and energy? While we’re constantly told to lean in to work, to push harder and achieve more, The Harvard Study of Adult Development tracked the lives of 724 men for 75 years and found that the healthiest at age 80 were those who had had the most satisfactory relationships. This fascinating TED talk shares more. Read More >>
19,634 reads, 1,606 shares
 When “Zen Pencils” cartoonist Gavin Than asked fans to vote for their favorite poem to be turned into a comic strip, they chose “Desiderata”, the widely popular poem written by Max Ehrmann in 1927, whose title in Latin translates to “things to be desired”. The poem has been described as a survival guide for life. Than’s illustrations bring these celebrated words alive in a unique way. Read More >>
18,646 reads, 1,559 shares
 “I had just walked into my daughter’s room as she was working on a science project. Normally, I would have been pleased at such a sight. But this time, her project involved sand. A lot of it. And, while she had put some plastic underneath her work area, it wasn’t nearly enough. The sand was spreading all over our newly renovated floors.” When a fraught interaction with his daughter led Peter Bregman to examine his behavior, he gained valuable insight into how each of us can change our mode of dealing with challenging situations for the better. Read More >>
18,365 reads, 1,502 shares
 What if we invited people from different parts of the world, to sit around a fireplace and share stories of their experiences with kindness? A kind act that they may have done, received, or been a witness to. That is what the online KindSpring.org community looks like. It’s hard to select a few stories from thousands that were shared. Some are small acts that make someone’s day, while others are life-altering to say the least. But they all have one thing in common, a big heart. Here are the top 10 stories of kindness from 2015! Read More >>
14,189 reads, 441 shares
 Psychologists studying “post-traumatic growth” find that many people come to thrive in the aftermath of adversity. Read on to learn more about the amazing ability of human beings to not only adapt but to grow incredibly after loss. Read More >>
11,853 reads, 653 shares
 The more we learn about mindfulness — cultivating a focused awareness on the present moment — the more health and well-being benefits we discover. In 2015 researchers delved deeper into the science of meditation and uncovered even more surprising evidence of the powerful effects of mindfulness on mind and body. Read More >>
11,484 reads, 397 shares |
In This Issue
Also This Month …
Awakin Reading
 Absurd Heroism, by Margaret Wheatley
(23 comments)
KarmaTube Video
 Tiny Houses Built With a Big Heart
(18425 views)
 Awakin Call
A dialogue with Jacob Needleman: Money and the Meaning of Life
KindSpring Story
Submitted by brindlegirl: Kindness of a little girl
ServiceSpace Blogs
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Sangha of Auspicious Companions 