 “Its no surprise to anyone who knows my family well (or perhaps anyone who has a teenage daughter themselves) that growing up, my mom and I had a strained relationship.Simply put, she insisted that I sit at the table for dinner, go to bed at nine, periodically clean my room and go to church. She ran the whole house, had a full time job, and was frequently stressed. My dad, on the other hand, seemed totally relaxed to my child eyes. He would secretly take me for donuts before school, or McDonalds after. He would let me stay up late when mom was gone. He cracked hilarious jokes with waiters, librarians, flight attendants, and everyone else, which both delighted and embarrassed me.I was a total daddy’s girl.” Dharma Comics creator Leah Pearlman shares more in this poignant piece. Read More >>
12,692 reads, 250 shares 
 “Robert and Howard had always gotten along well. They’d worked on several projects together and considered each other friends. So when Robert discovered that Howard held a strategy meeting and hadn’t included him, he felt betrayed. He immediately shot off a text to Howard: I can’t believe you didn’t include me in that meeting!” Howard, who has his own narrative around Robert’s previous actions responds with a terse text of his own. And things go downhill from there. Starting with this alll too familiar example, Peter Bregman explores what it takes to communicate skillfully when emotions are involved. He offers four useful questions that can serve us well in such times. Read More >>
11,899 reads, 279 shares
 Iris Grace Halmshaw, is an extraordinary 5-year-old British girl who was diagnosed with autism three years ago. In the first few years of her life she barely communicated. Painting proved to be an unexpected outlet, and her ethereal creations stunned not just her family, but the art world at large. “While Iris has been painting for more than 18 months now, a new friend joined her family just before Valentine’s Day this year, who has helped make all the difference in her ability and desire to communicate with the outside world.” This beautiful story shares more about the unexpected friendship between a gifted child artist and her cat Thula. Read More >>
11,289 reads, 553 shares
 On New Year’s Day a woman named Mildred Norman Ryder left behind her home, her family and her name, to begin what would turn into a 28-year walk for ‘a meaningful way of life’. Peace Pilgrim’s fearlessness, love and simplicity have inspired generations of people worldwide. Here she shares the four relinquishments that powered her way of life. “Once you’ve made the first relinquishment, you have found inner peace because it’s the relinquishment of self-will. You can work on this by refraining from doing any not-good thing you may be motivated toward, but you never suppress it! If you are motivated to do or say a mean thing, you can always think of a good thing. You deliberately turn around and use that same energy to do or say a good thing instead. It works! ” Read on for the other three relinquishments, and more of Peace Pilgrim’s timeless wisdom. Read More >>
10,555 reads, 471 shares
 “During a time of great drought, a Taoist master was asked by members of a village if he could help bring rain to their dry fields. They confessed trying many other approaches before reaching out to him, but with no success. The master agreed to come and asked for a small hut with a garden that he could tend. For three days, he tended the garden, performing no special rituals or asking anything further from the villagers…” So begins an intriguing Taoist parable, that is used here as a springboard into an exploration of synchronicity, and the idea of ‘being the change we wish to see in the world’. Read More >>
10,203 reads, 329 shares
 How do you change the world? Is foreign aid the most effective tool, or should charities funded by millions of small donors lead the way? A new organization called Billions in Change is trying a new strategy: creating inventions to solve the most fundamental problems that people face around the world. Founded and funded by multi-billionaire Manoj Bhargava, the organization has a unique opportunity to directly address the problems of global poverty. Bhargava, the founder of 5-Hour Energy, pledged 99 percent of his wealth to help the less fortunate. So Billions in Change doesnt accept donations.” Read more about this initiative that aims to find solutions to the most basic global problems — water, energy and health. Read More >>
10,023 reads, 336 shares
 “I think that the best way to discover what pronouncing blessings is all about is to pronounce a few. The practice itself will teach you what you need to know. Start with anything you like. Even a stick lying on the ground will do. The first thing to do is to pay attention to it. […] The more aware you become, the more blessings you will find.” This beautiful passage reawakens us to the power of wishing well that we each carry within, and reminds us that when you look at the world with the intention to wish it well then everything begins to open up in a beautiful way. Read More >>
9,160 reads, 380 shares |
In This Issue
Also This Month …
Awakin Reading
 The Value of Solitude, by William Deresiewicz
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KarmaTube Video
 The Thank You Project
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 Awakin Call
A dialogue with Jacob Needleman: Money and the Meaning of Life
KindSpring Story
Submitted by loridey: Transformation of death to life
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Sangha of Auspicious Companions 