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August 24, 2017

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The Power of a Beginner’s Mind

Picture this: A substitute teacher wearing a kimono and speaking Japanese to inner city students. Surprising? That was exactly the intention of Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu as he attempted to cultivate a “beginners mind” in his students. He asserts that the moment the unexpected is encountered, mindfulness begins without training. The attention is completely focused on the unknown, senses alert in the uncertainty of the moment, and the mind open. He says of the experience of teaching mindfulness to students, “I also want students to experience vulnerability because I believe that it is a key to education as a lifelong commitment to self-reflection rather than a detached mastery of a finite body of knowledge. Vulnerability means appreciating mystery as much as mastery, and being comfortable with not-knowing, ambiguity, uncertainty, and complexity, cultivating awe and wonder that deepen our knowledge.” Read on to understand how allowing for the unexpected can foster a beginner’s mind in oneself. { read more }

Be The Change

The next time something unexpected occurs, observe how awake you become in that moment and notice how fresh the world looks from a beginner’s mind. How can you practice being awake more often?

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August 23, 2017

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How Do I Love Trees? Let Me Count the Ways…

Trees are interwoven into our existence in so many ways. They give us air to breathe, shade from sun, beautiful colors in the autumn, timber to build our homes, food to eat, paper to write on, and so much more. In this ode to our wooded friends,the team at Gratefulness.org have compiled a series of quotes, stories, poems, and photographs that delve deeper into our connection to trees. Going beyond the practical gifts they afford us, these reflections speak to the spiritual connection that has long existed between humans and trees. { read more }

Be The Change

Find a way to say thank you for all you love about trees. Volunteer at a local arboretum, donate to a national park, plant a tree in your own backyard, or add your own photographs, poetry, or thoughts on how trees have impacted your life.

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August 22, 2017

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Nightshift at the Marriott

An emergency search for a room in a town where all hotels were full brought the author and his jet-lagged wife at midnight to a new Marriot-in-construction, as yet seemingly manned by only one or two staffers. A whole line of room-seekers vied for their attention with customers with unmade beds. In a tense, strained situation, the author begins to admire the young staffers doing their best, and a cosmic shift takes place. From being overworked staff dealing with irate customers, they become companions as they make the bed together. The ending may surprise you. { read more }

Be The Change

Be observant of states of tension and emotional pressure in anyone trying to help you today, and “walk a mile in their shoes.” We are all in this world, and this life, together.

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August 21, 2017

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Elie Wiesel on How Our Questions Unite Us

What do leadership and loneliness have in common? What is the difference between solitude and isolation? How might we live through to the other side the intense feelings of being alone that can come upon us? Maria Popova explores these rich and subtle questions in this Brain Pickings article. She delves into a rare essay, “The Loneliness of Leadership” written by holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. { read more }

Be The Change

Reflect on the difference between solitude and isolation. Reach out today, to someone who may be isolated. It could be someone you know or the next stranger you see. Make a connection; with a phone call, a hug, a smile, or simply a look in the eyes.

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In Other News

• KarmaTube Video: The Foster Father Who Cares for Terminally Ill Children
• DailyGood: Spotlight on Seniors Who Are Changing the World
• Awakin Reading: Each Thing’s Way

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August 20, 2017

Small Acts of Kindness

Featured Kindness Stories

	Her maternity and baby things provided a timely offering for the young pregnant woman.
	A dropped drink by a 5-year-old provided an opportunity for kindness.
	A kindness bag kept in her car provides help for the homeless.

Idea of the Week

August 20, 2017

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To Be Content Is to Be Grateful

Even after the most traumatic events, we can still find contentment. One way to achieve this is through gratitude. When Cynthia Mee lost everything in a house fire, instead of looking at it as something destructive, she saw it as educational — grateful for the life lessons she never would have encountered had it not happened. She was grateful for being alive; the fire hadn’t killed her. The Red Cross and firefighters were a huge help — how grateful she was for them, too. In fact, it was gratitude that sustained her throughout the challenges that came after the fire, allowing her to view the experience as less of a loss and more of an opportunity for growth. In times of trouble and even in our everyday lives, gratitude can become like a bridge to contentment, helping us realize and appreciate how much we have. Here is a perfect example of how it’s done. { read more }

Be The Change

Today, counter every complaint you have with a statement of gratitude.

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August 19, 2017

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The Three Sacred Tasks: A Climate Scientist & Father Reflects

Disconcerted by the dramatic changes underway in Earth’s climate systems, Climate scientist and father Peter Kalmus set out on a quest to change his life and the world. A quest that led him ultimately to cut his climate impact to less than a tenth of the US average, while simultaneous increasing his sense of joy and fulfillment. What follows are two excerpts from his new book “Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution”. { read more }

Be The Change

For more on Peter Kalmus’ journey check out this in-depth interview. { more }

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August 18, 2017

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Rosanne Cash on How Science Saved Her Life

In a prelude to her reading of Adrienne Rich’s poetic tribute to Marie Curie, Roseanne Cash discusses the insights she gained as she battled to find a cure to her debilitating headaches. She realized the source of her creativity ‘comes from the same room as her deepest pain’ and argued that we have to listen deeply to our inner truth: “Persist and verify… The power that we abdicate to others out of our insecurity to others who insult us with their faux-intuition or their authoritarian smugness that comes back to hurt us so deeply… But the power we wrest from our own certitude that saves us.” { read more }

Be The Change

How can you use your moments of pain and darkness to be a source of light for others? Be still and listen to your own certitude.

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