Sangha of Auspicious Companions

How to Attend A Conference As Yourself

To know yourself, be yourself. To be yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that. Just be. Let your true nature emerge. Don’t disturb your mind with seeking. — Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Good News of the Day:
“I often feel awkward when I go to a conference. Reluctant to sidle up to a stranger and introduce myself, I roam, like I did at college parties, self-conscious, seltzer water in hand, not fitting in. In the midst of a sea of people chatting away enthusiastically, I am uncomfortable and alone. But when my plane from New York landed in Austin, Texas for South By Southwest, the music, film, and interactive conference, I was excited. I was speaking on a panel and, since everyone told me SXSW is a blast, I had given myself an extra day to explore the conference. But it didn’t play out like I had hoped.” In this candid post, leadership expert Peter Bregman describes an unsettling conference experience that ultimately led him to valuable insights on what happens when we substitute our insidious dependence on external roles for the simplicity of — presence.
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Be The Change:
Practice being fully present in new surroundings. [For those who couldn’t access yesterday’s DailyGood on “Building a Muscular Empathy”, click:
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Smile Newsletter: A Simple Bowl to Drink From

Apr 8, 2012 “The best way to find yourself is to loose yourself in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi “I made time to thank all of my friends in my life. Although I didn’t mention their names explicitly, I declared why I love and respect them in a common email.” — Bluxless [ share your story >> ] You can also contribute comments on each story! The Gift Of Time To An Upset Student >> A Simple Bowl To Drink From >> A Table for Three >> More Stories >> “Knowing that we are all interdependent and interconnected,that all people desire to be safe and free, that we all desire appreciation and respect, and that we all deserve the best that we can give to one another. That is what motives my kindness.” — Hollysings What is a “smile card”? It’s a game of kindness — do something nice for someone and leave a card behind asking them to pay it forward. To date, 1,020,869 cards have been shipped without any charge. The ‘Smiles’ newsletter is emailed to 89,370 subscribers with the intent of spreading more smiles in the world. You can unsubscribe anytime. get smile cards | donate | write to us

Building a ‘Muscular Empathy’

Everyone adds something to a situation by their actions and words. The very first things said or done, will quickly decide what happens next, positive or negative. Be patient and empathetic, and the direction usually goes positive. — Gary Rudz

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Inspiration of the Day:
“‘We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions.’ In attempting to empathize, we’re actually missing the point if we are judging at all. Because then we are more concerned with being knowledgeable, being right — or even being good — than we are with actually feeling another person’s reality. But even moral imagination, operating creatively from a place of first putting myself in another’s shoes, while crucial, is only the beginning. To effect a lasting change in perception and understanding, I have to actually experience another’s reality as if it were my own. The good news is that scientific research increasingly shows that a part of the brain already does exactly that.” An insightful reflection on building a ‘muscular empathy.’
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=16AB247:C3009629A010612C5F9976EECABDAB62B4B847859706E37D&

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Be The Change:
Work on building your empathy muscles today: listen, feel, relate, and respond to someone’s needs.

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The Power of Self-Compassion

If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation. — Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Good News of the Day:
Are you your own worst critic? It’s common to beat ourselves up for faults big and small. But according to psychologist and author Kristin Neff, that self-criticism comes at a price. For the last decade, Neff has been a pioneer in the study of “self-compassion,” the revolutionary idea that you can actually be kind to yourself, accept your own faults– and enjoy deep emotional benefits as a result. In this insightful interview she discusses the three core aspects of self-compassion, and shares how poignant experiences, including being the mother of a son diagnosed with autism, helped her better understand the vital importance of kindness towards oneself.
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Be The Change:
This week, experiment with incorporating the three core components of self-compassion that Neff describes in your own life.

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Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week Those training in great love should forsake self-centeredness and engage in the Buddha’s practice, the root of which is compassion. You may be thinking, Love is indeed very profound, but I do not have the skill to practice it; I will focus my efforts on practices aimed at getting myself out of cyclic existence instead. On one hand, this is true, because you should choose a path of development appropriate to your ability. On the other hand, there is great advantage in attempting the highest degree of love you can. Even if you cannot actually implement the practices of love and compassion, merely hearing about them establishes powerful predispositions for future success. This can be amplified by planting prayer-wishes aspiring to altruism. Do not be discouraged; it is difficult to absorb such a profound perspective. Be courageous and think of your future potential. It is particularly important to do the best you can.(p.82) –from How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships by H.H. the Dalai Lama, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins How to Expand Love• Now at 4O% off!

Video of the Week: Mr. Happy Man

You’re receiving this newsletter because you are a KarmaTube subscriber. Having trouble reading this mail? View it in your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Video of the Week Apr 06, 2012 Mr. Happy Man For six hours each day, Bermuda’s Johnny Barnes stands at a busy traffic intersection telling all who pass that he loves them. His delight and sincerity are infectious, and the people of the island love him back. His service is a simple reminder of the power of happiness and loving-kindness to change any day for the better. Share: Related KarmaTube Videos Dance Like No One Is Watching Change for a Dollar I Will Be a Hummingbird How To Be Alone About KarmaTube: KarmaTube is a collection of inspiring videos accompanied by simple actions every viewer can take. We invite you to get involved. Other ServiceSpace Projects: DailyGood // Conversations // iJourney // HelpOthers MovedByLove // CF Sites // Karma Kitchen // More Thank you for helping us spread the good. This newsletter now reaches 42,426 subscribers.

Wisdom From Alice, Age 108

I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains. — Anne Frank

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Good News of the Day:
At age 108, Holocaust survivor Alice Herz Sommer still practices piano for 3 hours every day. At age 104, she had a book written about her life: “A Garden Of Eden In Hell.” At age 83, she had cancer. Alice survived the concentration camps through her music, her optimism and her gratitude for the small things that came her way – a smile, a kind word, the sun. When asked about the secret of her longevity, Alice says: “I look where it is good.”
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Be The Change:
Learn more about the incredible life of Alice Herz Sommer, the oldest living Holocaust survivor.
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Dharma Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Dharma Quote of the Week Meditation, when learned skillfully, can enable a return to awareness of the body, our sensations, and feelings. When we are not given specific guidance to ground our meditation within the body, however, meditation can easily perpetuate a disembodied spiritual practice. This is accentuated if our view of spirituality sees the body as some kind of problem to be transcended. Unfortunately, this view can prevail even within the Buddhist world, despite being counter to the essential principle of mindfulness and presence. When, however, we cultivate the capacity to remain present in our felt experience within the body, our relationship to ourselves changes. We can begin to feel more grounded in our life and more stable in our identity. Engaging in a disembodied spirituality is no solution to our life demands. It may be a way of experiencing states of mind that can be very seductive, even addictive. Seldom does it address the roots of our emotional problems. Transformation comes when we are willing and able to restore or develop a sound relationship to our body in a healthy way. With many Buddhist practices, such as Tantra, this is essential, for the body contains the vitality that is the heart of our innate creative potential. Embodiment therefore implies a full engagement in life with all of its trials and tribulations, rather than avoidance through disembodied spiritual flight. The value of meditation is that it can enable this engagement because it cultivates the capacity to be present and remain open, not grasping at or rejecting what arises. When meditation emphasizes presence rather than transcendence, this openness is a natural outcome.(p.143) –from The Wisdom of Imperfection: The Challenge of Individuation in Buddhist Life by Rob Preece, published by Snow Lion Publications The Wisdom of Imperfection • Now at 5O% off! (Good until April 13th).

Kindness Daily: Magnetically Attracting Kindness

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Magnetically Attracting Kindness April 5, 2012 – Posted by greggie I found a twenty dollar bill on the ground the other day. I’ve been on a tighter than usual budget the last month so thanked my lucky stars for the opportunity to spend more on others. First few bucks were spent opportunistically: anonymously adding to the funds of an older man who went into a gas station counting bills and asking for ten dollars if gas. That kind of thing. Last night I walked down the street after work and saw a woman selling a newspaper published for homeless folks. She also had some fridge magnets for sale. "What’s your most popular magnet?" I asked. "Oh, probably the Bob Marley. This John Coltrane one is really nice too," she said. "I’m surprised it hasn’t gone yet. They’re five dollars each." I counted the remains of the cash. "Here’s nine dollars," I said. "Which one would you like?" "I don’t need one myself, but the next person that wants one, it’s on me. An anonymous friend." I gave her the nine dollars plus a Smile card. Her expression just lit up. "Oh I do that all the time!" she said, getting the spirit right away. "I just can’t help being generous, my heart tells me to! Just earlier today a young lady wanted one and only had fifty cents and I gave it to her." I was glad that my gift would help her to keep giving according to her spirit, or take care of some of her own needs. She went on to share how not everyone showed kindness to her, how earlier someone driving by had yelled profanity at her but that she chose not to have negative thoughts about it. "And now here’s God sending you as a sign that that was the right choice!" I wasn’t sure if that was exact math, but according to my understanding that’s more or less how it works. 🙂 Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories Costco Love, by earthling Spreading Smiles in Calcutta, by Pavi An Interview With Sharon Salzberg, by Joey Kindness In Grief, by monabr Seeing the Joy Spread, by sunny9874 Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

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Two Tragic Moments & One Boy’s Compassion

Give yourself entirely to those around you. Be generous with your blessings. A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. — Steve Maraboli

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Good News of the Day:
Nearly a decade ago Eddie Canales was watching his son’s football game. Chris Canales, a high school senior, had three offers to play college football, and that night, he was having the game of his life. With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, he made a touchdown-saving tackle. But something went wrong. “I could hear my teammates saying, ‘Chris, come on, let’s go,’ ” Chris, now 26, remembered. “And I couldn’t move.” It was a spinal chord injury that left the teenager permanently paralyzed. A year after that fateful day Chris and his father would return to the football field for the first time after the accident. Which is when the unexpected would happen and tragedy would change their life irrevocably for the second time – and evoke an inspiring response.
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Be The Change:
Be generous with your blessings. Make time to alleviate someone’s pain. Even if it’s just through a kind word or the comfort of shared presence.

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