Sangha of Auspicious Companions

May 11, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

How Aging is Changing

“The job of any doctor, Bludau later told me, is to support quality of life, by which he meant two things: as much freedom from the ravages of disease as possible, and the retention of enough function for active engagement in the world. Most doctors treat disease, and figure that the rest will take care of itself.” In this in-depth New Yorker article, celebrated author Dr. Atul Gawande reflects on the process of aging from various perspectives: medical, sociological, and personal. It is an inquiry only increasingly relevant. In 1950, 11% of the U.S. population was under 5, and 1% over eighty. Today, there are as many 50-year-olds as 5-year-olds, and in thirty years, there will be as many people over 80 as there are under 5. Medicine has increased the ranks of the elderly. Can it make old age any easier? { read more }

Be The Change

“If we could be mindful of how short our time is, we might learn how precious each day is.” Celtic mystic John O’Donohue shares a powerful reflection. { more }

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May 10, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

The Third Side of a Conflict

How do we live together in a world of differences? So much depends on our ability to handle our conflicts peacefully — our happiness at home, our performance at work, the livability of our communities, and, in this age, the survival of our species. The Harvard Negotiation Project’s William Ury offers a promising new way to look at the conflicts around us, called the Third Side — the side we often don’t see in looking at the two sides of an issue. Ury suggests 10 practical roles any of us can play on a daily basis to stop destructive fighting in our families, at work, in our schools, and in the world. Although in its infancy in our modern-day societies, these ideas have been used effectively for millennia by ancient cultures to reduce violence and promote dialogue. { read more }

Be The Change

Try out some of the practical roles Ury suggests in the article above.

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May 9, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Is the Internet Changing the Way We Think?

Each year, Edge.org poses a provocatively deep question to visionaries in science and culture. This year, it collected 168 essays relating to the question, “How is the Internet changing the way you think?” In answer, academics, scientists and philosophers responded with musings on the Internet enabling telecommunication, or functioning as a sort of prosthesis, or robbing us of our old, linear mode of thinking. Responses alternate between the quirky and the profound; the Atlantic Wire excerpts some of the more piquant answers. { read more }

Be The Change

For you personally, has the Internet changed the way you think? Share your reflections here. { more }

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May 8, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

5 Powerful Tools for Reflection

“Reflection is actually one of the secrets to my success. At least once a day, and more often several times a day, I reflect on my day, on my life, on what I’ve been doing right, and what isn’t working. I reflect on every aspect of my life, and from this habit of reflection, I am able to continuously improve. Reflection is what gave me the topic of this post, and the tips that are to follow. Reflection is what gives me the content of every post I write here.” The founder of the popular Zen Habits blog shares five powerful reasons to make reflection a daily habit, and how to do it. { read more }

Be The Change

Start a one-sentence journal today. If you’d like, share your reflection here. { more }

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May 7, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

How We Can Change Our Minds

The study of neuroplasticity is changing the way scientists think about the mind/brain connection. How can we use scientific discoveries linking inner experience with brain function to effect constructive changes in everyday life? How does the brain change as we influence each other? How can we re-shape our brain to become more open and receptive to others? New evidence is showing that the mind can control the brain’s chemistry, which means refocusing the mind literally reprograms the brain, giving us more control over our lives. { read more }

Be The Change

Today, see if you notice any recurring thoughts which might warrant re-evaluation.

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May 6, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Harvesting Water, Out of Thin Air

The African Namib beetle has found a distinctive way of surviving. When the morning fog rolls, it collects water droplets on its bumpy back, then lets the moisture roll down into its mouth, allowing it to drink in an area devoid of flowing water. What nature has developed on it’s own, Shreerang Chhatre, an MIT graduate student, wants to refine, and help the nearly 900 million people worldwide that live without safe drinking water. But how much water can you possibly get from air? In some field tests, in just a day, fog harvesters have captured one liter of water per square meter of mesh. { read more }

Submitted by: N. Verma

Be The Change

Stuck on a problem? Look to nature for a clue, and learn more about the emerging design discipline of biomimicry. { more }

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May 5, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Secrets from 17 Years of Silence

In 1971, after the devastating 800,000-gallon oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, John Francis, then a young man, pledged to never ride a motorized vehicle again. Two years later, he added voluntary silence to his vow, spending 17 years in silence as he walked the world and became known as The Planetwalker. The first words that he spoke again were in Washington, D.C., on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. In 2009, Francis, by then a National Geographic fellow with a Ph.D, told his remarkable story in the candid and deeply inspirational Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence. { read more }

Submitted by: CF

Be The Change

Try listening twice as much today. Try a day in silence.

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May 4, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Simple Philosophy of the World’s Oldest Man

Walter Breuning had a deceptively simple philosophy that he lived by for 114 years. And it was these ideas for living that appeared to be his secret to a long life. “Every change is good.” “The more you do for others, the better shape you’re in.” “We’re going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you’re born to die.” Learn more about the world’s oldest man. { read more }

Be The Change

Consider the simple philosophies that are a part of your world. What will sustain you?

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