Balanced

In the South African tradition of Ubuntu, “I am, because we are.” We are human only through the humanity of others. That is to say, we exist because we are part of the larger community of humankind, and the actions of each of us affects the larger community as a whole. It came to global attention when Archbishop Desmond Tutu made Ubuntu a key component of his Truth and Reconciliation Commission following the end of apartheid in 1991, and it couldn’t be more relevant today. This to me, this is what community is all about. Community, human connection is what I call one of the four building block of happiness (along with mindfulness, movement and nutrition) and our sense of happiness is inextricably tied to our sense of belonging.  In the U.S., we put great emphasis on individuality, and in the building of our country, it served us well. We were independent, self reliant, strong and assertive and that’s what allowed us to break ties with the mother country. And in the ensuing years, those

I came across this poem recently that really spoke to what is important to me at this time in my life. It became the inspiration of a recent meditation and I want to share that poem with you now. An Invitation to Brave Space By Micky ScottBey Jones Together we will create brave space Because there is no such thing as a “safe space” We exist in the real world We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds. In this space We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world, We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere, We call each other to more truth and love We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow. We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know. We will not be perfect. This space will not be perfect. It will not always be what we wish it to be But It will be our brave space together, and We will work on it side by side. In a world in need of justice and equality and fairness, the world needs you to be courageous. We are facing challenges that requ

Often times, the topic for Thursday Night Mindfulness Meditation Group reflects where I’m at in my life. Last Thursday, the topic was boredom. Does anyone besides me find boredom creeping in more than usual these days?  When I prepare for my meditation group, I usually start by looking for an online meditation script that I can use as a jumping off point, then I sort of tailor it to fit my group and my style.  Well, that just wasn’t happening this time. Boredom, it seems, is not a common topic for meditation. It should be. Meditation, in and of itself, can lead to feelings of boredom. So, I did what I always do when I start from scratch, I sat with it. Jon Kabat-Zinn says “When you pay attention to boredom, it gets unbelievably interesting.” Interestingly, as I sat, meditating on boredom, I found that to be absolutely true. So settle in, get comfortable, and enjoy a little boredom. The Meditation Start by connecting with your breath. Notice where you first feel your breath, maybe your

As a graphic designer, my work load has definitely been impacted by the coronavirus. Associations I do work for are having to cancel meetings, and that means all the associated design work is cancelled. Businesses have less income to use for marketing. The flip side of that is, I have time to tend to what I love. So, my blog, which I have ignored for two years, is seeing a re-birth.   So, I was going through some of my old posts and came across this little gem . In it, I address the idea of reducing your dependence on animal products and processed foods. I’m a vegan, so I would love to see you eliminate animal products, but understand that people need to take small steps. I go on to say that there is one food that I strongly suggest you eliminate and that is sugar. UGH! At the time I had been sugar free for 7 months.   That was back in 2017. Somewhere in between then and now, I fell of the wagon and ain’t nothing pretty down that road. Sugar really is highly addictive.   Did you know t