Category: Living Deliberately

A Sense of Agency: Feeling in Control.

  Simply giving employees a sense of agency - a feeling that they are in control, that they have genuine decision-making authority - can radically increase how much energy and focus they bring to their jobs. Charles Duhigg We all have periods when the world seems to get a way from us. Too much to do: … Continue reading A Sense of Agency: Feeling in Control. →

Minimalism: over-engineeering the selfie.

    Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris William Morris was one of the founders of the "Arts and Crafts Movement" which arose during the second half of the nineteenth century in response to the mass-produced goods coming out of the … Continue reading Minimalism: over-engineeering the selfie. →

Minimalism: quality in all things, not quantity, is what matters.

By bringing about a change in our outlook toward things and events, all phenomena can become sources of happiness. The Dalai Lama We live in an always on, forever connected world. Sadly there is an increasing recognition that our general levels of happiness are not improved by such material things. The pervasive sense of ennui … Continue reading Minimalism: quality in all things, not quantity, is what matters. →

Pulling our own strings: The mindful art of undoing prejudice.

Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible. Maya Angelou What is the biggest thing that stops people from living their lives in the present moment? Fear - and we must learn how to overcome fear. Brian Weiss Living in the moment and being preoccupied with our … Continue reading Pulling our own strings: The mindful art of undoing prejudice. →

Living Deliberately: wearing expertise lightly.

There is a fluency and an ease with which true mastery and expertise always expresses itself, whether it be in writing, whether it be in a mathematical proof, whether it be in a dance that you see on stage, really in every domain. But I think the question is, you know, where does that fluency … Continue reading Living Deliberately: wearing expertise lightly. →

The Wonkiness of Life.

WABI SABI. The discovery of beauty in imperfection; The acceptance of the cycle of life and death. Wabi Sabi is not the Lone Ranger's younger brother, but a concept arising from a japanese aesthetic of art appreciation. It is closely linked with Zen Buddhism. It is very difficult to describe exactly what constitutes Wabi Sabi, but … Continue reading The Wonkiness of Life. →

Removing mental cobwebs: our moral obligation?

  The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country. Hermann Goering As we grow … Continue reading Removing mental cobwebs: our moral obligation? →

Living Deliberately: using reverie to reflect who we want to be.

Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I find it a cause for sadness that we live in an age where the West has become wealthier than ever, and status is afforded to the owners of the shiniest bling, or … Continue reading Living Deliberately: using reverie to reflect who we want to be. →