Cool Mind Warm Heart

How Do You Want People to Feel?

My friend, the artist Bob Conge (who drew this handsome fiddler), is a member of the steering committee of the Fiddler’s Fair in Springwater, New York.  Recently he sent me an email saying he wanted to help the committee “define our guiding principles and what we want our fair to be.”  To that end, he asked if I would forward to him “some of those daunting questions you present to your clients in search of who they are?” 

Because these are considerations that shape many a noble ambition, here’s the nut of my reply.

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Made by Belief

Man is made by his belief.  As he believes, so he is.
~ The Bhagavad Gita

When Our Real Parents Die

He said, “I used to meditate for two things.  But today my parents died and I am in sorrow, so I’m not meditating.”  His language was entirely mystical.

I said, “Your parents died?  You’re a swami.  You have nothing to do with parents.”

“No, no,” he said.  “You also have parents.  When they die you will understand.”  He continued: “Attachment was my mother, and anger was my father.  They both died, so I have nothing to do....”

~ Swami Rama

Pennies for Prejudice

[useful absurdity for a peaceful heart]

My latest idea to save the world came, as usual, while wearing glasses that prompt a view of life that is playful, loving and deep.  How else do you find an idea named  “Pennies for Prejudice”?

It begins with a little gizmo to be invented by a roomful of ruthless saints doubling as computer wonks.  It ends by serving anyone who wants to grow a more peaceful heart while also generating the heavy green needed to bankroll a bunch of those honorable initiatives the world cries for?

Developing a Strong Mind

Meditation, the company of saints and intelligent, mentally powerful people, good books, introspection, creative work in art, science, literature and business––all further the development of a strong mind, receptive to the wisdom of the soul.

~ Paramahansa Yogananda

The Spirit of You

Here’s a rewarding way to spend every minute, whether as an individual or an institution.  Be on the lookout for the “spirit of you,” the spirit of who you really are, whenever and however it may appear.  A joke, a song, a photograph, a pizza, the caress of a shirt on your skin, a gracious memo, the way someone rakes the lawn or walks their dog––every smidgen of existence is a potential expression of that distinct vibration of beauty that is you. 

Maybe all there is to creating a healthy life or a healthy enterprise is identifying the spirit of our true self, and doing our best to make choices hand-in-hand with that spirit.  And the more open we are to discovering (or tripping over) that spirit in the world around us, the easier it is to spot when we look within.

...Vermont sunlight in September, Cirque du Soleil’s collaboration with the Beatles, the architecture of Antonio Gaudi, the part of a clam shell that forms a heart with wings, offerings by crazy quilt artist Allison Aller....

My heart smiles, “Hey, that’s me.”

Clear Vision

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.  Who looks outside, dreams.  Who looks inside, awakens.
–– Carl Jung

PORTABLE PEACE

As someone who needs all the help he can get, here’s a practice I find useful in growing a more peaceful heart.

A Few Good Funerals

“Divine perversity” (a term I made up) is when the universe asks us to teach that which we most have to learn.   If that weren’t bad enough, the best teaching can take place only with a few good funerals.

Since all we ever teach is ourselves, teaching the “real” us requires the death of whatever masks we wear.  Such as my old standby, Mr. I’ve Got My Shit Together.   Letting go of masks can be like the passing of a dear friend.  It’s tough for anyone, perhaps  especially those who play the role of leader in a world where image is everything. 

But that difficulty is actually a blessing, so far as I can tell.  It is the universe encouraging us to become more and more aware that, in every moment, with every choice, we are answering what some consider to be life’s most important question: “Who am I?” 

You can read more on the topic in my recent essay, Divine Perversity and the Death of Masks.

How...is everything

How we define our world actually creates our world.

–– Danaan Parry