Although I can’t claim that I’m Buddhist, I’m really drawn to Buddhist psychology, and I’ve read a number of books by the Dalai Lama. I count him among a short list of very influential people in my life. In one of his books, perhaps it was The Art of Happiness, he presents a simple (but not…
I’ll admit it – I’ve had iPhone envy since they came out a couple of years ago. I’ve had the minimalist cell phone for what seems like forever. I’ve always liked gadgets, so that made the iPhone all the more tempting. My studies of Buddhism, mindfulness, the psychology of happiness and well-being and so…
Honestly, I didn’t make that title up. I’m paraphrasing a recent news headline and just continuing the thread from my previous blog. The theme of which is the following: Suffering is an avoidable part of life. There are many forms of suffering. Some we can label as true suffering (e.g., loss of a loved…
Various forms of loss and disappointment are a part of life – we lose jobs, experience illness, miss opportunities, the value of our retirement plummets, friends move away, and loved ones die. We suffer when these things happen. Suffering is part of life and unavoidable. For simplicity’s sake, let’s lump any negative emotion (e.g.,…
I love aphorisms – short, memorable quotes that point to powerful truths. For instance, I love the saying, “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” A related one that points to a similar truth is from French novelist Honore De Balzac (1799-1850), “Our worst misfortunes never happen, and most miseries lie in…
Recently, I had the opportunity of visiting with Katherine Kisiel of Fox News here in Austin about coping with holiday stress. In particular, what should we do when we need to visit certain relatives and others with whom we don’t get along? Here are a few quick tips: 1. Recognize that you are not…
If we want to make ourselves anxious, a good way of doing it is by asking ourselves, “What if _________ happens?” Our brains are wonderful tools that can help us imagine and predict things. This quality separates us from other mammals and allows us to create inventions, solve problems before they occur, and anticipate…