This is part two of a three-part series on Creating Creativity. For Part 1, click here. In a famous dialogue in one of the Upanishads, a sage asks his student to break a banyan seed, and tell him what’s in the seed. The student breaks the seed, and reports, “Nothing. There’s nothing in the seed!” The […]
“I have writer’s block. It is bad … Whatever genius is in me is still a sneaky little [expletive deleted] that cannot be found.” – Recent friend asking for help What is Creativity? First, what is creativity? Creativity is literally something that hasn’t ever existed before coming into existence. Writer’s Block begs us to answer […]
(This is a worksheet produced by Susan Lieberman and crew at Rice University in Spring of 2005. I dusted it off when thinking of ways to help a friend overcome writer’s block. I’ve reproduced it here exactly as it was written, for the sake of honoring the shoulders of the giants upon which I stand, […]
Whether your candidate won or not: What will you do today to help someone out? What will you do today to respect the boundaries and freedoms of someone else, even if you don’t agree with their choices or opinions? What will you do today to grow? Evolve? What will you today save a life? To […]
Also at DailyHap.com Happy election day. Here’s the deal: Our country is screwed if we keep thinking only in terms of “left” and “right,” “liberal” and “conservative,” “republican” and “democrat.” I’m not saying we need to support third parties (although I’m happy to do so, as I think Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are better […]
Also on DailyHap.com Since July, I had three out of four grandparents die. I’m sorry. How you doing? People ask me. I’m very lucky to have known them for twenty-five years. I’m grateful that they lived long, full, successful, and happy lives. I’m fortunate to work a flexible job, living only a few hours away from […]
This article is Crossposted at DailyHap.com At this point in history almost all educated westerners are aware of the fact that human beings have subconscious motivations affecting our decisions. We recognize that humans often repress negative emotions, thereby splitting off a piece of ourselves and creating a “dark side.” Yet the public knowledge of what this […]
(crossposted on Daily Hap.com) “Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even improves memory. Suppose, finally, […]
This article cross-posted on DailyHap.com What do these have in common? “I’m so dumb, I can’t believe I stayed with him so long.” “I could have gotten that promotion, I don’t know why I didn’t do what was necessary to get it.” “We shouldn’t have played that song, the crowd didn’t like it.” “We could […]
These days you can make a friend or a buck by sharing almost anything: your car, your house, and even your dirty laundry. I’m an active participant of the shared economy, and I think it’s great. Here’s a little info about the services I use and why I like them.
This article originally posted on DailyHap.com It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118:8 What makes you happy? Spending an evening with a close friend? Dancing? A nice craft beer? Going shopping? Winning a game of volleyball? Watching a favorite TV show? Cooking a delicious meal?
There are many studies that show attending religious services can lead to longer, happier lives. The funny thing is, our most revered religious figures don’t promise happiness. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword,” and Buddha’s second noble truth essentially says that happiness inevitably leads to sadness because it never sticks around. Even modern spiritual teachers like Adyashanti say, “Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier.”