If God Invited you to a party And said, ‘Everyone In the ballroom tonight Will be my special Guest…’ How would you then treat them When you Arrived? Indeed, indeed! And I know There is no one in this world Who Is not upon His Jeweled Dance Floor Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi was a Persian mystic and poet. He was born sometime between the years 1310-1337 in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran)....
When I die Give what's left of me away To children And old men that wait to die. And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you. And when you need me, Put your arms Around anyone And give them What you need to give to me. I want to leave you something, Something better Than words Or sounds. Look for me In the people I've known Or loved, And if you cannot give me away, At least let me live on your eyes And not on your mind. You can love me most By letting Hands touch hands, By letting Bodies touch bodies, And by letting go Of children That need to be free. Love doesn't die, People do. So,...
(I did not write this and I don't know who did. But I love it's message. Let's not judge, ourselves or others. We're all in this together. To end these vicious cycles, let's point the finger inward and with love. See Penn State (part 1) here.) The good you find in others, is in you too. The faults you find in others, are your faults as well. After all, to recognize something you must know it. The possibilities you see in others, are possible for you as well. The beauty you see around you, is your beauty. The world around you is a reflection, a mirror showing...
Wow. This is huge. Coming out. It's huge. I grew up thinking that who I am is not good enough. That the world wanted me to be something other than I was. Than I am. My essence. It was really hard to be me when I thought that I had to be different than I was. You picking up what I'm putting down? I think a lot of people can relate to that sentiment -- not just us gays. Diversity is our greatest asset, so why are people so fearful of it? An opportunity, not a threat, so long as we perceive it...
[caption id="attachment_474" align="alignright" width="384" caption="Not expecting a miracle from beyond me - but creating one within me."][/caption] I turn 33 on May 21, 2011. My intention is to feel the strongest & healthiest I have ever felt in my life on May 21, 2011. To do this, I will: Meditate regularly. Exercise daily: lifting, inten sati, yoga. Train for the Cleveland Half Marathon, which I'll run on May 15. Choose healthy food options (What's been 'kissed by the sun'?). Eliminate toxins (no drinking or inhaling anything other than fresh, clean air). Love myself fully, exactly as I am. I will know I'm successful when I feel it. I set and spoke...
And I drink sometimes, too. Sometimes, I drink too much -- but that seems to be okay on the Mexican rivera, where I just spent a fantastic week in Sayulita, a beach town built into a mountain. Love having both sand and mountain. A little slice of heaven. "I didn't even know I liked tequila" was one of my favorite lines of the trip. And it's true, I didn't. Wonder what else I think I don't like, which I may actually like? Hm. I like love, this I know. Heck, I got a tattoo to that affect (and to my mom's dismay) last...
“Love is an emotional rendering, an outpouring of emotional goodness for yourself first, then for others in your life” (Bob Hoffman)....
It's all about relationships. All. Perhaps having shared a womb with my twin sister has given me this understanding at a primal, energetic level. Perhaps it's because I lost my brother, Todd, to suicide nearly twenty years ago, a death not unlike Tyler Clemente's at Rutger’s last week. Todd jumped from a building. He was 19; I was 12. What's happening in the world? Bullies and terrorists; they're not much different. Each have a very scarce mindset about the way the world works. That for the bully or terrorist to feel good, we need to feel bad. What does this say about...
[caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="My face, avatar'ed"][/caption] Read my most recent article published today on Positive Psychology News Daily. Click here....
Last week I had the great fortune of being with the Dalai Lama three days in two cities. The second of these visits brought me to Washington DC, where the Mind Life Institute presented an annual congress on learning called “Educating World Citizens” which brought together over 2,000 international voices. The Dalai Lama participated in all sessions over two days, which engaged western scientists concerned about the good life, particularly in regard to schooling (teaching/learning). Session topics included: Envisioning the World Citizen; Attention, Emotional Regulation, and Learning; Compassion and Empathy, and Future Directions and Policy. To sum, we discussed how to educate...