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a moment to pause

a moment to pause

One of the first principle practices of our community is Loving-Kindness (metta). It's grounded in generosity, one of the nine attributes of mindfulness, as is gratitude which I touched on last week.  We can be generous with ourselves and others, and acting generously to all creatures' well-being recognizes our interconnectedness. Amazing things happen when we are generous with our attention, listen to understand, offer wisdom, and work in a way that ripples kindness into the world.  At its core, it promotes a growth mindset and cultivates connection and belonging by linking the giver and receiver, which many are thirsty for...

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#47 - mindful shopping

#47 - mindful shopping

I think we've all been there. We head to the market with no list or shop while hungry and either return with items we don't need or forget to pick up something. And by the market, you mean Trader Joe's, then forgetaboutit - it's impulse buy city.  This afternoon I went to the grocery store and pulled out a cart with a post-it note shipping list of raisins, frozen strawberries & blueberries, pumpkins seeds, arugula, cheap crunchy lettuce, bread, bananas, gazpacho and on the back side, extra cuke, tomato little ones, and I think crack whine.  Sounds great, right? I...

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#48 - when something hijacks you

#48 - when something hijacks you

#48 - when something hijacks you.   Yesterday I took a late afternoon bike and was buzzed by a group of teenage boys in a Jeep. They gave me less than six inches when they passed, yelled something at me, and threw their Wendy's bag out the window. They didn't even offer me a sip of their Frosty and certainly weren't keepin' it classy.  It triggered me, which is natural. I could feel the emotions bubbling within as I approached their SUV waiting at the traffic light - ah, they weren't counting on that red light. As I rolled up, they rolled...

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#50 - stillness in the morning

#50 - stillness in the morning

#50 - stillness in the morning Today's daylight snuck through my bedroom window and nudged me awake. I didn't move to keep our three dogs accelerating faster than a Ferrari and enjoyed the stillness. The only sounds were our ceiling fan and my breath. It was a moment to appreciate that I got another at-bat and think about how I wanted to show up for it before the hamster wheel gained momentum. These moments don't happen frequently because our dogs are keenly attuned to any movement after 5 am. Today was a gift, as every day, but this one started...

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#51 - The Car Wave

#51 - The Car Wave

I was driving across the county this morning and had some extra time. Feeling generous, I was liberally waving in folks who needed to merge into traffic, but I didn't get many waves back.  I've noticed this trend for a couple of years. To me, the car wave is essential. It's the thank you when someone holds the door open for you. After a few non-waves, I started to pay attention to who I invited to merge, why, and what bubbled up when I got a wave or not.  When I got a wave back, I felt appreciated, but when...

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