Category Archives: Reflections

Understandably, many of us are confused by and nervous about the coronavirus pandemic. In times like these, it is natural for our in-built negativity bias to kick in. So while it’s true that as humans we tend to dwell on negative things, we can actively take steps to overcome this. The website linked above suggestsContinue reading “Savor Positive Moments”

For over 25 years I’ve facilitated kindness classes and throughout this time, it seems, participants in the classes have most enjoyed and felt good about those kindness actions they completed anonymously. One of my favorite kindness stories comes from when I was facilitating an in-person intergenerational kindness class in a Seattle retirement community in theContinue reading ““You Have Been the Victim of a Random Act of Kindness””

Over the years as an educator, I often told my students what I think is a pretty sound strategy for being happy and feeling purposeful. I told them it’s a secret, but really it’s not. It’s pretty simple, although lots of things conspire to make it complicated. Here’s how it works: 1) Identify something youContinue reading “Four Steps to Finding Happiness & Purpose”

Consider for a minute any part of your life that causes you some stress. Got it? Hold it in your mind both carefully and gently, carefully so that it does not cause you additional stress by bringing it forward, and gently so that you can take a minute to consider it as part of yourContinue reading “One Step to Reducing Stress”

Back when I was the Director of the Puget Sound Community School (PSCS), I often offered a class called “The Importance of Virtue.” I began the first class session by telling the students the class was predicated on a couple of my personal beliefs: There exists a way of behaving that, if followed, either purposelyContinue reading “The Importance of Virtue”

(“Do You Think it’s Possible to Create Peace on Earth by 2030?” I was asked this question back in 2018 by Jon Ramer, the founder of the Compassion Games. In response, I wrote this short essay.) I’d like to respectfully suggest that there may be a clearer way to get to the point of thisContinue reading “Peace on Earth, 2030”

The title of this essay comes from a quote from journalist Charles Kuralt: “It does no harm just once in a while to acknowledge that the whole country isn’t in flames, that there are people in the country besides politicians, entertainers, and criminals.” -Charles Kuralt I find the quote to be centering, concerned as IContinue reading “There are People in the Country Besides Politicians”

I regularly encourage people to recognize there are always positive things taking place and to find ways to contribute to them. I think this is especially important right now due to the polarization and divisiveness we are all experiencing. In short, it’s important to notice, remember, and contribute to the good stuff. For this article,Continue reading “Recognizing Our Common Humanity”

In the book “The Power of Kindness,” author Piero Ferrucci talks about how human beings are able to “resonate” with other human beings. I love this concept. He tells us that the ability is with us from birth, but if it doesn’t develop sufficiently we are in trouble. Me, I think the ability can beContinue reading “Tap Into Your Resonance”

A little less than ten years ago I enrolled in an online class on the subject of Loving-Kindness meditation. I was living in France at the time, on sabbatical with my family, with the goal of coalescing the amount of kindness-based material I had created over the previous 15 years into a book. The workingContinue reading “May I Be Filled With Friendliness”