rules for living

Oliver Sacks: Nature is a Therapy More Powerful Than Medication

An essay in a posthumously published book by the very wise Oliver Sacks gives a scientist’s view of the healing power of Nature and gardens.

Seinfeld on Why Things Make You Happy or Not (and Why He Loves Advertising)

We are knocked out by Jerry Seinfeld’s radically truth-telling, wise, funny —Is he kidding or what?— send up of advertising and his clarifying principle of things and happiness.

Don’t Know What You’re Doing and Think Everyone Else Has It All Together?

We’ve lost count of the times we’ve thought “We don’t know what we are doing!” We got some perspective from 4th-century Chinese Taoist philosopher/poet Chuang Tzu…

What Maurice Sendak Discovered About Aging and His Tender Blessing

In this animated clip Christophe Niemann illustrated from Terry Gross’ last interview with Maurice Sendak a year before he passed away, the author of Where the Wild Things Are, shares some very tender wisdom…

“I like to be like a big oak tree”: Willie Stargell via Mister Rogers

Sublime: the first 25 seconds of this Mister Rogers’ interview with Pittsburgh Pirate baseball player Willie Stargell.

Balancing Advice from Thích Nhất Hạnh

When we read this remarkable quote from Thích Nhất Hạnh, first we thought, What great advice for caregivers. Then we thought, What great advice for being with anyone…

A Charleston Pastor Comforts a Pittsburgh Rabbi and Teaches Us About the Healing Power of Presence

Rev Manning described the Ministry of Presence that became the heart of his church’s mission and teaching after the violence it experienced in 2015. And he showed it in action.

Practical REAL-Life Wisdom from the Very Wise Ann Lamott

When she turned 61, Anne Lamott decided to “take the opportunity to write down every single thing I know, as of today.” It is a seriously good distillation of decades of living from the author of Bird by Bird.

The Deep Internal Realizations to be Had from Fooling Around

In his wonderful TED talk, Gever Tully describes the “deep internal realizations” to be had from having the freedom to fool around, tinker, improvise…

Honoring 9/11

Seventeen years after I watched from my window as the twin towers fell, I remember a powerful message sent from a friend in Italy.

Sister Corita Kent’s Visual Meditations on the Moment

Artist and renown educator Sister Corita Kent’s 1977 series around the theme of ‘the moment’ makes a heartening meditation…

When Things Fall Apart, I Turn to This Powerful Survival Manual

As the challenge that appeared in my life recently continues, I turn daily to the best survival manual I know, and this passage in particular.

10 Enduring Rules for the Creative Life (Sister Corita Kent + John Cage)

This remarkable set of 10 “rules” for creative living and working taught by Sister Corita Kent and John Cage have guided artists for over 50 years.

Using Limitations As If They Were a Tool For Your Benefit

In this unique view of constraints, not having enough —money, help, whatever— can be a good thing…

Questions that Transform Difficult Situations (Jack Kornfield)

At the height of a crisis, a friend sent us this hugely helpful excerpt from Jack Kornfield’s wise book about becoming at ease with the difficulties of life.

How to Recycle Your Outer and Inner Garbage

The New York Times’ 6 Things You’re Recycling Wrong set us straight about a few things. But Epictetus really gets to the heart of the matter.

Opened at Random: Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit on How to Be Lucky

This morning I opened “The Creative Habit, Learn It and Use It for Life” to this…

Asking This Question Every Day Expands Your Sense of Time

Everybody I know, no matter what age or where they live, complains about how fast they feel time flying. Here’s a way to slow it down.

What Bill Murray Does When He Feels Stuck

Bill Murray never ceases to astonish us for his improvised ways and his very actionable brand of wisdom, like this…

Allen Ginsberg’s Advice for People Who Are Not Quite Sure How Far to Go

This morning we opened Spontaneous Mind: Selected Interviews by poet Allen Ginsberg and found his incredibly wise words of advice…

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