Never the Same River Twice
""Before I arrived in Japan, I was intoxicated by its tradition of wandering poets. They weren't roaming around lakes and hills like Wordsworth, but proceeding along a rough, pointed path, in the way of Matsuo Basho. His most famous work--Narrow Road to the Interior--could suggest both the remote areas of northern Japan through which he was walking, and the inner terrain that the act of walking wo... posted on Jul 13, 1961 reads

The Donkey & the Meaning of Eternity: A Love Letter to Life
"Beneath our anxious quickenings, beneath our fanged fears, beneath the rusted armors of conviction, tenderness is what we long for -- tenderness to salve our bruising contact with reality, to warm us awake from the frozen stupor of near-living. Tenderness is what permeates Platero and I (public library) by the Nobel-winning Spanish poet Juan Ramon Jimenez (December 23, 1881-May 29, 1958) -- part ... posted on Jul 25, 4354 reads

When Elves Took Over an Abandoned Gas Station
"I'm a sucker for enchantment, , especially when it arises from unlikely places. By a year and a half into the pandemic in the fall of 2021, I had become increasingly frustrated by the incursion of scientific measurement into daily life, from never-ending COVID testing to forehead thermometer readings. As valuable as such tools can be, I longed for my daily life to be filled with more of the unqua... posted on Jul 30, 2533 reads

A Case for the Porch
"Lately I've been trying to think like a porch. Trying to think between the natural and the human. Thinking how best to build during a climate crisis. I came across John Cage saying that progress in art may be listening to nature. He thought this activity could best play out on a porch, where we can hear natures symphony and then breathe our own masterpieces. Can we play our porches like instrumen... posted on Aug 12, 1977 reads

The Spiritual Awakening of a World-Class Drunk
"In 1940, Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, a man who knew sin and failure like he knew the back of his hand, was living with his wife, Lois, in a tiny room at the Alcoholics Anonymous "clubhouse" in downtown Manhattan. Wilson was in despair, unsure of the state of his soul, of his role in life, and of the future of A.A. Just then, at his nadir, a Jesuit priest from S. Louis, Father... posted on Aug 2, 6929 reads

Cultivating Wisdom: The Power of Mood
Do you believe that what you see influences how you feel? Actually, the opposite is true: What you feel - your "affect" -- influences all our senses -- what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett shares the groundbreaking discovery that you experience the world through affect-colored glasses. She also reveals how affect can be a source of wisdo... posted on Aug 4, 2428 reads

Creating a Healthier Sense of Attribution
"At the heart of attribution theory is the question of control, or what factors contribute to outcomes: internal factors within our control (often referred to as dispositional) and external factors (also called situational or contextual) that are outside our control. Generally speaking, we often succumb to "fundamental attribution error," which is a tendency to overemphasize the role of internal f... posted on Aug 5, 2919 reads

The Great Animal Orchestra
Your imagination does the work at The Great Animal Orchestra -- you just sit in a dark room and listen...the exhibition immerses visitors into soundscapes from remote parts of the planet: seven of them, from the tropics to the tundra. No wildlife footage accompanies this symphony of wild animals. It's audio first, in a visually overstimulating world. "The basic message is that the soundscapes of t... posted on Aug 22, 2001 reads

Eight Steps Towards Forgiveness
"No matter who you are, you have undoubtedly experienced hurt in your life. And oftentimes, that hurt is compounded by the fact that you do not have the tools necessary to offer forgiveness, and thus begin the healing process that is critical to moving on with your life. In this succinct essay, Robert Enright offers a path to help move us towards forgiveness."
... posted on Aug 27, 38621 reads

Is Our Attention for Sale?
"Even though the internet and the world wide web were designed to decentralize information, our attention is increasingly and calculatedly controlled by a small number of sources whose sole aim is make money from where we place our attention. Learn why the "attention economy" demand our active resistance."... posted on Aug 30, 1918 reads

Care is the Only Useful Revolution
"(It was the word only that gave me pause.)

Hyperbole is a figure of speech meant to give emphasis through the use of exaggeration. It can give what we say an importance and immediacy.
Words like, "always," "forever," "never," and "only" are often used in hyperbolic statements..."
More from hip-hop artist MOsley WOtta in this beautiful piece.... posted on Aug 31, 1869 reads

5 Tips on How to Live Like a Lichen
"I. Bow down.Bring your face, your heart, your hands, your belly, down, down, close to the groundto the rock of the world, the dirt, duff, sand. Let surface meet surface, warm cheek meet cool stone. Go ahead, belly flop flat on the sidewalk. Greet what you are not. Lichens love and adhere to their surfaces, love to sink into their substrates, mineral or wood, anything that stays still. Draw close.... posted on Sep 10, 1878 reads

Elijah & Jeremiah
In this short documentary, filmmaker Jenny Schweitzer profiles Elijah Staley (known to many as Carolina Slim) and Jeremiah Lockwood. The duo began busking together in the mid-nineties, and performed old-style rural Piedmont blues for 12 years. "I gave him the opportunity to practice what he knew," says Staley of his much younger counterpart. While filming this documentary, Schweitzer captured the ... posted on Sep 29, 1258 reads

The Whisper
"I became a scientist because I wanted to save lives and I wrote poetry to save myself. My book of poems, The Whisper, is a lyrical conversation I had with the tiny voice that I had ignored for years while I climbed the corporate ladder."Fateme Banishoeib shares more about the tiny voice within and the insight it led her to in this beautiful post that includes a poem from her book. ... posted on Oct 7, 4049 reads

6 Compensations for Sleeplessness
"1. The Sky. Trust me when I tell you that the most stunning part of a sunrise comes way before those predictable smears of oranges and reds. In the nights east, watch the blackness for the outline of a cloud to brighten. Thats the signal for what occurs next, a lightening so gentle you might barely notice it until you look up and see that the sky has already paled, is now almost translucent. When... posted on Oct 11, 2634 reads

Peace Pilgrim's Last Interview
How far would you go to "live" on a daily basis something you believed in? Would you go over 25,000 miles? Would you spend over twenty-five years on the journey? And what would you need to be able to show for it in order to consider your effort a success? Read this remarkable interview with the woman who zig-zagged across the United States more than six times on foot as a way to embody peace and i... posted on Oct 15, 18668 reads

The Yellow Umbrella
This animated short film is based on the true story of a little girl in Brazil who visited an orphanage with her mother to bring gifts to the children living there. Her yellow umbrella stirs memories for one little boy of a life and loved ones now lost to him. The revealing of his story touches the little girl, teaching her empathy and kindness. She gives him a gift from her heart that he grows up... posted on Oct 27, 3053 reads

Griefhouse
"When my father died, I began making weekly visits to a public grief house. I mean greenhouse. For seven Mondays, I rode the streetcar across town to warm myself in a glass building full of plants. No one had warned me that hard-hitting losses sometimes take the form of ordinary problems such as temperature-related discomfort. I had not seen this play out in stories, so I was not prepared for the ... posted on Nov 5, 2633 reads

Portholes
Anna Badkhen traces markers left in the Earth from the near and distant past, unspooling the narratives that thread through the imprints we leave on the planet, and what they foretell for the future.
... posted on Nov 7, 1858 reads

Overcomer
This short film about self love by Hannah Grace animates a feeling of unworthiness that many of us have had at some point or another - or maybe most of the time - but we don't admit it to anyone. This simple and beautiful movie shows how destructive negative messages may become. We can absorb so many unhealthy messages from childhood that end up being reinforced by social media and more. Soon we a... posted on Nov 10, 2476 reads

The Great Discontent
"At the age of 30, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his day job and embarked on a 16-month, 10,000-mile bike trip from Oregon to Patagonia, Chile, the self-imposed catalyst for pursuing his dream of writing a book." After building a strong following online, he returned to his home in LA, launched a magazine called Wilderness, and wrote a book called. "To Shake the Sleeping Self." Check out an interview with ... posted on Nov 19, 2083 reads

Shin Terayama: A Radical Healing, A Remarkable Life
"From his hospital bed one night, Terayama had a strange dream. He was looking at his body in a coffin. He was 47, and did not yet know he had cancer. That soon changed. After surgery, chemo and radiation, with his cancer now out of reach of medical cure he went home to face death." A few mornings later, I had a very strange sensation in my body. When the sun came up, the sunlight came into my hea... posted on Nov 21, 2103 reads

Pico Iyer on the Wisdom of Travelers
Pico Iyer's latest book, The Half Known Life, looks at the ways in which we seek paradise on earth, sometimes in places that are fraught with risk. In this podcast episode, he and fellow writer Katherine May talk about the similarities in their work, particularly the ways in which they explore secular understandings of big spiritual questions, and they touch on the differences, too."... posted on Dec 3, 1716 reads

What Do You See?
A multitude of silent realities linger just under the surface of what we perceive as 'normal' human experiences. The intriguing phenomenon of seeing colors differently, brought into pop culture consciousness by "The Dress" internet debate in 2015, underpins how each person's individual perceptions differ dramatically. This mind-boggling reality has far-reaching implications that stretch beyond vir... posted on Dec 22, 1756 reads

66 Good News Stories You Didn't Hear About in 2023
Did you know a record number of countries eliminated diseases, from hepatitis C to malaria, this year? Or that a "staggering uptake" of wind and solar energy is making an enormous difference? The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced in October 2023 that global fossil fuel use may peak this year, two years earlier than predicted just 12 months ago. Trees are faring better, too, with 2023 def... posted on Jan 1, 4062 reads

These Uplifting Photos of 2023 Are Guaranteed to Make Your Eyes
"A great news photograph can be many things, but its core quality is that it tells you a story and lives on in your memory," says picture editor Jon Mills, who prepared the Good News Network's list of best photos of 2023. From an image of Mars' surface that closely resembles a bear, to a friendly lion cub... posted on Dec 31, 4803 reads

How Two Moms Founded An Adaptive Clothing Company
When Nicole Puzzo's daughter, Stella, was dealing with her recovery from a double hip surgery in 2015, the challenge of dressing for her condition sparked an ingenious idea. Puzzo created a pair of pants that could be worn over Stella's casts, transforming an everyday struggle into a practical solution. "Understanding how difficult it can be, and what a struggle it can be for millions of people, w... posted on Jan 17, 1689 reads

Love, The Sewer District
Imagine calling your local sewer district with an urgent need -- not for a pipeliner or an engineer -- but for a listening ear. This gravity defying leap was made possible by John Gonzalez, the communications director from Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. He posted a simple message online: "just a phone number, a voicemail, and a whole lot of emotions. 216-361-6772." Through the cryptic soc... posted on Jan 30, 1745 reads

Connecticut Plans to Cancel Medical Debt for Many Residents
Imagine opening an envelope in your daily mail and finding out that your medical debt has been completely wiped out. That's the reality for around 250,000 residents of Connecticut, as the state announces it will become the first to cancel $650 million in medical debt. In the U.S., medical debt is now the largest source of debt in collections; nearly 1 in 10 American adults have more than $250 in m... posted on Feb 29, 1353 reads

'Doctor, Doctor, I Declare': Dennis Ludlow in Conversation
In this charming interview, actor Dennis Ludlow reflects on his first role, having had no stage experience, in the premiere of Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize winning Buried Child at San Francisco's Magic Theater. As he says, "It all began when our back porch caved in. My childhood friends and I made a fort out of it, 'The Daddy-O Club,' and put on little plays in my backyard."... posted on Mar 13, 1122 reads

Daily Phrases from the World's Happiest Nation
Finland has been consistently ranked the globe's happiest nation for six consecutive years. In Finnish culture, happiness isn't flaunted; instead, the norm is to keep a low profile without ostentatious displays of wealth. Success isn't about surpassing others but about achieving personal contentment. Their secret? Embrace life's setbacks... posted on Mar 17, 2964 reads

93-Year-Old Grandmother's Secret to a Meaningful Life
When Ioanna Matsouka, 93, took up knitting in the 1990s, she had no idea she'd end up knitting over an estimated 3,000 scarves over the next three decades. At first, she gifted them to friends. As her creations grew in quantity, she began donating them to children's shelters across Greece. Through acquaintances, her warm creations have found their way to children in Bosnia and Ukraine. U.N. refuge... posted on Mar 19, 2366 reads

Never Too Late: Becoming a World Champion at 40
Deanna Stellato-Dudek, a retired figure skater, made history at the ripe athletic age of 40, becoming the oldest woman ever to win a World Figure Skating Championship. After a series of injuries pushed her to retire from skating at the age of 17 in 2001, Stellato-Dudek went on with her life -- becoming a successful aesthetician and getting married. The unfinished saga of her athletic journey, thou... posted on Mar 25, 1477 reads

World’s Largest Musical Instrument is Hiding in this Cave
A father-son trip turns out to be the beginning of a 3 year journey into inventing the world's largest percussion instrument spanning 3.5 acres across a cave, Luray Caverns, in Virgnia, U.S. In 1954, mathematician and electronics scientist Leland Sprinkle invented the Great Stalacpipe Organ. The mesmerising otherworldly sound created by the mallets striking against the perfectly tuned stalactites ... posted on Apr 25, 5678 reads

Why Multigenerational Households are Making a Comeback
Are you aware that multigenerational living is regaining popularity? As the second decade of the 21st century concludes, we're witnessing a resurgence in multigenerational households -- a trend that has taken many researchers by surprise. The socioeconomic factors from the mid-20th century that altered the nuclear family structure now seem to revert to a pre-1950s model. The disheartening climb in... posted on May 4, 1486 reads

Jane Goodall on What It Takes to Save the Earth
Jane Goodall’s address at Davos 2024 emphasized that climate change is not slowing down: yet there is reason to hope. Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program is an example of what can be done to protect the future if all of us recognize our interconnectedness with nature and each other. The energy of youth, nature’s resilience, the human intellect, and human’s indomitable spir... posted on May 10, 4421 reads

6 Ways to Make New Friends as an Adult
For most people, it’s harder to make friends as an adult than when young. This article provides the top six tips from friendship and relationship experts on how to make new friends as an adult. They include: reframing loneliness as simply an indicator of a basic need; people have different types of needs that take several friends to fulfill; purposefully look for places where interactions wi... posted on May 24, 3493 reads

When Birds Nest in the Doorway, Go Out the Window
“Lives sometimes get rearranged by all sorts of things.” Sometimes, that rearrangement includes climbing out the kitchen window by ladder for a few weeks even though the home has two working doors. This may look like eccentric, nonsensical behavior: it’s not. Author Caitlin Shetterly’s family made this intentional choice one Spring two separate bird families nested over eac... posted on May 27, 6204 reads

Conscience and Courage: A Conversation with Lee Hoinacki
A brief note only hints at the wide horizon of this former Dominican priest, professor, author, prison dishwasher -- and perhaps Ivan Illich's closest friend. One example: "From the time of Descartes on, people in the west have had increasing difficulty in being in contact with their own bodies. How many times do we even open a window?"... posted on May 31, 1762 reads

Weathering the Storm: How Horses Teach Us Community
It was going to be a particularly important day for a healing ceremony with horses. Participants would experience community for the first time in a long time due to the covid lockdown. “Many of those present were single people. They hadn’t had any human contact since the lockdown. No one to get a hug from. No one to hold their hand.” They connected again through meditation, and s... posted on Jun 4, 4815 reads

So No One Dies Alone
Alison Bunce, an award-winning nurse, has pioneered a community that aims to provide companionship to individuals in their last hours. Originating from the No One Dies Alone (NODA) program in the United States, Bunce adapted this model in the UK, calling her project Compassionate Inverclyde. What began as a palliative care initiative has evolved into a larger community service project, offering su... posted on Aug 6, 1953 reads

Dr. Frederick Sontag: A Time of Searching
"Almost 60 years ago, professor Frederick Sontag opened a door I could not have opened on my own. Perhaps it saved my life. On a visit to Claremont, California 30 years later, I proposed interviewing him. He graciously accepted. Revisiting it today, I’m amazed at its relevance, particularly as the November election is almost upon those in the US. He says, 'America has gone through odysseys, ... posted on Sep 15, 1835 reads

Untitled
In a national survey of 1,305 employed adults, 13% reported that they or their coworkers had committed an act that they would describe as "desk rage" out of stress or anger, and nearly one in five had quit a job because of stress.... posted on Jul 28, 844 reads

Untitled
Known as "the hugging saint," Ammachi, from Southern India, spends 15 hours a day spreading love and compassion through her hugs. For the past thirty years, crowds have lined up daily to experience her warm embrace. To this day, it is reported she has hugged over 20 million times.... posted on Jul 29, 1179 reads

Untitled
Did you know that 200 residents of the planet Earth have amassed a combined wealth of more than $1 trillion, while 100 million children are living on the streets? The UN's Human Development Index (HDI) reports that 1.2 billion people get by on less than a dollar a day. While the US has the world's highest gross national product, it also has high levels of illiteracy and the highest poverty rate ... posted on Jul 31, 1000 reads

Untitled
After 247 days alone at sea, circled by sharks and almost run over by a tanker, 54-year-old Jim Shekhdar becomes the first person to row across the Pacific solo. Further proof that a determined person can do whatever they decide to do.... posted on Aug 16, 590 reads

Untitled
You'd like to help a child - give them some positive encouragement and maybe a little sensible advice, but you just don't think you have the time to be a mentor. Think again - mentoring organizations are focusing on bringing together busy working adults with at risk kids - to the great benefit of both.... posted on Aug 17, 716 reads

Untitled
Specialized rescue teams from all over the world flooded into El Salvador after the big earthquake to provide hope, comfort and rescue aid to disaster victims.... posted on Aug 21, 595 reads

Untitled
Job stress costs employers more than $200 billion each year in absenteeism, tardiness, burnout, lower productivity, high turnover, worker's compensation and medical insurance costs. ... posted on Aug 29, 604 reads

Untitled
Wind is the fastest growing source of energy in the world. Windmills are non-polluting and based on renewable energy sources; they also often make economic sense. ... posted on Aug 31, 487 reads