are creative. The artist is not a special person, each one of us is a special kind of artist. Every one of us is born a creative, spontaneous thinker. The only difference between people who are creative and people who are not is a simple belief. Creative people believe they are creative. People who believe they are not creative, are not. Once you have a particular identity and set of beliefs about yourself, you become interested in seeking out the skills needed to express your identity and beliefs. This is why people who believe they are creative become creative. If you believe you are not creative, then there is no need to learn how to ... posted on Jan 18 2012 (60,974 reads)

Japanese warrior looked perplexed. He had just offered tea to his Chinese adversary and asked whether his guest fully appreciated its quality, only to be told, “Nature does not make distinctions on tea. We do. I am not interested in the finer distinctions of the tea you have offered me because I have already decided to enjoy it.” The Japanese warrior slowly asked, “By the same logic, I take it then that you don’t consider any martial art as superior or inferior?” The Chinese warrior nodded and said, “Yes. It is the skill of the practitioner that brings out the essence of the art, and some are more skilled than others.” The Japanese warrior ret... posted on Mar 3 2012 (19,932 reads)

One said 20 minutes, one said he would need at least an hour, and when it came to me, I told them that I needed ten days. That’s probably the worst marketing strategy. But in our experience, we emphasize personal experience, and we’ve found from having taught hundreds of thousands of students around the world, that it takes about that long for a person to have direction experience of what meditation really is.   It seems to me that the forces of creation, the laws of nature, out of which this mind and body arose, must be operative in me, now, continuously, and whenever I make an effort to observe them. The activity of creation must be the original and continu... posted on Mar 20 2012 (35,049 reads)

team also devoted a lot of effort to depicting the stargazing experience in ways that closely replicate the real thing: Our aim was not just to inform our viewers (although we hope we've done that) but to incite them to get outside at night and have a look for themselves. After all, the point of stargazing is not just to see things as other have seen them, but to have an original and memorable experience all your own—even if you cannot describe it all.   The grandeur of nature on the cosmic scale tends to beggar familiar concepts nurtured here on Earth, and Seeing in the Dark is ultimately a meditation, as the final line of the voice-over narration puts it, on "... posted on Apr 2 2012 (7,499 reads)

fixing and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul. Service rests on the premise that the nature of life is sacred, that life is a holy mystery which has an unknown purpose. When we serve, we know that we belong to life and to that purpose. From the perspective of service, we are all connected: All suffering is like my suffering and all joy is like my joy. The impulse to serve emerges naturally and inevitably from this way of seeing. Serving is different from helpin... posted on Apr 16 2012 (103,613 reads)

are affiliative might look for a partner who is more of a boundary-setting Dragon. 3. Rotate Roles and Responsibilities Many roles benefit by being rotated—for example, meeting facilitation. Some roles put people in center stage—media spokes, for example, or convener of a gathering. People who take on those roles get more attention—both positive and negative. Rotating them can spread both the praise and the blame around more fairly. Other roles are more in the nature of chores that must be done—taking notes at meetings and distributing them, turning the compost, doing the dishes after the potluck. When they are shared, no one person is stuck with an u... posted on Apr 18 2012 (56,647 reads)

descriptions of Albert Einstein’s thinking process were discovered in his correspondence with his close friend Maurice Solovine, who was a student of philosophy. One day Solovine suggested reading and debating the works of great authors. Einstein agreed enthusiastically and soon mathematician Conrad Habicht became involved in what was to be known as the "Olympia Academy." Often their meetings, held in Einstein's flat, would last until the early morning hours where the three discussed issues while eating hard boiled eggs and smoking pipes and cigars.   Among the topics that intrigued them was thinking and believing. How do we think? Why ... posted on May 23 2012 (39,196 reads)

social position and material possessions as a source of ultimate security and identity. An awareness of death forces us to confront the purpose and meaning of our existence, here and now. Those who have had near-death experiences confirm that awareness of death can be an uncompromising friend, putting us back in touch with what is most important. A common sentiment expressed by many near-death survivors is a decreased emphasis on money and material things and a heightened appreciation for nature and loving other people. Dr. Kenneth Ring, a researcher of near-death experiences, quotes a young man who had a near-death experience after a serious automobile accident. As a result the young ... posted on Jun 7 2012 (37,994 reads)

skin infections and the latest fashions. People type out their greatest fears, aspirations, confessions, and successes for the vast unknown sea of people to read and comment on. This gives access to a seemingly infinite amount of information without having to even get out of bed.   But there’s something isolating about the internet. This screen we use as a portal to connect ourselves to each other creates an invisible barrier between ourselves an others. The voyeuristic nature of Facebook allows us to keep up with our acquaintances and friends without them even knowing, and without the exchange that let’s them know we care, and without actually having any kind ... posted on Jun 22 2012 (13,430 reads)

resides and is enacted, their sophisticated vessels connect their various parts into one responsive whole. In many ways, Chamovitz points out, plants are significantly less genetically different from us than we tend to think — yet his arguments are reserved and rooted in research, far from arguing that plants are just like us. What does emerge from What a Plant Knows, however, is a fascinating inside look at what a plant’s life is like, and a new lens on our own place in nature. Scientific American has an interview with Chamovitz.... posted on Jun 30 2012 (15,149 reads)

we wanted everyone to support this noble quest of walking for peace. We needed to learn to release our expectations and judgments of people, and to allow them to walk their path while we continued on ours. We came to look at rejections as opportunities to heal our deepest prejudices. Perhaps the greatest teaching of this walk was something that my heart had declared long ago, but which my mind had refused to accept. The world is not a terrible place. People are not “bad” by nature. We all harbor the same universal hopes and dreams. And when you are living from the heart, in service to Love, the entire Universe moves to help you achieve your dreams. I needed ten years... posted on Jul 22 2012 (12,375 reads)

mistakes not to repeat from over 60 of the most disappointing public spaces around the world. Art Street Taichung County, Taiwan An neighborhood shopping street that makes excellent use of traffic calming measures to keep pedestrians safe and happy. Asafra Beach Alexandria, Egypt “Alexandria is Asafra”, insist the locals about this beach that runs parallel to the city’s main street. Balboa Park San Diego, California An oasis of tropical nature in the midst of a busy city, this splendid city park is home of the internationally known San Diego Zoo. Bleecker Street New York City Once the undisputed capital of American Bohem... posted on Aug 14 2012 (17,558 reads)

Life This is what I wrote to a friend after coming back from the farm, it stands as one of my biggest aha's: Life is so busy for all of us. There is this meeting, that project, this function, that achievement. After being with Ragu and Nisha and living their life on the farm, there are two properties of this lifestyle that stick out in contrast. First, our lives are very fast-paced. And this pace is neither healthy nor desirable for me. It is not in harmony with internal or external nature. It is like a whirlwind that speeds up into a tornado. Second, life is very disjointed. We are pulled constantly in different directions. One thing after the next jumping around. A small h... posted on Aug 23 2012 (26,140 reads)

in the workplace is that it is a skill through which employees treat emotions as valuable data in navigating a situation," according to the authors. "Let's say a sales manager has come up with an amazing idea that will increase corporate revenues by up to 200%, but knows his boss tends to be irritable and short-tempered in the morning. Having emotional intelligence means that the manager will first recognize and consider this emotional fact about his boss. Despite the stunning nature of his idea -- and his own excitement -- he will regulate his own emotions, curb his enthusiasm and wait until the afternoon to approach his boss." Barsade says research suggests that ... posted on Aug 25 2012 (38,170 reads)

strangers, curious and intrigued by his blue apron and white lettering that read, “Peace Artist.” They offered him food, clothing, shelter, and care. Time and time again, his conviction that people are good would be affirmed. Time and time again, his faith in the wholeness of the world would be strengthened. After completing his cross-country pilgrimage, he reflects: “I say this wholeheartedly: everything that is done from compassion will be met with success. The nature of the universe is love.” The Seed of an Idea It actually began in college. One day, Peace Artist was sitting in a café when a good runner friend of his remarked, “... posted on Oct 12 2012 (38,501 reads)

motivated to learn more about being parents, to see if there are better ways of doing things, not by the measuring and tracking, but because we love being parents and want to be good parents. No tracking needed. What about running? Can’t we run for the joy of it? Aren’t we motivated to do it because we love ourselves? And who cares if we run more miles or not? That’s an arbitrary goal that really means nothing. Just run because it’s super fun, for the enjoyment of nature and great views, for the simple but boundless pleasure of a conversation with someone you love. What about work? Are we going to all of a sudden stop doing anything because it’s not m... posted on Nov 20 2012 (17,437 reads)

food for all is a public good.” The Belo experience shows that a right to food does not necessarily mean more public handouts (although in emergencies, of course, it does.) It can mean redefining the “free” in “free market” as the freedom of all to participate. It can mean, as in Belo, building citizen-government partnerships driven by values of inclusion and mutual respect. And when imagining food as a right of citizenship, please note: No change in human nature is required! Through most of human evolution—except for the last few thousand of roughly 200,000 years—Homo sapiens lived in societies where pervasive sharing of food was the norm. ... posted on Nov 27 2012 (74,829 reads)

lead author of the study and a PhD candidate in marketing at Stanford University, says the results show how something as subtle as our perception of time can have a big influence on our lives. “It impacts our willingness to volunteer to help other people and even our well-being,” she says. “The idea that an emotion can alleviate this problem is an incredible idea to me.” She suggests that people evoke more feelings of awe in their lives by exposing themselves to nature, art, and music. “Put yourself in situations where you’re experiencing new things,” she says.... posted on Dec 3 2012 (14,500 reads)

most accessible. Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning. Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist who survived life in the Nazi concentration camps. Man's Search for Meaning is really two books — one dedicated to recounting his frightening ordeal in the camps (interpreted through his eyes as a psychiatrist) and the other a treatise on his theory, logotherapy. His story alone is worth the read — a reminder of the depths and heights of human nature — and the central contention of logotherapy — that life is primarily about the search for meaning — has inspired leaders for generations. Tom Wolfe, A Man i... posted on Dec 19 2012 (55,931 reads)

No - but we'll keep giving it our best effort. Useem: Thinking about your own personal experiences over the last five years, what are the two or three most distinctive capacities that have been required on your part in order to lead what amounts to America's premier public sponsor of the arts? Gioia: Well, I'm both pleased and alarmed to say that my job, in any given week, requires pretty much every skill that I've ever acquired in my life. But I think that's the nature of being a Chief Executive Officer, since you're helping shape something -- you put yourself into it fully. But I think the thing that I've learned from business, which most artists nev... posted on Jan 28 2013 (15,250 reads)