Think Again
We Can March to Either Drummer
Good-bad, right-wrong, faith-fear, love-hate, positive-negative, dark from light. All within the parameters of the powers of choice, that we as human beings have at any given time. Rabbi Byron Sherwin (of blessed memory) once said to me that “G-d loved man so much that he gave him a power that…More
The Art of Saunter
Most of my life has been carried out in a dead run, dashing from point A to point B as fast as I possibly could. I’d rather a hare than a tortoise be. That’s the way of life isn’t it? In my 70th year a very wise man, Dr. William…More
Here Comes The Judge
Prejudice means judgment in advance.A Bigoted person is intolerably devoted to his or her own opinion. Prejudice comes from the Latin words that mean “pre” and “judge”. We all have it; we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. It’s also called opinion, that thing that is formed by our culture,…More
There Was a Time
When folks were cordial to one another.When manners mattered.When there was a standard of dress.When people danced to songs. Together.When men were brave.When standards stood.When we shook hands.When diplomats would negotiatewith citizens in mind.When history mattered.When literature was read.When we were proud of our trades.When apprenticeship counted.When men tipped their…More
Somewhere in the Gap
My life has been sculpted by a handful of men. And as I related to Dr. Matthew Hinsley stories about all these mentors, he asked me: “How did you know which mentor to follow?” The answer to this question is somewhere in the seeking part. You see, two percenters* all…More
More Than Merely Pandemic
The flu is contagious. Coronavirus highly so. When contagion is spread throughout the world it’s called a pandemic. Follow me here: I quote from Bill Wilson: “Fears set in motion trains of circumstances that brought us misfortune we felt we didn’t deserve. But did not we, set the ball rolling?”…More
Plague of the Negative Bias
The Nielsen Norman group states: “Negativity bias is the tendency for humans to give more weight to negative experiences.” So, If our dominant thoughts shape our material environment, we may be attracting misfortune more often than we attract good fortune to our lives. Listen to the banter in your…More
The Nuts and Bolts of Calmness
First we must wish to be calm. Then we must wish to remain so. (A decision has to be made). A morning prayer recited. Listing things that make us grateful. Guided meditation. A reading for the day. These are all activities that still the mind. And these moments of stillness…More
Calm At All Costs
I was following the thread of an idea in the last few blogs: size matters. Physical size matters of course, but what is the advantage to being emotionally small? And what indeed is emotional smallness? First let me state that for me emotional smallness comes from a discipline that attempts…More
The Dichotomy of a Spiritual Goal
During a conversation with Rabbi Byron Sherwin (of blessed memory), I stated that I set spiritual goals. He correctly observed that one can’t attain spiritual goals, one can only hope to perceive them. I can, however, develop spiritual exercises that are attainable, and hope that these positive actions will create…More