Marc Lesser's Blog, page 14

How to Offer an Appropriate Response in Any Situation

There is a famous dialogue from the Zen tradition where the students ask the teacher:

“What is the teaching of a lifetime?”

The teacher replies: “An appropriate response.”

The intended lessons from these few lines were probably not aimed at the world of business and leadership but more and more, I’m seeing how broadly applicable this teaching and practice is for the work environment.

One aspect of mindful leadership involves learning to recognize when we’re “appropriately responding” versus inappropriately reacting.

Responding appropriately and skillfully may sound easy or obvious but it is both subtle and profound.

For example, when there is any kind of conflict or disagreement in the workplace, it is very common to react either passively or aggressively. Passive is a common way of avoiding conflict, of not responding, or perhaps under-responding. This generally does not turn out well, for anyone involved.

The other common reaction to conflict and difficulty is aggression or over-reacting. This often involves some form of blame, or a subtle or not so subtle form of attack. Again, this generally turns out badly.

So, what are some ways to respond appropriately to conflict and difficulty? A few that come to mind are:

Be Curious. Try asking for more information by asking questions like: “Can you say more…?” Inquire with curiosity (and not judgement) about someone’s motivation: “Can you tell me why you said that or did that?

Be Present. See if you can stay in the moment with your thoughts and feelings without automatically moving toward judgement or assessment. Be cautious about reaching quickly into the past or the future. Ask yourself: “What’s happening right now?”

Be Clear. Try to speak with as much clarity as possible. Imagine it’s as though every one of your words mattered. (Hint: they do.)

Be Direct. Explore what you are feeling and how this person’s words or actions have impacted you, then communicate that as directly as possible without sugar coating anything. There’s no need to pretend or avoid, or to go on the offensive.

Be Vulnerable. Any of the preceding responses can be forms of vulnerability; in particular being present and direct. Be real. Be human. Be open. Notice if blame comes up. Bring awareness to your common humanity. Notice if wanting to attack or retreat comes up. Use curiosity and presence as tools to get you closer to responding in a way that you’ll be proud of when you look back at the encounter.

To respond appropriately is more than just a strategy. It’s an expression of your heart, your connection, and your identity. It’s also the heart of practice. It’s training yourself to be aware enough, confident enough, and humble enough to not fall into the trap of under-reacting or over-reacting, not being either passive or aggressive.

And that feels like a pretty appropriate response no matter the situation.

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Celebrating a Renaissance of Rich Media

Partly due to the pandemic and partly the richness of available media, I find myself watching more, listening more, and reading more.

One of the things I most appreciate about my day-job as an executive coach, leadership consultant, writer, and Zen teacher is that I am always looking for what I can learn and how I can grow and develop – whether in books, podcasts, movies, or television shows. We are living, I think, in a renaissance of rich media. There is an abundance of creative and intelligent material to absorb and learn from.

Here are a few of the recent media offerings that I’m most enjoying and appreciating.

Series

McCartney 3, 2, 1 – Beautifully and creatively filmed. Two guys in conversation, in black and white on a dimly lit stage. The guys happen to be Paul McCartney and Rich Rubin. Stories and film footage highlighting how songs and lyrics emerge. Made me cry, with the extraordinariness of how creativity emerges.

Ethos – Filmed in Istanbul. An exploration of cultures, traditions, family, and emotions. Beautifully filmed, rich tapestry of sights and sounds. Terrific storytelling. I didn’t want the series to end.

Midnight Diner – Japanese series about a diner open from midnight till 7:00 a.m., located in the red light district of Tokyo. Quirky, sweet, and surprising. If you enjoy this series, you can keep going with Midnight Diner, Tokyo Stories.

 

Audio Book

Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell – Terrific experience. Great insights about systems and human patterns and assumptions about what shapes our behaviors. Lots to learn from Gladwell’s research and the ideas he uncovers.

 

Movies

Coda – Beautiful film about a young woman’s journey of growing up. Her parents and brother are deaf and she can hear (and sing). I realize I’m crying more easily these days, and this movie had me crying a few times.

 

Books

Breath by James Nestor – Great read (and I’m told audiobook) about breathing. Lots of research, science, spiritual traditions about the simple and powerful art of breathing.

Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway – A memoir about growing up as a black woman born in Mississippi in 1965. Beautifully written. Powerful storytelling.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong – A novel, written as a letter from a young man to his Vietnamese mother. I’m halfway into this book, and reading slowly, taking in the extraordinary writing and depth.

 

Podcasts

The Brains podcast episode on Writing Books features an interview with Mark Manson and James Clear, and offers great conversation with two best-selling authors regarding their strategies and experiences with writing, promotion, and building enormous communities.

Let me know what you think. And, what are some of your favorite media experiences?

The post Celebrating a Renaissance of Rich Media appeared first on Marc Lesser.

Celebrating a renaissance of rich media

Partly due to the pandemic and partly the richness of available media, I find myself watching more, listening more, and reading more.

One of the things I most appreciate about my day-job as an executive coach, leadership consultant, writer, and Zen teacher is that I am always looking for what I can learn and how I can grow and develop – whether in books, podcasts, movies, or television shows. We are living, I think, in a renaissance of rich media. There is an abundance of creative and intelligent material to absorb and learn from.

Here are a few of the recent media offerings that I’m most enjoying and appreciating.

Series

McCartney 3, 2, 1 – Beautifully and creatively filmed. Two guys in conversation, in black and white on a dimly lit stage. The guys happen to be Paul McCartney and Rich Rubin. Stories and film footage highlighting how songs and lyrics emerge. Made me cry, with the extraordinariness of how creativity emerges.

Ethos – Filmed in Istanbul. An exploration of cultures, traditions, family, and emotions. Beautifully filmed, rich tapestry of sights and sounds. Terrific storytelling. I didn’t want the series to end.

Midnight Diner – Japanese series about a diner open from midnight till 7:00 a.m., located in the red light district of Tokyo. Quirky, sweet, and surprising. If you enjoy this series, you can keep going with Midnight Diner, Tokyo Stories.

 

Audio Book

Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell – Terrific experience. Great insights about systems and human patterns and assumptions about what shapes our behaviors. Lots to learn from Gladwell’s research and the ideas he uncovers.

 

Movies

Coda – Beautiful film about a young woman’s journey of growing up. Her parents and brother are deaf and she can hear (and sing). I realize I’m crying more easily these days, and this movie had me crying a few times.

 

Books

Breath by James Nestor – Great read (and I’m told audiobook) about breathing. Lots of research, science, spiritual traditions about the simple and powerful art of breathing.

Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway – A memoir about growing up as a black woman born in Mississippi in 1965. Beautifully written. Powerful storytelling.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong – A novel, written as a letter from a young man to his Vietnamese mother. I’m halfway into this book, and reading slowly, taking in the extraordinary writing and depth.

 

Podcasts

The Brains podcast episode on Writing Books features an interview with Mark Manson and James Clear, and offers great conversation with two best-selling authors regarding their strategies and experiences with writing, promotion, and building enormous communities.

Let me know what you think. And, what are some of your favorite media experiences?

The post Celebrating a renaissance of rich media appeared first on Marc Lesser.

Doing Less, in the Mountains

I’ve been learning a lot about my own patterns and assumptions about doing too much since writing the book Less: Accomplishing More By Doing Less. At times I consider myself to be a “Less failure” — that is, despite my best intentions and aspirations, it’s difficult not to be swept up in our culture of busyness and of doing more. Aspiring to do more, when it comes to solving important problems and helping others can feel and appear as only positive. It can be challenging to focus, prioritize, and put our time and energy into what matters most.

I find that it helps to be more specific when it comes to doing less and be more clear about how to think about and practice doing less. Thus I’ve been writing about the practices of less fear, less assumptions, less distractions, less resistance, and less busyness.

Recently I had the privilege of practicing less busyness – no meetings, no appointments, little to accomplish — and have noticed that this is a great starting point for doing less in all the other areas. I spent a week of hiking and camping in the Eastern Sierra Mountains. There is something magical and revitalizing about being surrounded by ancient volcanic cliffs, cool glacier streams and lakes, and for the major decisions of the day to be where to hike and what meals to cook. Here are some photographs of Lake Ediza, Garnet Lake, and Mount Ritter and Banner in the background.

I spent this time with two close friends, walking, preparing meals, swimming in a nearby river, and discussing a variety of questions and issues. A theme that emerged was – what do you want to do; what do you want to accomplish during the next several years? Interesting and surprising to feel how the combination of the mountains and the spaciousness opened up more depth, clarity, and creativity in envisioning our futures and exploring what matters most.

How do you create the space to reduce busyness and find more clarity and depth in your life?

There is an expression from Buddhism that says that at first mountains are mountains. Then, mountains are not mountains. And, finally, mountains are mountains.

Despite what appears cryptic at first, this expression is saying that it is easy to be caught by the ordinary world of our habits and patterns of busyness, and to not even notice. We believe that non-stop busyness is just the way things are — mountains are just mountains. There is nothing we can do.

Then, something happens, and we notice that change is needed, perhaps essential. We aspire to shift from the world of habits and busyness to a world of curiosity, appreciation, love, and compassion. We begin to practice mindfulness and meditation. This noticing and transformation is described as mountains are not mountains. Then we re-enter our ordinary worlds of relationships and work, changed. In this third stage we have a different relationship with busyness. We are more accepting, present, and alive. This is the practice of returning, changed, to the ordinary world of mountains are mountains.

I hope you will explore the practices of less. Especially less busyness, starting by noticing the choices you make and your habits and patterns are being busy. Whether in the mountains, at work, or with your friends and family, explore and experiment with less busyness, fears, assumptions, distractions, and resistance. See if this leads to more clarity, depth, understanding, and joy.

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Are You Doing Too Much?

How many times have you asked someone how they’re doing and received the response: “I’m busy!” While we may be hearing this less often lately due to pandemic-related restrictions, many people report feelings of anxiety, stress, and even a latent fear of returning to their “overly busy” lives post-pandemic. The sentiment, in other words, is essentially the same – busyness or even the idea of being “too busy” is a significant source of stress for most of us.

Life often moves fast and we are challenged almost daily to keep pace. Whether we are a work-all-night CEO or a stay-at-home parent, our days can become filled with the nonstop challenges of work, home, parenting, and relationships: we deal with deadlines, maintaining healthy communication in our important relationships, coordinating childcare and pick ups, preparing meals, grocery shopping, doing laundry, paying bills, and so on. When problems arise, we sometimes must make split-second decisions and adjustments.

Though we usually associate busyness with activity and speed, and lack of busyness with stopping or slowing down, this is not always the case. It is quite possible to be actively engaged and not be busy; this does not require that you stop, slow down, or step out of the activity of your life – in many instances, we can learn, adjust, and find our composure right in the midst of the activity and intensity of our lives. It takes practice and skill, but it’s something that anyone can learn to do with mindful attention.

One way to shed unnecessary busyness from your life is to ask yourself: What am I doing that is extra?

Then, for a few hours during the day, pay attention to everyday physical activities like walking or sitting.

Do you hold your shoulders tightly or are they relaxed and comfortable?

When you walk, is your gait fluid or strained?

Notice where you carry tension in your muscles, and when you find tension, relax.

Take a deep breath and let it go.

Continue to do this throughout the day, paying attention to your body and your posture. By the end of the day, do you notice any change? Do you have less tension, and when you feel it, is it easier to let it go?

It can take a lot of practice and attention to relearn ingrained physical habits, but doing so has enormous benefits. Try to explore whether expending less unnecessary energy makes for more productivity and satisfaction throughout your day.

We are born with all the wisdom, playfulness, and imagination we need; we just sometimes need a reminder to return to our senses and get out of our own way. Let go of whatever fears, assumptions, distractions, resistance, and busyness might be hampering you. Allow yourself to think and feel and live that way. Embodying and acting from this place results in greater composure, and when we act with composure, we are more effective in every aspect of our lives.

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Resistance and how to transform limiting beliefs

It’s common and easy to waste time and energy, and reduce our power by resisting change.

Everything we take for granted is constantly changing. The formation of the clouds in the sky at this moment is unique and will never be repeated. Every cell in our bodies is replaced every seven years. Our planet and the universe are in a state of continual, inconceivable transformation. One way to cut through the boredom or sense of being in a rut in meditation practice is to bring to mind that this breath, each breath, right now is actually new, has never happened before and will never occur again.

The fact that everything changes is good news. Or actually, as Buddhists and scientists say, it is neither good news nor bad news. It is what is, neither good nor bad . . . and this is good news! However, we often find it difficult to accept change and the uncertainty that goes along with it. We grasp at what we know and what is familiar, resisting anything that might take us out of our comfort zone; we hold on to limiting and self-defeating beliefs because it seems safer. But these beliefs only reflect what we think we know about ourselves (I’m not a good cook; I don’t speak well in public)—not what we might actually be able to achieve. Sometimes we resist positive change rather than let go of what we already have.

TRY THIS

Compile a list of your limiting beliefs and rephrase them as open-ended beliefs. Below is a list I formulated for myself, which you can use as a guide.

COMMON LIMITING BELIEFSMORE OPEN-ENDED BELIEFSI don’t have enough time (I’m too busy!).I am clear about my priorities and my ability to respond.I don’t have enough experience.I know my strengths and what I still need to learn.I’m not smart enough.I love to learn new things and I can learn or find the help and support I need.Things will never change.In the past there were many problems and challenges.

Then place these as daily reminders in your office, on your computer, or somewhere where you can easily refer to them. When you look at them, intentionally question what you gain from holding on to your limiting beliefs. And notice how, one at a time, these more open-ended statements challenge your limited view of yourself, and the world.

Change, and our resistance to change, can be a great guide and teacher.

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3 Simple Strategies to Reduce Distractions and Sharpen Your Focus

Distractions and interruptions are such a part of modern life that we don’t often realize how hard it is to concentrate. Many neuroscientists, psychologists, and technology pundits believe that the distractions of our communication technology are actually rewiring the brain’s capacity to concentrate for any amount of time on one topic. For example, in a much-discussed article in The Atlantic (“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”), Nicholas Carr, one of the leading thinkers on information technology, writes: “What the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles.”

A Harvard study, which has now been widely cited, found that our minds are not paying attention to what is right in front of us 47% percent of the time, and that mind wandering is correlated with unhappiness.

Of course, there is also a good kind of mind wandering. This is different than ruminating about the past, worrying about the future, or just being simply distracted from what you are doing, thinking, and feeling. Creating time and space, where we are relaxed and open, not needing to accomplish anything, can be energizing and creative.

Next time you find your mind wandering, try engaging these 3 practices to focus your attention:

Clarify next steps. Grab some paper or open your favorite note taking app, and make a note of the items on your mental to-do list. This can include projects, aspirations, or even the groceries. Next to each item, list the next step that is needed to complete it. Often, we get distracted by our overwhelming lists of priorities and to-dos when what we need is to break them down into doable actions.Appreciate impermanence. I saw a cartoon in a New Yorker magazine in which two people were finishing their dinners at a Chinese restaurant and had just opened their fortune cookies. One fortune read, “You are going to die.” If you let this fact sink in—that life is short and we all die—it can act as a powerful motivating force to help maintain focus and priorities.Savor borrowed time. Next, imagine for a moment, that you have died and now have a chance to return to this life. Now what? What would you do differently? This is a way of acknowledging how short and how precious our lives are, while helping us uncover what’s most important, right now.

These days, I’m experiencing a different kind of borrowed time—by working online, I’m not having to drive or travel to see clients. I’ve become aware of the additional time and space that is possible, and resist the temptation to fill it and do more.

What matters most isn’t how many items we’ve checked on our to-do lists. What matters most is how much love and positive energy we contribute to our families, friends, and our workplaces. Instead of being distracted, let’s focus on being kind and engaged with the people we cherish most and our ability to influence effective change.

Wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.
– William James

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Assume Less, Ask More

“The brain non-consciously predicts what is most likely to happen and sets in motion perceptions, emotions, behaviors and interpersonal responses best adapted to what is expected-before events occur. In a sense, we learn from the past what to predict for the future and then live the future we expect.”
– Regina Pally, neuroscientist
 
On any given day, we likely make a series of predictions and assumptions. When walking down stairs, we trust that the next steps will be there. When driving a car, we make hundreds of assumptions about the functioning of our car and the behavior of other drivers. To function in everyday life, we are required to make assumptions about the causes of events and what will happen next. But predictions and assumptions are often wrong.
 
For instance, many years ago when I was a young Zen student living at Green Gulch Farm in California, a problem arose among the residents: a sliding wooden door at the entrance of the student living area was regularly being left open. As a result, cold Pacific Ocean winds would sweep in and chill our shared living space. Announcements were made at least a half dozen times at community work meetings reminding people to keep this door shut. But it was continually found open, and over time this became a remarkably divisive issue. People grew emotional, blaming and pointing fingers. In the midst of one tense meeting, Sierra, the farm’s pet golden retriever, opened the door from the outside and joined the group. Of course, Sierra didn’t close the door behind her. Everyone laughed. No one knew that Sierra had the dexterity to open a sliding wooden door. The group’s false assumptions had nearly led to an all-out battle.
 
Admittedly, this story has a comical ending. It’s a rare case when we can actually blame the dog for our incomplete homework or anything else. But the story does point to a lesson about assumptions: When things go wrong and conflict ensues, the fastest and most effective solution is often to identify and let go of any false assumptions.
 

3 Ways to Let Go of False Assumptions

 

Ask for feedback
Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that we ask our loved ones, “Please tell me. How can I love you better?” Try asking this of your partner, children, or parents, and then listen to what they say.At work, try asking people you trust, “How can I be a better team member?” or “How can I be more effective?” Soliciting feedback—and then paying careful attention to it—is a good way to reduce assumptions.

 

Distinguish motivation from impact
Notice how often you assume what someone else’s motivations are. Much of the time we don’t even know our own motivations, so it can be very difficult to know the motivations of others. But we can be aware of the impact that their actions have within us. Knowing your feelings and emotions and distinguishing these from others’ motivations is an important step in reducing assumptions. Experiment with being more curious, especially when you feel hurt, overwhelmed or emotionally triggered in small or large ways.

 

Make requests and offers
Experiment with making clear requests of others. Try beginning sentences with “I request that…” or “Would you please…?” Also make clear offers, such as “Can I help you with…?” By making requests and offers, we increase clarity and connection, while reducing inaccurate assumptions.

 
Making less assumptions, by employing these practices, can support you to find a greater sense of ease and alignment with yourself, your vision, and the people you work with and live with.

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Less Fear. More Generosity

Fear can be a useful ally. It can focus us, keep us safe, even keep us alive. Fear of illness or injury can motivate us to stop smoking, to exercise, and to eat healthier food. In our communities, fear can motivate us to make our air and water cleaner, our bridges and levees stronger, our workplaces safer.

Fear can also be an enormous hindrance. It can color our world so that a rope appears as a dangerous snake or an offer of friendship is perceived as an imposition or even an attack. We can fear not getting promoted or losing our jobs, fear what people think about us, or fear that people aren’t thinking at all about us. The list of possible fears is almost endless, so it is not surprising that, sometimes without our knowing it, our actions and decisions can become ruled by fear.

When we are afraid, our first impulse is to tighten our bodies and shut down our minds. We are no longer receptive and playful, which becomes an enormous hindrance to learning new skills in the workplace, to collaborating, and to making interpersonal connections.

Buddhism speaks of five primary fears:

Fear of losing our state of mindFear of public humiliation, or fear of speaking in publicFear of losing one’s reputationFear of losing one’s livelihoodFear of death

Reducing fear (and its physical manifestation, anxiety) and opening oneself to new possibilities — surprises, even — is the first step toward a more lasting sense of freedom. To reduce our fears we must begin by acknowledging and becoming aware of them. This process of increasing awareness of fear is strangely freeing in and of itself. Each day brings experiences in which we have an opportunity to acknowledge our fears without self-flagellation (more on this below) so that they can be set free. This can allow wholly new approaches or solutions to appear, giving us the space to focus on our most important goals (even if, in losing our fear, our goals become something very different than previously imagined!).

Fear is like the “gunk” or rust that clogs our minds and our bodies, the perfect and beautiful engines we were born with. In our current world of more-faster-better, it can be difficult to see and feel the pervasive influences of fear. Transforming fear is not a one-time thing, either; we must develop ongoing strategies and habits to continually lessen it.

3 Ways to Acknowledge and Release Your Fears

Invite your fears to tea
Begin by naming your top five fears. Write each one on a piece of paper. If so inclined, you can actually make a pot of tea and fill a cup for each of your fears. When we acknowledge and open up playfully to our fears, they tend to lose their influence and power.Play with your perception of time
Spend some time every day outside of usual “clock time”—in meditation, with mindfulness practice, or by taking a walk in the park, for example. These practices can act as antidotes to the fears we hold about not having enough time (which is a root cause of feelings of burnout and overwhelm).Practice generosity
Generosity is the perfect antidote to fear. When you practice being generous with your time, your joy, and your spirit, fear has no choice but to loosen its grip. In fact, finding composure and acting with clarity and resolve, right in the midst of your fears, is a form of generosity that in Buddhism is sometimes referred to as “giving the gift of fearlessness.”

One of my favorite quotes about fear:

“A mind that has any form or fear cannot, obviously, have the quality of love, sympathy, tenderness, Fear is the destructive energy in man.”

– J. Krishnamurti

In my next newsletter, I’ll talk about the self-defeating practice of making assumptions, and we’ll explore ways to identify and let go of limiting beliefs.

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More Effectiveness With Less Effort

There is an old story of a man riding very fast on a horse. As he rides past his friend standing on the side of the road, the friend yells, “Where are you going?” The rider turns toward his friend and yells, “I don’t know, ask the horse!”

The pace and intensity of our lives, both at work and at home, leave many of us feeling like the person riding that frantically galloping horse. Our incessant busyness, too much to do and not enough time; the pressure to tick off items on our to-do list by each day’s end—seems to decide the direction and quality of our existence. But if we approach our days in a different way, we can consciously change this out-of-control pattern. It only requires the courage to do less.

This may sound easy, but doing less can actually be very hard. Too often we mistakenly believe that doing less makes us lazy and results in a lack of productivity. Instead, doing less helps us savor what we do accomplish. We learn to do less of what is extraneous and engage in fewer self-defeating behaviors, so we craft a productive life that we truly feel good about.

As the CEO of an executive coaching and consulting company, I am certainly not immune to the pressures of balancing work, family, and relationships. Since I am also a Zen priest, I have spent much of the past 25 years exploring how to apply Zen practices to work and relationships, as well as how to apply work and relationships to Zen practice. Recently I have organized some of my insights about productivity and well-being into a five-step practice. “The Less Manifesto,” as I call it, focuses on engaging less in five self-defeating habits in order to experience more ease, more composure, and better results in our own lives and in our relationships with others.

I have compressed each of the five habits into one word—one behavior or activity we can do less of—but each represents a huge arena of human emotion and psychology. The list is inspired by the traditional five hindrances of Buddhism, but I have adapted it to the day-to-day challenges I observe in working with clients. The activities or categories are these:

FearAssumptionsDistractionsResistanceBusyness

Engaging in any of these habits can be debilitating, leading us to do more and accomplish less. They are often related or intertwined, creating patterns of self-defeating behavior that contribute to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. In each of the five sections on the following pages, I outline one of these counterproductive habits and provide some explorations that may help change it. Experiment with my suggestions and tailor them to your own life.

If we don’t address and change these behaviors, we will always find it hard to accomplish what we want in a way that’s satisfying, no matter how hard we try. But once we change our behaviors, we may find it is possible to do much more than before—and enjoy it.

During the next several weeks I look forward to addressing each of these activities in more detail, with suggested practices.

For now I want to share a few words from John Seed, from an unpublished interview with Ram Dass. I find these words inspiring, and an effective approach to accomplishing more with less fear.

In the end, nothing but a miracle would be of any use at this time. When you look at the rate of destruction, whether it’s of the rain forest or the ozone layer, the climate, all of these things that are happening, and if you were able to multiply all the efforts of conservationists by a factor of ten or even a hundred, it wouldn’t be enough. So there’s nothing on the horizon that can help us, you know.

And so then you think, well what kind of miracle would it take for things to be different? Well, it would be a very simple one really. All that would be needed would be for human beings to wake up one day different than they were the day before, realizing that this is the end unless we make these changes, and then deciding to make the change. That doesn’t seem like a very likely thing to happen, but on the other hand the whole road that we’ve traveled is so littered with miracles that it’s only our strange kind of modern psyche that refuses to see it. I mean the miracle of being descended from a fish that chose to leave the water to walk on land…with a pedigree like that [anything is possible].

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