Marc Lesser's Blog, page 37
February 24, 2010
Taking Nothing For Granted
I saw a cartoon in a recent 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 actually act as a powerful motivating force to help maintain focus and priorities. Everything changes and is impermanent, so are we fully present and making...
February 17, 2010
Every Organization Has A Climate. What's Yours?
Every organization has a climate; whether you are a one-person organization or a 10,000-person company, there is a climate. You may be very aware of it, or not so aware of it, but a climate exists. Of course it may change and not everyone would define it exactly the same.
I always find it fascinating to come in contact with an organization, whether a small company, large business, or non-profit – noticing and being influenced by...
February 7, 2010
Reducing Busyness
There is a story about two Zen teachers from seventh-century China. One teacher is sweeping some stone steps inside the monastery with a wooden broom. He is approached by the other teacher, who looks at him and remarks, "Too busy." (This is a way of saying, "Why are you sweeping when you should be meditating or undertaking some type of contemplative practice?") The first teacher, holding his broom, responds by saying, "You should know t...
January 23, 2010
Accomplishing More By Doing Less
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 that person riding that frantically galloping horse. Our daily incessant busyness — too much to do and not en...
January 19, 2010
Mindful Eating, Mindful Living
I've recently begun experimenting with the Engine 2 Texas Firefighters Diet -- you can eat everything except animal products, sugar, white flour, and oils… Eating this way has brought a new level of attention to what I eat, a new appreciation for what I put into my body. After all, what could be more intimate then this act that we so casually call eating.
Before this experiment, I thought of myself as eating fairly healthy, and as...
January 13, 2010
Slow Down To Move Fast
Speed kills. This is literally true when it comes to driving. The higher the speed, the greater the chances of fatalities. It is also true that working with speed and intensity, without modulating your activity, contributes to a host of physical ailments leading to a variety of health problems and a shortened life.
But often life itself moves fast, and we are challenged to move fast enough to keep up with it. Whether we are a...
January 6, 2010
Enjoy Your Life, Whether Happy or Not...
To "enjoy" your life is different than how we often think of happiness. Happiness is usually dependent on the circumstances, the situation, the perception and assessment of your life. We are happy when things go well, when we get what we want. To really enjoy your life means to appreciate your life, including what is difficult or unpleasant.
Of course, we all want to be happy. We want the best circumstances, we want to be...
December 22, 2009
The Practice of Right View
I was drawn to Zen practice as a path and practice to finding real freedom, to owning, respecting, and trusting this ordinary, precious life. My practice began, and is regularly encouraged by noticing where and when I am not awake, where I am holding, avoiding, tight. I didn't know it at the time but, this could be a description of the practice of Right View.
As I was preparing to give a recent talk, I noticed a part of me was tight. ...
10 Life-Changing Books To Read In 2010, Or Any Time
These are 10 books that I find myself re-reading, referring to again and again:
Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen, by Shunryu Suzuki
Practicing Peace in Times of War, by Pema Chodron
December 15, 2009
Appreciating Uncertainty
Several years ago, my then twenty-year-old son, Jason, worked in the Brush Dance warehouse; the publishing company I founded and ran. I received the benefit of his insights about the company as well as his suggestions for improvements. Fairly often Jason would suggest that I take him to lunch, and though this meant spending more money then I normally would, the opportunity made me happy.
