Marc Lesser's Blog, page 39

Wisdom, Nonsense, Koans of Life

Interesting article in the October 6th New York Times Science Times entitled Mind: How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect

The thrust of the article is that our minds naturally seek to create patterns. When presented with information that does not fit any pattern (nonsense) our creative ability to find patterns, and solutions is enhanced.

This article reminds me of the way in which koans are used in Zen practice. By asking a question...

An Intelligence For Simplicity

One of the greatest (and mysterious) compliments I've ever received was from a teacher of mine, more than thirty years ago, who said he thought I had an "intelligence for simplicity." I've been chewing on those words ever since, with both some pride and curiosity.

Lately, in the work I've been doing within organizations, I see the need for both intelligence and simplicity, in how people work together. People are complicated...

Intention, Vow, and Getting Things Done

Beings are numberless. I vow to save them.

Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them

Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.

Buddha's way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.

These vows, which are chanted at the end of Zen lectures, express the fundamental intentions of Zen practice. They elevate our day-to-day activities and provide a larger context in which to live. Though these statements appear lofty and impossible...

"Sweet Honey From My Old Failures"

Last night, as I was sleeping,

I dreamt – marvelous error! –

That I had a beehive

Here inside my heart.

And the golden bees

Were making white combs

And sweet honey

From my old failures.

- Antonio Machado, translated by Robert Bly

I hate making errors. Especially difficult is receiving negative feedback. It's so hard to believe that everyone doesn't love me, and love everything that I do. What can they be thinking? This was a really...

More Alignment: Less Busyness

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If we are working harder than ever and still not accomplishing very much, we need to see whether we suffer from a lack of alignment. Alignment sounds jargon-y, but it simply refers to making sure our efforts support our goals. Making sure we are in alignment is key for reducing busyness and increasing effectiveness.

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If It's Not Paradoxical, It's Not True!

Paradox: a statement that seems contradictory, absurd, or unbelievable but that may be true; a person, situation, or act that seems to have contradictory or inconsistent qualities.

Webster's Dictionary

When I first lived at Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center (a monastery in Central California) my family came to visit me during the summer guest season. They appreciated the natural beauty of Tassajara but missed the comforts of civilization such

The Power of Intention

Beings are numberless. I vow to save them.

Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them

Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.

Buddha's way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.

These vows, which are chanted at the end of Zen lectures, express the fundamental intentions of Zen practice. They elevate our day-to-day activities and provide a larger context in which to live. Though these statements appear lofty and impossible, they

Less Effort: More Results

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In Extraordinary Golf, Fred Shoemaker describes a study comparing the golf swings of top professional golfers with the swings of average golfers that provides some useful lessons about doing, effort, and effortlessness. The study shows three different rows of golfers, detailing their various golf swings. In the top row is a professional golfer. In the second row is an average golfer hitting a golf ball. In the third row is an average golfe

Five Ways To Do Less (And Accomplish More)

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1) Step out of regular activity - Do less by taking the time to rest mentally and physically in between or outside of our usual activities, perhaps instituting a regular practice of meditation, retreats, breaks, and reflection.

2) Pause in the midst of activity - Do less by pausing in the midst of activities: mindfulness practice (such as coming in touch with our breath in between reading or sending emails) and walking meditation are two e

Marketing, Zen, Success, Failure, and Letting Go

As I was preparing to address an audience about my new book Less, a young professional woman, one of the event organizers, asked me how I market my book. I responded that I do two things: 1) Strategize and work my strategy. My strategy includes developing good marketing materials, a public relations plan, blogging and social media strategy, radio and print strategy. Thus far I've done about a dozen book readings around the San Francisco