Rick Hanson's Blog, page 126
October 1, 2011
Drop Tart Tone – Just One Thing
Feeling a little sour?
The Practice
Drop tart tone.
Why?
Tone matters.
I remember times I felt frazzled or aggravated and then said something with an edge to it that just wasn't necessary or useful. Sometimes it was the words themselves: such as absolutes like "never" or always," or over-the-top phrases like "you're such a flake" or "that was stupid." More often it was the intonation in my voice, a harsh vibe or look, interrupting, or a certain intensity in my body. However I did it, the...
September 24, 2011
Lower the Pressure
Is it truly urgent?
The Practice:
Lower the pressure.
Why?
Things come at us with so much urgency and demand these days. Phones ring, texts buzz, emails pile up, new balls have to be juggled, work days lengthen and move into evenings and weekends, traffic gets denser, financial demands feel like a knife at the neck, ads and news clamor for attention, push push push PUSH.
On top of these external pressures, we deal with internal ones as well. These include all the inner "shoulds," "musts," a...
Lower the Pressure – Just One Thing
Is it truly urgent?
The Practice
Lower the pressure.
Why?
Things come at us with so much urgency and demand these days. Phones ring, texts buzz, emails pile up, new balls have to be juggled, work days lengthen and move into evenings and weekends, traffic gets denser, financial demands feel like a knife at the neck, ads and news clamor for attention, push push push PUSH.
On top of these external pressures, we deal with internal ones as well. These include all the inner "shoulds," "musts,"...
September 17, 2011
See Beings not Bodies
What happens when you look at someone?
The Practice:
See beings, not bodies.
Why?
When we encounter someone, usually the mind automatically slots the person into a category: man, woman, your friend Tom, the kid next door, etc. Watch this happen in your own mind as you meet or talk with a co-worker, salesclerk, or family member.
In effect, the mind summarizes and simplifies tons of details into a single thing – a human thing to be sure, but one with an umbrella label that makes it easy to...
See Beings not Bodies – Just One Thing
What happens when you look at someone?
The Practice
See beings, not bodies.
Why?
When we encounter someone, usually the mind automatically slots the person into a category: man, woman, your friend Tom, the kid next door, etc. Watch this happen in your own mind as you meet or talk with a co-worker, salesclerk, or family member.
In effect, the mind summarizes and simplifies tons of details into a single thing – a human thing to be sure, but one with an umbrella label that makes it easy to...
September 10, 2011
Receive Generosity
Do you accept the gift?
The Practice:
Receive generosity.
Why?
Life gives to each one of us in so many ways.
For starters, there's the bounty of the senses – including chocolate chip cookies, jasmine, sunsets, wind singing through pine trees, and just getting your back scratched.
What does life give you?
Consider the kindness of friends and family, made more tangible during a holiday season, but of course continuing throughout the year.
Or the giving of the people whose hard work is bound up in a...
Receive Generosity – Just One Thing
Do you accept the gift?
The Practice
Receive generosity.
Why?
Life gives to each one of us in so many ways.
For starters, there's the bounty of the senses – including chocolate chip cookies, jasmine, sunsets, wind singing through pine trees, and just getting your back scratched.
What does life give you?
Consider the kindness of friends and family, made more tangible during a holiday season, but of course continuing throughout the year.
Or the giving of the people whose hard work is bound up in a ...
September 3, 2011
Step into the Cloud
Juggling bricks?
The Practice:
Step into the cloud.
Why?
I had a lightbulb moment recently: I was feeling stressed about all the stuff I had to do (you probably know the feeling). After this went on for a while, I stepped back and kind of watched my mind, and could see that I was thinking of these various tasks as things, like big rocks that were rolling down a hill toward me and which needed to be handled, lifted, moved, fended off, or broken into pebbles. As soon as I dealt with one...
Step into the Cloud – Just One Thing
Juggling bricks?
The Practice
Step into the cloud.
Why?
I had a lightbulb moment recently: I was feeling stressed about all the stuff I had to do (you probably know the feeling). After this went on for a while, I stepped back and kind of watched my mind, and could see that I was thinking of these various tasks as things, like big rocks that were rolling down a hill toward me and which needed to be handled, lifted, moved, fended off, or broken into pebbles. As soon as I dealt with one...
August 24, 2011
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
What's the most important thing?
The Practice:
Keep your eyes on the prize.
Why?
Have you heard this saying?
The most important thing is to remember the most important thing.
What are the most important things to you? In your life as a whole? During a particular interaction with someone? Right this minute?
The most important things often get pushed to the sidelines. Urgent crowds out important. Modern life is full of distracting clamor, from text messages and emails to window displays in the...
