If there is one thing in 2019 we are sorely in need of, it's more compassion and empathy. I know this has been the rallying cry of many different corners of our society for a while now -- some have even weaponized the idea of civility as a means of shutting down dissent. But look … Continue reading Building A Better Buddhist in 2019
Tag: self-improvement
(Self-Improvement) In Praise of Mistakes
Mistakes are a fundamental part of the human condition -- almost as much as our fear of making them. Because of the way we're designed and the reality we live in, we're imperfect creatures limited by our experience, perspective and the momentum of habit. It's natural that these things would push us to do something … Continue reading (Self-Improvement) In Praise of Mistakes
(Writing) A Writer’s May
The month of April was...not great for me as a writer. I didn't make much progress on anything of note, though I *did* resume a long-dormant Pathfinder game that I'll take as my big win. I could attribute the lack of writing to my day job, or family stress, or the general pressures of being … Continue reading (Writing) A Writer’s May
(Personal) Hello, April
Floating in a sensory deprivation tank for an hour was long enough for me to realize that a great deal of my problem is overstimulation. It's tough for someone sensitive to sensory input to live in a world like this, geared towards making sure something is grabbing your attention all the time. We live at … Continue reading (Personal) Hello, April
(Personal) My 2017
Happy New Year! Congratulations to all of us for making it through 2017 with our sanity mostly intact. It was a really rough year, wasn't it? I don't know about you, but just when I thought I was getting a handle on things, something else would come along and knock me off my feet. There … Continue reading (Personal) My 2017
Kwanzaa, Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
Habari gani, brothers and sisters? A depressingly common refrain we tend to get whenever we make the attempt to center blackness for a time is "Why don't we get WHITE (pride, History Month, superheroes, etc.)?" My response is this: Has this ever happened to most (if not all) white ancestors in your family? … Continue reading Kwanzaa, Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
Kwanzaa, Day 1: Umoja (Unity)
Habari gani? You might not know it, but today is the first day of Kwanzaa! A lot of people tend to dismiss Kwanzaa because it's a made up holiday, or because it promotes divisiveness by centering the African diaspora, or because the whole thing sounds so silly. But all holidays were newly made up at … Continue reading Kwanzaa, Day 1: Umoja (Unity)
(Organization) The Pomodoro Technique
One of the 'features' of ADHD is an impaired executive function, which is all kind of fun. Those of us who have a difficult time with our executive functions might have problems with self-motivation, self-awareness, self-restraint, working memory (our inner monologue and imagination), planning and problem solving. In other words, those of us with ADHD … Continue reading (Organization) The Pomodoro Technique
(#Infomagical) Day 5: One Priority
Yesterday's Infomagical challenge was to have a conversation at least seven minutes long with someone about a topic important to you, either over the phone or in person. So...how was it? Was it harder than you thought it would be? Easier? What did you talk about? And did you learn anything from the conversation? I … Continue reading (#Infomagical) Day 5: One Priority
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 