Posts by Pat:
A Taste of Wisdom
A Hindu parable recounted by Mark Nepo
An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so one morning sent him for some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
“How does it tas
te?” the master asked.
“Bitter,” spit the apprentice.
The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same size handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.
As the water dripped down the young
man’s chin, the master asked, “How does it taste?”
“Fresh,” remarked the apprentice.
“Do you taste the salt?” asked the master.
“No,” said the young man.
At this the master sat beside this serious young man who so reminded him of himself and took his hands, explaining gently:
“The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less.
The amount of pain in life remains exactly the same.
However, the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in.
So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things…
Stop being a glass.
Become a lake.”
So…how can WE enlarge our perception of life? become a lake?
Summer Daze?
It’s summer time (and the living is easy!) You know what that means right? Sure… barbequing, beaching, camping, boating, vacationing, picnicking, and sunbathing. But also potentially the utter collapse of our work momentum and productivity. It’s true, the dictionary even defines the “Dog Days of Summer” as “lethargy, inactivity or indolence.” It’s just the part of […]
Four monks’ story…
There is an often-told Zen story of four monks who decided to do a silent meditation for two weeks. By nightfall on the first day, the candle that lit their prayer hall began to flicker and soon went out. The first monk said “Oh, no! The candle is out.” The second monk said, “Aren’t we […]
It’s Up to You
FOOD FOR THOUGHT… One song can spark a moment. One flower can wake the dream. One tree can start a forest, And one bird can herald the spring. One smile can begin a friendship. One hand can lift a soul. One star can guide a ship at sea, And one word […]
Respond to “How are you?”
Start your day with a friendly “How are you?” But ask it of yourself! It is an opportunity to be reminded of what’s really true about you and your experiences. Imagine beginning each day with “How am I?” and then responding with one of the following answers: How am I ? I am strong. I […]
Why your June 10th is so important
Today is June 10th. In 20 days, 2018 will be halfway over! That’s crazy, right? It seems like just yesterday we were planning our goals for the year and feeling motivated about the future. Question for you–what have you accomplished in this near-half-year? Have you achieved what you set out to achieve? Made a dent in […]
And your choice is..?
Have you ever fallen down the rabbit hole that is Google? I spent an untold amount of time search for quotes that I might use when I write about what life is to me. And I found so many insightful and fun ones that I’ve decided this post will highlight eight of my favorites and, […]
Upgrade your attitude!
This was a challenging week. And I know from experience that choosing my attitude is essential! I remembered this post that I did over a year and a half ago and it seems really appropriate to use it for this week! There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the […]
Graduation or Commencement?
I shared this favorite story of mine six years ago and I still love it! Little Emma was 6 years old and in first grade. It was the end of the first week. When Mom picked her up from school, Emma bounced happily into the car. “How was school today, honey?” Immediately and very happily, […]
Sometimes it’s the dull little things…
A fun story by your friend and mine-anonymous! One Sunday morning at a small rural church, the new pastor called on one of his older deacons to lead in the opening prayer. The Deacon stood up, bowed his head and said, “Lord, I hate buttermilk.” The pastor opened one eye and wondered where this was […]