Thinking about making New Year Resolutions? You might consider making a commitment about how you want to be, besides what you want to do. Actually, it is reasonable to believe that we do things because of what we imagine we feel when we accomplish those deeds. The bad news is that we are deeply [...]
The Gift of Now
My first book, to be launched at the Gaudeamus Book Fair, in Bucharest Saturday, November 26, 2011, 14.00 hrs, Editura Herald. A book of words and images about attentive presence, mindful awareness, mind-stretching exercises, creativity in daily life, visual meditations and reflection for life enhancement.
A Happy Mind
When you are content with what you have, the mind settles down. When you delight in giving, the mind becomes light. When you realize that what you have is already good, when you cultivate contentment and generosity, when you learn how to let go of holding on and holding back, you can begin to transform the negative mind into [...]
Healthy Skepticism
We know we have the right to ask questions, but we exercise that right mostly by asking questions to others and expecting answers, solutions, explanations, excuses, justifications, advice. We seldom exercise that right with ourselves. When we do it, we neglect to take the time to listen to our deeper response. We are accustomed to [...]
Freedom Beyond Conditions
Acceptance brings awareness and clarity. Resitance brings confusion and frustration. To accept means to simply acknowledge that things are as they are. No judgement, approval or rejection. Just pure awareness, in the moment. Remember the spaciousness of your mind, how it can embrace all that is, without being thrown off balance. Between the [...]
Moving Beyond Emotions
Emotions are really moving. Go ahead and feel the emotion… Disappointment or enthusiasm, sadness or joy, anger or love, it will move into something else. Let go of the label you have been accustomed to stick on the movement. Feel the energy, become aware of its coming and going. Be alert to the information your [...]
Friends, Enemies, Strangers
In order to be able to get along in the world, we invented labels such as „friend” – the person I like and could help me, therefore I’m attached to him/her, „enemy” – the person I dislike and could harm me, therefore I feel aversion and I reject him/her, and „stranger” – the person [...]
Freedom from Happiness Stress
Our brains are harwired to pursue reward, pleasure and survival, to avoid punishment, pain and distress. We are culturally programmed to think about those two states as happiness and suffering, and society teaches us countless ways in which to run in this lifelong race to gain the big prize of happiness, preferably without ever [...]
The Flexible Mind
French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal said about man that he is „but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed.” When we consider man’s mind, we could say now that it probably is the most powerful thing in nature. However, this power can be exerted wisely only when [...]
Trust Yourself
In our Western world, stable self-confidence and an adequate self-esteem are highly praised as neccessary ingredients for a successful and fulfilled life. What if these ‘qualities’ are in fact obstacles we need to overcome on our way to acquiring a content, satisfied and happy mind? Both self-confidence and self-esteem imply duality and comparison to others, [...]
