Lao-Tzu wrote: Living people are soft and tender Corpses are hard and stiff The living grass, the trees, are soft and pliant Dead they’re dry and brittle So hardness and stiffness go with death Tenderness, softness go with life And … Continue reading
Ten years ago, my brother bought a bumper sticker: “Don’t believe everything you think.” I thought that was amusing. How can you not believe what you think? Later on, I saw it as a reminder to lighten up. Admit you … Continue reading
Lady Li was daughter of the border officer at Ai. When captured by the Duke of Jin for a concubine, she cried so hard and long she completely soaked her robes. But when she reached the Duke’s palace and experienced … Continue reading
“I saw a chimpanzee gaze at a particularly beautiful sunset for a full 15 minutes, watching the changing colors, until it became so dark that he had to retire to the forest without stopping to pick a pawpaw for his … Continue reading
Do you ever have the feeling of “too much to do; too little time”? Really takes a bite out of the pleasure of life, doesn’t it? If the stress of time ever weighs on you, here’s a reading that might … Continue reading
Mental illness can feel like a life sentence in solitary confinement, without possibility of parole. There’s just no point. But even in the most hopeless lives, having just one positive thing to do, one activity to focus on, can change … Continue reading
Lao Tzu says, “Teach without talking.” I had a teacher like that once, who showed me the meaning of support. This teacher was different from others I have had, in that it was green and didn’t move much, let alone … Continue reading
Help is out there, often in unlikely places. One afternoon, I was riding a MUNI bus through a working-class San Francisco neighborhood. Seated across from me was a group of young African-American men, dressed mostly in sweat clothes with basketball … Continue reading
My friend Cesar works with homeless and troubled people, and he’s really good at it. But when he asked his Goodwill job training class in San Francisco if they had ever been leaders, they were baffled. Some got angry. “How … Continue reading
I used to lead a six-week self-management program for people with chronic conditions at a Kaiser Permanente hospital. Iris was 60 years old when she came to one of these classes. She was a short woman with straight black hair … Continue reading
