Soul Magnet

He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how. – Nietzsche My earliest memory is lying on my back in my baby crib, with no separation between my self and the world. Attracted by the three primary colors of red, yellow and blue, I wordlessly watched the gently swaying bird mobile …

On a Perpetual Journey

I tramp a perpetual journey. – Walt Whitman The pulse of change throbs away within the journey of the human spirit. Occasionally, a subtle shift in the ethereal breeze triggers primitive instincts. Intangible forces raise the hairs on the back of the neck and stipple the forearms with goosebumps. Ancient longings squeeze the skull and …

Live in the Present

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this. – Henry David Thoreau I am nearing my 400th Post. And to celebrate I …

20 Tips for Work-Life Balance

Do work that fulfills you Change jobs if you hate it Find work that is more fulfilling Praise the work of others sincerely Improve your communication skills Learn by doing Proofread your work Evade office politics Don’t over commit Improve writing skills Prioritize your time Organize your workspace Save money Celebrate your efforts Establish “me …

World between Worlds – A Poem

The spring evening cools the warm stone. A heady perfume of grass and ground rises from behind the veiled sunset. Night wings beat. A stillness comes. From the front porch, sounds of child’s play call the heart to sift the years through open hands. The memory of nights such as these coaxes the eyes to …

What is Enough?

I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough? – Vincent Van Gogh We live in a time of great material abundance. But the haves and the have nots stand on opposite sides of a deep chasm of inequality. Many people focus on the holes in their lives …

Reunion After the Plague

The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again. – Charles Dickens Several weeks ago I got the best news of the year, my wife had bought her ticket home. We would be reunited after being apart for over eight months. I was thrilled. For eight months, I have lit the light …

The Speed of Life

How did it get so late so soon? – Dr. Seuss A Gigasecond (one billion seconds) ago, I became a single father. My kids were 7, 5 and 3 years old. I measured each day differently after that. If we are lucky like my Dad we may have three gigaseconds to live our life the …

Poetry: Soul Outpost Cantos 3-4

Canto III – Luminous Clarity My downstairs neighbor sweetly strums the Guzheng after Sunday breakfast The radiant music flows through the cement floor into my tiny cloister In the room next to me, my future wife teaches English to anxious middle school students preparing for their monthly exams Their critical class rank measured down to …