Our Shared Reality

We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep. – William James Standing at the edge of the stormy deep, I sense the pulse of millions of my fellow humans. Beyond the artificial boundaries of nations and politics, lie the vast interlaced storylines of our species. Life sweeps …

Faith Looks Up

Sorrow looks back; Worry looks around; Faith looks up. – Ralph Waldo Emerson It seems that every day for the past week has been filled with news and talk about the sickness running rampant through China right now. My wife’s family is nervous, my Chinese friends are worried, and my former students are uncertain what …

Ancient Lunar Calendar

This is an excerpt from an article I wrote when I was managing editor of a monthly magazine in Hangzhou, China. It was the year 4705-4706 – Earth Rat year. Now twelve years later it is the year 4717- 4718 Metal Rat. The Rat Year begins the 12-year cycle. Let me just say tactfully that …

Artistic Vision

He realized more vividly than ever before, that art had two constants, two unending preoccupations: it is always meditating on death and it is always thereby creating life. –Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago The spark of life within us glimmers and shines, and occasionally adversity or blessing fans the spark into a bonfire. That animated nucleus …

Light the World

Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness. – Anne Frank Many times events in our lives become tangled up and our days devolve into chaos. It seems there is no end to the trials and tribulations. That is why holidays and taking time away from the hustle and bustle …

Your Life is a Miracle

Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born. – Albert Einstein Aging is part of all life cycles. Are cells are constantly being recycled and remade. When I was young I read somewhere that every cell in …

Changing Your Perspective

Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it. – Marcus Aurelius The length of one’s life is not predetermined. Many factors go into shortening or lengthening your days, but the quality not the …

Live in the Here and Now

Enlightenment means taking full responsibility for your life. – William Blake Life springs forth from the energy we create. Taking responsibility for your life grants you control over your present and future. Accept the thoughts you have and shine your glorious light into the shadows. In time you will increase your power to stand strong …

Finding Your Own Way

Humans have survived for tens of thousands of years through cunning and guile. We are inventive animals that have created a myriad of ingenious ways to capture and consume. However our environment eventually overcomes our best laid plans. When met with failure we tend to drift for a time and seek the comfort of other …

Save Nature and Ourselves

Perhaps we matter little in the grander scheme of things, but we do matter nonetheless. Each grain of our life slips downslope from the past into the future. This seems counter-intuitive though because we imagine the future as UP (forward, ahead) and the past as DOWN (backward, behind). Over time we alter our environment because …