Monk Notes

Relationships shape the person that we become. With little effort, one can come to see the many ways we have been shaped by our family of origin: o...

Generosity is directly connected to meaningCulturally, we have a strange connection to generosity. We hold up generosity as a universally positive ...

“Go with the flow” can sound like good advice when you are enjoying yourself on a gentle river, but it is terrible advice when you have lost your f...

The path to productivity — and to a fuller life — is a path of subtraction, not addition.This is the reason the lives and environments of monks are...

The dominant narrative in western culture is one of pursuing more.An unfortunate side effect to this is that we often end up with more. More stuff,...

It is rare to feel an urgency around gratitude. For most of us, it holds a steady place in the nice to have category, an aspirational quality that ...

We think of ourselves as being a monolith, a solitary individual with a particular set of values, priorities, and ways of relating to the world. Bu...

For the past two months, I’ve been tracking my time. As in, all my time. I start out my day by projecting out how I will intentionally spend each ...

When asked who or what inspires us, we typically think of things that evoke positivity and encourage momentous change.  Motivational speakers, upl...

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of perspective. If you asked 50 people what news network is closest to the center or what income level will guarantee...

“I’ve been good. Things have been busy, but good.” This may be one of the most commonly used responses to the question, “How are you?” In a fast-...

With enough energy and focus you can achieve any goal.Here are the three simple steps to success:   Step 1: Clearly define your goal. Step 2: Break...