Greetings Good People!

The Pleasure of Beginner's Mind? By Bob Martin

As a lawyer, I was often guilty of having “Expert mind.”  A client comes in for a consultation.  He tells me what he has been charged with, the extent of the damage, and his prior record. I find out which court it is in and who the DA is, and I “know” how the case is going to turn out.  And, inevitably, it does.

Certainty is certainly comfortable.  We are comfortable with our choice of politics, spirituality, etiquette, customs, and culture because we “know” our ways are the “right” ways.  But that comfort comes at a cost.  Our creative energy and growth become stagnant, and our world gets small.  When living in “Expert mind,” we have to be constantly on guard against allowing any doubt, always being ready to defend our position, attack any alternatives or be willing to hide from the world in a self-created echo chamber of the like-minded.  Why would we want to carry that burden along with all the other struggles life presents?

Compare that to “Beginner’s mind.”  Look at children.  Children learn because they have no shame about being bare beginners. They ask, “Does the sky stop?” and “What does God look like?” When Jesus said, “Lest ye become as little children, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” he was referring to this kind of sincere questioning.  In their pure, optimistic curiosity, little children are models for us rigidified grown-ups.  This is the awe and thrill of natural interest, “Beginner’s Mind.”  In this state of mind, we are free of preconceptions of how anything works, free of expectations about what will happen, filled with curiosity to understand things more deeply, and open to a world of possibilities since we don’t yet know what is or isn’t possible.

‍Practice of the week

Gratitude Journal

It’s easy to take the good things and people in our lives for granted, but research suggests that consciously giving thanks for them can have profound effects on our well-being and relationships. This exercise helps you develop a greater appreciation for the good in your life. In fact, people who routinely express gratitude enjoy better health and greater happiness. 

Learn more about this practice here:

Gratitude Journal

Video of the week

 Take a few minutes to watch Denzel Washington speak on

"The Importance of Gratitude".

This is a soul-shaking, heart stirring suggestion for us to become intentional about searching out and bringing gratitude into our lives.

Click on image to open video



Happy Wall of the week

Science article of the week

‍Can gratitude reduce your stress at work?

A new study suggests that expressing gratitude at work helps people have better stress responses during challenging tasks.

Expressing gratitude nurtures our relationships, helping us to feel closer to our friends and romantic partners.

Some research suggests that grateful people seem to cope better with stress and enjoy superior physical health, perhaps because of those stronger social relationships. What about experiencing gratitude with people we don’t know so well—like, those we work with?

Could showing appreciation towards them affect our stress levels on the job? A new study aimed to find out.

Read the entire article at:

Can gratitude reduce your stress at work (berkeley.edu)

‍Bob's Blog

It is true; the gratuities are not included…that’s up to us.  Up to us to take the time.  I know of no other expression of our ability, maybe even our duty, to cultivate gratitude than this beautiful essay by Brother David Steindl-Rast, a most kind and generous Franciscan monk:

A Gift Of Gratitude

“You think this is just another day in your life? 

It’s not just another day; it’s the one day that is given to you…today

It’s given to you. It’s a gift. It’s the only gift that you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness. If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response to the great gift that this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if it were the first day of your life and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well. Begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open, that incredible array of colors that is constantly offered to us for pure enjoyment.  Look at the sky. We so rarely look at the sky. We so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment with clouds coming and going.

Open your eyes. Look at that.

Look at the faces of people whom you meet. Each one has an incredible story behind their face, a story that you could never fully fathom, not only their own story but the story of their ancestors. We all go back so far. And in this present moment on this day, all the people you meet, all that life from generations and from so many places all over the world, flows together and meets you here like life-giving water.

If you only open your heart and drink. Open your heart to the incredible gifts that civilization gives to us.  You flip a switch, and there is electric light.  You turn a faucet, and there is warm water and cold water— and drinkable water. It’s a gift that millions and millions in the world will never experience.

So these are just a few of an enormous number of gifts to which you can open your heart.  And so I wish for you that you would open your heart to all these blessings and let them flow through you, that everyone whom you will meet on this day will be blessed by you; just by your eyes, by your smile, by your touch— just by your presence. Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you, and then it will really be a good day.”

Here are some ways to regularly cultivate gratitude.

Write a thank-you note: Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself.

Thank someone mentally: No time to write? It may help to think about someone who has done something nice for you and mentally thank the individual.

Keep a gratitude journal: Make it a habit to write down thoughts about the gifts you've received each day.

Count your blessings: Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for.  As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.

Just ask the question: Research shows that just asking, “What am I grateful for?” cultivates gratitude, even if you don’t come up with an answer.

See the contributions.  Think of the others in your community as contributors to your life and thank them with a smile when passing

Pray: Thankful prayer cultivates gratitude.

Meditate: Although people often focus on an object, you can also focus on what you're grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).

“Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you.”

Expert of the week 

Brother David is a great advocate of cultivating gratitude in our lives.  He has founded and maintains a wonderful website where you can keep a Gratitude Journal, find touching e-cards and sweet essays on the human condition.Visit his website at:  Gratefulness.org

Watch Brother David's TED talk on :

 Want to be happy? Be grateful

 Christian wisdom of the week

 Sufi wisdom of the week

Wise & Happy articles of the week

‍Bringing light to those in search for a better life.