I see
by philipp68
Short story to help us appreciate the moments in our life, when we manage to go beyond judging and controlling everything we experience
Categories: Life & Work • Tags: Buddhism, Compassion, Ego, Meditation, Mind
Tag: Compassion
Commit to your dream
by philipp68
An evening a couple of months ago my godchild called. “I would like to quit high school and start an apprenticeship*. Do you think this is a good idea?” she asked. “Why would you want to stop studying and start working?” I asked surprised, tired of a long day at the office. “You know,” she said, “I want to experience what real life feels like. It’s not about the money. I have this dream…” “Let’s talk about your dream!” Had […]
Categories: Life & Work • Tags: Attachment, Bhagavad Gita, Compassion
Inviting a monster for tea (or beer)
by philipp68
With tears in my eyes I finished the powerful children’s book A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay. It tells the story of 13-year-old Conor O’Malley. His mother has cancer; he is terrified to lose her. The failure of anyone to address the reality of the situation exacerbates Conor’s bewilderment, anger, frustration, guilt and internal loneliness. Then one night, after one of his nightmares, he is visited by a terrifying monster – a yew tree in his garden […]
Categories: Life & Work • Tags: Compassion, Emotion, Fear, Heart, Monster
A process can never teach us patience
by philipp68
Where does this fascination for processes come from? I think processes can be beneficial, but at the same time inhibit our ability to deal with the often-chaotic “reality”. By wrapping “reality” in a process we hope to stay in control, reduce the complexity of the world. We hope that the process will serve as a guide and tell us how to interact in a group. Instead of trying to stay calm, interacting freely with the people around us to solve […]
Categories: Life & Work • Tags: Compassion, Illusion, Modern Workplace, Process
Monkey Business: Did you ever get soaked, while trying to grab a Banana?
by philipp68
In 1967 G. R. Stephenson conducted an experiment with a group of rhesus monkeys. The experiment shows how we acquire behavior. I think studying the way the experiment was conduced shows something else: It shows that monkeys would never have acted the way they did, if they had been left alone to live their life in peace. I believe the natural state of monkeys and humans is to be good. It’s the experiments, which drive us crazy. The experiment went […]
Categories: Life & Work • Tags: Buddhism, Compassion, Heart, Illusion
The Bhagavad Gita Part 3: The Art of Action
by philipp68
The last post ended with the mental image of the “battlefield of life”. On one side the strong army of negativity, on the other the fighters for positivity. We in the middle, afraid that we might loose the battle, that things could turn out even worse than they feel at the moment. The drawing above represents the moment the battle starts. A moment on the journey of life, hesitating to take the next step. Looking back, remembering past experiences, constructing […]
Categories: Bhagavad Gita, Life & Work • Tags: Action, Bhagavad Gita, Body, Compassion, Decision, Heart, Wisdom
Is Technology part of Nature?
by philipp68
According to the dictionary one of the definitions of nature is: A creative and controlling force in the universe. When I think about nature I certainly think about all the plants and animals, the whole ecosystem on planet earth. But what about my mobile phone? Is my iPhone part of nature? Is it part of the ecosystem we life in? Here a small story I made up to contemplate this silly question: Once upon a time lived Roxie. An open […]
Categories: Life & Work • Tags: Compassion, Ecosystem, Nature, Technology
A Lack of Appreciation
by philipp68
Ever felt frustrated because you don’t get enough appreciation at work for what you do? You are not alone. Did it ever happen to you that you invest all your energy into your work, create something beautiful, something you are proud of and then receive no or only negative feedback? It seems to be a common illness of this world, especially the corporate world. As kids we doodle something and our parents say: “Wonderful, nice colors, incredible, you will be […]
Categories: Life & Work • Tags: Appreciation, Compassion, Heart, Wisdom
Balanced Action 