I had a remarkable exchange recently with a Canadian woman who bid on one of my Noble Jizo’s during Shambhala Sun’s auction, Bidding for Good. It made me wonder what each of us is giving birth to at the present moment… and what may be gestating within us that would like to be born. [...]
I am praying for peace as I write this, hoping that we aren’t too lazy and distracted to go up against the National Rifle Association as we mourn our country’s latest victims of gun violence. When I started writing these pieces, I was advised that I should not write about political issues. Jizo & Chibi, [...]
I always plan to meditate in the morning before going onto my phone, laptop or iPad. That way, I find the middle before being pulled in any of the other four directions. I once heard someone say that they had never met a day that could not start 20 minutes earlier — which is to [...]
Who is Jizo? Or first, what is cognition? Or maybe the first question is, what is mindfulness? Most of us want to cut to the chase. We want results and we want them now. When we can’t get what we want, we get anxious, depressed, angry. And if we get there, we want to Stay [...]
First, I wonder if anyone is reading this. I just spent half an hour Googling “Does Anyone Read My Blog?” and wandering around inside WordPress trying to find the stats page. I couldn’t. Next week, I will talk with my tech goddess and she will teach me. I am sure someone has figured out how [...]
Take a breath. Another one. Another one. Take a moment to notice on the calendar what day you are in. Smile as you exhale and realize: it’s not Christmas. It’s not Hanukah. Not Kwanzaa. Not New Year’s. It’s today, some time in autumn, likely, when you are reading this. Now, look at the week of [...]
People are already pressuring themselves with “What do you want for Christmas?” Even people who don’t celebrate Christmas feel it. The decorations went up before Halloween. And can you hear those jingle bells revving up? It can feel more like the Indianapolis 500 than peace and love. This year, when someone asks you what you [...]
If you don’t get wound up for Thanksgiving you won’t have to unwind — much less go on a diet — a few days later. The day is coming though, and I am hearing the litany of obligations, pressures, worries and stress. Let’s take a moment to breathe. Breathe in and breathe out, noticing the [...]
Happy Birthday to those who love the November born. Their birthday is the topaz, considered the stone of the seeker. Give the gift of a birthstone Jizo to your beloved November-baby. Topaz is also considered the stone of Sagittarius, all the way into December! Find him at www.jizoandchibi.com. What could be better than a gift [...]
By the time you read this you will likely be more anxious than when I wrote it. It’s Hallowe’en. You’ve likely been busy with costumes, candy, kids… or thinking you should be. And that is just the beginning. Less than two months away is Christmas. A few weeks away is Thanksgiving. And, yes, some folks [...]
