Category Archives: Mindfulness

joy in 2018

Bring More Joy into Your Life in 2018

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Dr. Christine Carter, a sociologist, coach, and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, about how to bring more joy into your life this year. I hope you enjoy her blog piece based on the interview which I've included below. You can also read it on her blog site here. Dr. Carter also just released a great new book entitled The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work. I highly recommend it! Like a wise friend you can depend on, Dr. Carter takes you by the hand and, with gentle encouragement, shows you step by step how to create true well-being in your life. Honest, playful, unpretentious and chock …

the power of mindfulness

The Power of Mindfulness

Why do I call Mindfulness, bringing a non-judging awareness to our experience, “The Basic Tool of a Joyful Life”? Because it has numerous benefits that directly result in greater well-being. Mindfulness purifies our negative mental tendencies and develops our wholesome thought patterns. Here are a few ways it works: Weakening the Power of Our Demons With mindfulness we can see clearly the demons that usually contract our minds in confusion. In many classical myths when a hero or heroine discovered the name of a demon or monster they could conquer it. In the same way, seeing clearly and naming our disturbing mind states—“This is anger” or “My mind is confused right now”—is actually the first step in weakening their power over …

present for your life

Mindfulness: Being Present for Your Life

Mindfulness is what I call “the basic tool for a joyful life.” It’s really about being present for your life. When you’re mindful you know what’s actually happening right now without getting lost in the stories our mind is continually creating. It awakens joy in several ways. First, mindfulness helps us wake up from our confusion by grounding us in our actual experience. Coming back to this moment interrupts that momentum of ruminations about the past or future or grumbling about the present. It’s like pressing the “clear” button on a calculator. It doesn’t matter how complex the numbers have gotten, once you press that “C” button you have a fresh start. When you begin to lose perspective and your …

7 Simple Practices to Really Enjoy the Holidays

With the holidays upon us, is it possible to really make it a season of good cheer, even in what for many, are times of uncertainty and concern? How can we stay grounded and present and still let ourselves feel the holiday spirit? Though the next gadget or experience may bring fleeting pleasure, genuine happiness is about how we feel inside. To really enjoy the holidays, it's helpful to understand that true well-being is directly related to how contracted or open your mind feels. Contraction means stress. Openness allows you and others to feel your care and love. For true well-being, try these simple practices that will keep you connected to healthy mind states and help you really enjoy the holidays: …

Vinny Ferraro

Turning It Around

As a regular feature on this blog I'lll share some inspirational clips of presenters from the Awakening Joy course. In this moving conversation I had with Vinny Ferraro from a few years ago, Vinny talks about the moment he turned his life around from homelessness and incarceration to inspiring thousands to make something of their lives with his straight talk and good heart. I hope you enjoy it. ~ James To view on YouTube, please go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tshWUv4lA

mindfulness

The Many Gifts of Mindfulness

Our current theme is mindfulness which is really about being present for your life. With mindfulness we know what is actually happening right now without getting lost in our thoughts or judgments. It also awakens joy in several ways. First, mindfulness helps us wake up from our confusion by grounding us in our actual experience. Coming back to this moment interrupts that momentum of ruminations about the past or future or grumbling about the present. It’s like pressing the “clear” button on a calculator. It doesn’t matter how complex the numbers have gotten, once you press that “C” button you have a fresh start. When you begin to lose perspective and your mind is spinning out in fear or confusion, bring your …