Why the middle matters

One has to go beyond the pairs of opposites to find the real source of anything.” Joseph Campbell    We’re living in a polar world, a world which, in many ways, is defined by polar opposites. Our notion of opposites tends to default to politics: Republicans...

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A time for JOY

The two men reflect on their personal experiences and outline what they call the eight pillars of joy. In re-reading the book, I was struck by how relevant these pillars are today as we navigate a new way of being in the world....

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What two weeks in Japan taught me about walls

My wife and I just returned from a two-week vacation in Japan. The trip took us from Tokyo through the Japanese countryside, where we stayed in Ryokans: the small, country inns that capture the traditional essence of rural Japan. A few days later, we wound up in Kyoto...

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Can kids learn the joy of giving?

We live, as the Chinese saying goes, in "interesting times." Wild politics. A fragile global economy. A fundamental shift in the distribution of wealth. It's hard to navigate these treacherous waters no matter who you are. Taking rather than giving seems to be the underlying...

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Who am I? – Mapping your identity

Most people consider the question, who am I, to be some deep, cosmic idea that defies a clear answer. Further, most people think it's a question one can address only after you've got more than a few decades of living under your belt. Wrong on both...

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