The author grapples with the desire to do good deeds but feels inadequate compared to grand gestures. They advocate for small, achievable acts of kindness like calling a relative or being punctual. The post emphasizes the importance of intentionality and putting thoughts into action, as these small deeds carry more value than inaction fueled by overwhelming aspirations.
You know, where I am keeps coming back to haunt me. After my recent foray into what felt like unknown territory, frightening in it’s very unknown-ness, I find myself back here again. Back here with myself. The very self that shimmered for a moment thinking it had transformed. But maybe this wasn’t the faná I … Read more
Bennett used the Sufi term faná. Which is a good way to express something on the spiritual plain that isn’t served by being pinned down. It could be experienced as the inner crossing of a threshold. Or finding oneself suddenly in a different place in oneself. Possibly like a death, as in “die before you … Read more
This is the story of 100 cloth napkins. Once upon a time—a long, long, time ago—in the last century, there was a special kind of school. The things this school taught were not at all what other schools taught. And they were not taught so much with words and letters, but with experiences. This school … Read more
What must happen in order not to die like a dirty dog as Gurdjieff warned? How do I get “behind” the dream? (for context, please re-visit last week’s post, Living the Dream.) The first thing that has come to me, is the weighty realization that this question is very personal. Quote me all the Gurdjieff … Read more
Am I living in a dream world? Gurdjieff says, “man is mechanical, man is asleep.” This has always rung true to me. It’s easy to see how forgetful and mechanical I am. All I need do is think about the same stupid arguments I have with my husband all the time. If I was more … Read more
I’ve just received good news and am suddenly wondering what to do with it. My daughter-in-law, Michelle, had a cancerous growth removed from her liver with clean margins. News to be thrilled about after two long years of heart-breaking worry. But what do I do with this good news? I’m used to working with feelings … Read more
It all started with The Master Game, by Robert de Ropp, who threw out the first crumbs about the Work that kids in the 1960s picked up on. De Ropp was associated with Timothy Leary and other UC Berkeley professors who were beginning to experiment with mind-altering psychedelic drugs. The scene in my book, Real … Read more
What is the Truth of My Life? This comes at the end of a prayer that I composed. The prayer became part of my practice before sitting down to work on my memoir, Real People. Now I say it before I sit down to write this blog each week. There is something that happens with … Read more
