My Heartsongs

Developed in the 1920’s by Morihei Ueshiba, affectionately known as O’Sensei, Aikido combined many threads of existing Japanese martial practices and created a novel and powerful tapestry of training. “To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.”

I conclude the three part series on finding and expressing joy with some additional explorations, including Neuro linguistic Programming, a practice called earthing, regularly singing to myself, and responding to the common query of “how are you?” 

Check out the NYT Happiness Challenge:

What brings you joy? How I love reading, especially science and science fiction and where the two begin to merge in my own lifetime. In the five days after the release of Chat GPT by Open AI, more than a million people signed up to test it. You can do so for free by going to  https://chat.openai.com/auth/login. 

What is clear to me is that given the onslaught of information we are all exposed to, and the overwhelming amount of it negatively affecting our psyche, our own mental health requires that we pay attention to some basic best practices.

I present a holiday tale that came to me in a dream. Ashe! Hanta Yo! Ameen! Make it so! Achya! Ben Fatto!

Although I normally avoid political issues in these audio musings, I openly share some thoughts about fiscal responsibility, guns and the death penalty, all in contrast to my normal liberal leanings.

Even in darkness and sadness, it is possible to allow, even just this much, the blessings that are always falling down to penetrate my isolating turning inward walls. The sun on my face, the taste of blueberries, the soft curves of a dog or cat warming itself by the woodstove, the enchantment of falling snow, the wizardry of shooting stars.

If life is indeed about learning lessons and a lesson tends to be repeated until learned, what is the universe inviting me to “get” right now? Might be fun to journal about what life lessons I have really absorbed. What would be the top three for your list?

I share some tales from our recent trip to Tuscany, a taste of the magnificence of Florence and Pisa.