One thing I know about happiness is that it comes from the narrative of our life. The story we tell ourselves. But too often, we let others write that story for us. Unhappiness and discontent inevitably follow. The only person who can write the story of your life properly is you. In order to change our narrative to an authentic one, one we write ourselves, we must change our perspective, and thus our perceptions of our world. This is not a new idea. Plato explained it in “Allegory of the Cave” over 2,300 years ago. A small change in perception can mean a huge change in what we see. And changing how we see lets us write a new narrative. The Dalai Lama also explores this idea of the relationship between perception and a good life in his book The Art of Happiness (99¢ in the remainder bin . . . maybe you can buy happiness after all!).
I sat stiffly upright in the chair waiting for the question I knew was coming. I could feel a sweat drop dribbling down my side. Fortunately, my suit jacket covered the physical manifestations of my nervousness. Superintendent Eastman peered at me over his glasses as he slid my homemade math manipulatives back across the desk. […]
Political Parity Goes to College Read More »
In Jerome Parent’s article “Racism Today, Racism Tomorrow, Racism Forever,” he discusses the idea that racism lives in all of us. It seems the negative connotation of the label “racist” prevents us from evaluating the “racism” in ourselves and its impact on our lives. I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, once known as the Black Wall Street.
A Black Reader’s Response to “Racism Today, Racism Tomorrow, Racism Forever” Read More »
Donald Trump supporters have cited his transparency as one reason why they are so enthusiastic about him. They claim he is plain spoken and they know just where he stands on issues. The “lying media” cannot be believed when it comes to reporting on Trump according to his supporters. Facts mean nothing,. Trump himself famously
The WYSIWYG Trump Presidency Read More »
Most conservative attacks on abortion have nothing to do with “the culture of life.” The only real cultural aspect of their attack on abortion in general and Planned Parenthood in particular is a zeal for a male dominated society. Exhibit A is that with final victory over abortion in sight, conservatives are turning their animus
I dimly heard the classical music playing and rolled over to hit the snooze button. I am not a morning person. Everything about my morning prep has to be carefully planned the night before or I am useless. Turning away from the clock radio, I swallowed and felt a knot in my throat. Crap… it
The Hard Cold Facts Read More »
Every time I see a news story about a white person expounding on race in America, I cringe. Exhibit A is the recent Twitter war between the Orange One and Georgia Representative John Lewis. Imitating the Three Stooges, Maine Governor Paul LePage, Iowa Representative Steve King, and D-list actor Rob Schneider jumped in. They are
Racism Today, Racism Tomorrow, Racism Forever Read More »