It’s the moments of chaos that open us up. — Rainer Maria Rilke’s ideas from Letters to a Young Poet emphasize the importance of individual creativity and the pursuit of personal fulfillment through artistic expression. He encouraged the young poet to embrace solitude and to develop a deep, intimate relationship with the world, using their experiences and emotions as raw…

Is a college professor useless in other industries? — I got the call last May that my college wouldn’t be renewing my and my colleague’s contracts. Yes, we were victims of post-COVID budget cuts in higher education. I can’t say I was upset because I had been applying for jobs outside academia for several years. I took my layoff…

What we call ‘intuition’ might be our conditioning. — In Chapter 18 of The Cloud of Unknowing, the author describes how some contemplatives might easily go astray or go insane. We see this today with modern “contemplatives” — the “spiritual, but not religious” — who want to make their own rules concerning their practices. There’s a part of me…

You’re always open to new ideas. — I have to laugh at college students. One student who believed he knew everything about video production told me that I was pronouncing “lav” (short for lavaliere) wrong. He also told me how “his experience” in the studio they “never” added two seconds of pad at the end of a…

Some relationships need to end. — The call came Thursday afternoon. I could tell by Michelle’s voice that she was nervous. “The outgoing provost decided not to renew your contract for next year.” Immediate panic bitch-slapped me. How would I get health insurance? How will I access all those great research databases? Can I still check…

Put some motion into your mindfulness. — You wake up in a total panic. You feel like someone has put a vacuum cleaner hose to your mouth. You just can’t breathe. You go to work, and perhaps you’re productive, but each spare moment brings you back to your racing thoughts…

Religious groups don’t cater much to single people. — If you ever hear me on my live meditation sessions on Insight Timer, you might be surprised to hear that I’m Catholic. Yes, I bring up my faith every once in a while, but I also acknowledge how other spiritual traditions inform my walk. Although I serve in my current…

“Thoughts and prayers” are just slacktivism. — My favorite cycling platform hosted several unity rides in support of the people of Ukraine. The company itself pledged $25,000 to the UN Refugee Agency and encouraged its riders to support as well. This morning’s ride had more than 1800 cyclists, which is a rather healthy turnout. The platform…

It’s not about listening to your emotions. — I recently received a very flattering message from someone on a social media app. He was an attractive older gentleman wearing a military uniform. In years past, I would wonder, “Maybe this is my knight in shining armor.” I would remember those romantic movies about how two random strangers met…