禅3™
zen is chan 色即是空 春は花 夏ほととぎす 秋は月 冬雪冴えて 涼しかりけり

By Leo Babauta Often we’re discouraged because of some tough challenge or obstacle in our way. But a shift in mindset from a Zen proverb can change everything: “The obstacle is the path.” The obstacle isn’t something standing in our way. It’s the way itself. That might seem strange, so let’s look at a few examples: You are struggling with writing, and procrastinate. Procrastination is the symptom, but it also illuminates the path you sh...

By Leo Babauta I sat in a crowd of 45,000 about 10 days ago, watching super-billionaire investors Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger riff off each other and deliver quick wit and worldly wisdom about finances and life in general, at the famous Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha. As I listened to these titans of the investing world, it struck me how content they are. Not just content because they have all the riches in the world and all their needs met (...

By Leo Babauta There’s a tendency to get caught up in the tasks of our day, the urgency of what’s coming up, the distractions of being online. And we forget to smile. In the rush of the day, the stress of wanting things to happen a certain way, we lose the enjoyment of each moment. In every moment, there’s the capacity for happiness. It’s not that we need to be ecstatic, full of pleasure, excited or even joyous each and every second of the day. Who ...

By Leo Babauta If I’ve found two guiding principles in my life, they are contentment and compassion. With these two ideas, life becomes better. Contentment makes every moment better. And compassion makes your connection with others better. What Compassion Is, & Some Difficulties Let’s talk about compassion for a few minutes, because as important as it is, very few people talk about how to actually do it. First a definition: the simple definition of compassi...

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Lissa Rankin of 6 Steps To Healing Yourself. Take a moment and check in with yourself. How is your body feeling right in this moment? If you’re generally healthy, check in for subtle symptoms. Is your neck feeling tense? Does your lower back ache? Do you have a headache? Are you exhausted — again? Or perhaps you’re battling a more serious health diagnosis and you’re experiencing symptoms from your health condition. Wheth...

By Leo Babauta One of the most common problems I hear from readers is the difficulty in finding calm and peace in the middle of a work day. Work for many people is stressful, full of too many things to do, too many meetings and emails and incoming information and interruptions and irritations and distractions and decisions and confusion. Putting “Zen” into the workplace — some calm, some mindfulness, some letting go of that which stresses you out — ...

By Leo Babauta Today is my 40th birthday (April 30), and I decided that this year, instead of sharing a list of the lessons I’ve learned (38 lessons, 39th lesson), I’d change the tradition of birthday gift giving. This year, I’m giving presents to people I love (just small gifts), out of appreciation for them making my life better. That includes all of you. You’ve made my life demonstrably and profoundly better, and I’m truly grateful. So my g...

By Leo Babauta One of the most instrumental changes in my life has been writing every single day. For many years I was a writer who didn’t write that regularly. It was always on the back of my mind to write, but I didn’t find the time. Then I started this blog in January 2007, and have written pretty much every day since then. It was life-changing. I recommend daily writing for anyone, not just writers. Here’s what I’ve found from my daily habit: W...

By Leo Babauta Have you ever had a long amazing conversation with a friend, that took all kinds of turns neither of you could possibly have expected when you started the conversation? Wasn’t it awesome, to riff off each other, to explore unforeseen territory, to be free to wander and enjoy the time together? What if, instead, you had a definite goal for how the conversation should go when you start out? A definite path and outcome of how you want the conversation to ...

By Leo Babauta Parenting can be stressful. That’s probably one of my bigger understatements, but as the father of 6 kids, I’ve learned a little about handling these stresses so that it’s not such a big deal anymore. Kids throw tantrums, demand to have their way, don’t see anything but their own point of view, break things, always need something, get hurt, fight with each other, start to rebel and become disrespectful as teen-agers, and so on. But th...