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November 2009

Appreciating Each Moment

by marc | Tue, 11/24/2009 - 7:09pm
Appreciating Each Moment

I had lunch yesterday with Kaz Tanahashi, a world renowned calligrapher and translator, and friend. And also one of the most content, happy, and productive people I know. Kaz travels throughout the world teaching calligraphy and leading Zen retreats. He told me that upon returning from his travels someone recently asked him, “What’s your favorite city?” What a strange question, he thought. If he named a favorite city, then, when traveling to a city he didn’t name, he wondered if he would enjoy this city less. He answered by saying, “There are things I like about all the cities I visit.”

Of course, we are assessing, discerning, and “picking and choosing” all the time. We have to. At the same time, what Kaz is suggesting is that we not fall into the trap of measuring, of reducing the value of our experience by pitting a “favorite” against something that doesn’t qualify as a favorite.

Something Beautiful, Waiting To Be Born

by marc | Fri, 11/20/2009 - 6:40am
Something Beautiful, Waiting To Be Born

Sometimes I’m amazed how many things can go wrong all at once. On a large scale there are recent devastating earthquakes, wars and violence, poverty, homelessness, and climate change. And then there is my life: After having lunch at a restaurant some time ago, as I returned to my car, I noticed that there appeared to be very little air in one of my front tires. When I arrived at the local gas station, I found two nails in the tire; two very different types of nails, less than half an inch apart from one another. At home I discovered that the furnace in my house wasn’t working. It made a very bad sound, providing me with images of a pending large explosion. When the PG&E repair man arrived, he got the furnace working, and then pointed out some rotting, broken boards on the small deck on the side of our house leading to the furnace. The bank called to tell me my account was overdrawn – I had made a mistake.

“Even while I’m working, I’m always resting.”

by marc | Mon, 11/16/2009 - 10:10am
“Even while I’m working, I’m always resting.”

“Even while I’m working, I’m always resting.”

Last week I was interviewed by Joy Maulitz of KWMR Radio: Homegrown Radio in West Marin. Joy told me a story that I hadn’t heard before about Suzuki Roshi, founding Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center.

The story is about when Suzuki Roshi was moving lots of large rocks and boulders around Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, to build walls and to create a rock garden. Suzuki Roshi was in his 50’s and is just over five-feet tall. He was working with a group of healthy, young, men mostly in their 20’s. Someone approached them and noticed that the young men were panting and sweaty, while Suzuki Roshi, who apparently had done as much or more work than the others, was breathing normally, and barely sweating at all. When asked about this contrast, Suzuki Roshi replied, “Even while I’m working, I’m always resting.”

Impactful, Financially Sustainable, Fulfilling: Three Questions to Clarify Work Choices

by marc | Thu, 11/05/2009 - 6:52am
Impactful, Financially Sustainable, Fulfilling: Three Questions to Clarify Work Choices

We are nearly always making choices about what to do, what not to do, and how to spend our time. I realize that in very difficult financial times, this might not always be the case. Even, and perhaps especially in difficult times, clarifying and expanding our view of what is most important, what really matters, is even more crucial.

I find that I’m regularly applying three questions to my work:
- Does my work have impact?
- Is my work financially sustainable?
- Is my work fulfilling?

Question #1: Does my work have impact? What I mean by this is does my work have positive impact. Since I do coaching, seminars, and leadership development, for me this means that I’m helping people by clarifying communication, building competency, increasing confidence – that my client’s businesses or organizations can be more effective. Are individuals and teams more able to be fulfilled and effective? This also means that I work for organizations that have a positive mission.