a blog by John P. Schuster
In modern times, by definition, we emphasize progress and the future. The mindfulness movement is of course about the one eternal now. What, then, can the indigenous peoples of the world teach us with their emphasis on “the ancestors?” A whole lot and way more than we know. Here is my attempt to learn from my Irish ancestors as I head for Ireland and Iona this month on a soul retrieval trip, the one I[…]
Read moreForrest Gump was a lot of peoples’ hero. His life exemplified a kind of flow as he did not sweat the small stuff and kept his “destiny” in mind, the one his momma told him to stay after. He wondered if that feather that kept showing up in his life (you may remember the visual) was him, floating around purposelessly, or did he have a destiny underneath his disjointed life episodes. Eventually, he reconciled the[…]
Read moreI am in this boomer group in which, like 8,000 of us a day in the US are turning 65 for the next 17 years…wow…elderhood, here we come! A whole lot of us! I am just finishing my main work for my masters in psychology degree, looking at a future with some time to design with new ways of being, and I wonder what parts of me will be making the decisions. A teacher you[…]
Read moreMany types of coaching, mentoring, and counseling would benefit greatly from the lessons of Paul McCartney and Jack Panksepp, the neuro-affective scientist whose ground-breaking work has broad application. Take a quick look. Image above Some rights reserved by alles-schlumpf
Read moreThe leaders I have been around fall into 3 categories…mentors, nice but neutral, and tormentors. Real mentoring is a high bar: an unwavering faith in people mixed with toughness and wisdom. It is the only real place to shoot for. Tormentors have their own skills: ego-centric and playing a power game they think they understand but don’t. Not the real power. And our friend Hafiz about 900 years ago in Persia said it well: The[…]
Read moreTaking ourselves out of flow and into anxiety The couch is ready for me—the remote just lying there ready for TV action. I can go watch a game, surf some channels, and chill out. I also have a tough book to read and a paper to write and maybe, instead of surfing and zoning out, I will put my head into this taxing book, then sit at a computer and try to write something coherent[…]
Read moreTwo quick thoughts dear friends, Here is a link to a blog I think is worth your following: Meta-Reflections. Dan Pesut is a leaders’ leader in healthcare. He happens to mention my books in this post, the impetus for me linking with him, permanently, but I look forward to whatever he has to say. He is one thoughtful and thought-leading person. He is among the super well read, and I know a lot of well-read[…]
Read moreEvery day we take another step or two, mostly forward, and sometimes sideways, or back. We move into the job more completely, or less so. Into our marriage in a new way, or maybe not. Or move into an encore career, sad to let go of the big ol’ career, or perhaps relieved. We keep moving, aligning as many parts of our poly-phrenic, many-sided selves (schizophrenic is too simple—we are way more than just two)[…]
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