Gone Fishing

"There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind." – Washington Irving I spent some time fishing with my boys yesterday and and it occurred to me that fishing is calming to the mind, if you are willing to give yourself over to the process. I suppose that is …

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The poet in us

There is a poet in us all Who longs to see his heart in scrawl, To pour his heart upon the page Be it cheer and joy or rage. The formless thoughts and tingling dreams Clad in words and spun in strings, Brighten like the morning sun Or subdue like a pointed gun. For what …

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Fully, Entirely, Completely

"I won't tell you that the world matters nothing, or the world's voice, or the voice of society. They matter a good deal. They matter far too much. But there are moments when one has to choose between living one's own life, fully, entirely, completely—or dragging out some false, shallow, degrading existence that the world …

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Sacredness

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. …

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Courage, Strength and Prudence

"Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end." ― Edward Whymper, Scrambles Amongst the Alps Any lofty goal …

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Wonder

I came across a group of Italians while on a hike along a river recently and the experience left quite an impression. Italians, as you know, tend to live life enthusiastically. This group was no exception. I let them walk ahead of me, which may have been a mistake given the enthusiastic arm waving that …

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Appreciation and Contentment

All the birds have flown up and gone; A lonely cloud floats leisurely by. We never tire of looking at each other - Only the mountain and I. Li Po - "Alone Looking at The Mountain" It was said that it is difficult to be content with few things, but impossible with many. There is …

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Never Blind

It is said - and most people would agree - that true love is never blind. But what does that mean, really? I'm sure that the explanation is in, ahem, the eye of the beholder, but to me this statement means that seeing matters through the eyes of true love requires honesty, transparency and authenticity. …

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The Processes of Life

"Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided." - Paracelsus The achilles heel of reductionism is the almost inevitable loss of perspective on the whole that …

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The Art of Healing

"The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind." - Paracelsus I had the good pleasure of spending most of the day yesterday with my friends and coworkers at the Spa on Green Street in Gainesville, Georgia. We had an employee development …

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