Author: Magda

PRACTICE WITHOUT ANY AGENDA

PRACTICE WITHOUT ANY AGENDA

Some of us can accept others right where they are a lot more easily than we can accept ourselves. We feel that compassion is reserved for someone else, and it never occurs to us to feel it for ourselves.

My experience is that by practicing without “shoulds,” we gradually discover our wakefulness and our confidence. Gradually, without any agenda except to be honest and kind, we assume responsibility for being here in this unpredictable world, in this unique moment, in this precious human body.

Excerpted from: When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön, pages 140–141

Job Burnout

Let’s face it, many people do not love their jobs. We spend most of our time with our colleagues then we do our own loved ones. This can be hard. If you are feeling overwhelmed, tired and generally unhappy with your work situation, you may be leading towards burnout. Take a look at this article that may help you determine if you are burnout or signs leading to burnout.

http://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/10-signs-you-re-headed-for-burnout.html

Building Trust

Dr. John Gottman of the Gottman Institute is a well known author/ expert/ researcher in breaking down communication barriers within a dyadic relationship. In the clip below he talks about building trust.

 

THE TRUTH ABOUT AGGRESSION

“If you’re aggressive in your dealings, that’s how you’ll be regarded in the world. You might smile and give generously, but if you frequently explode in anger, people never feel comfortable in your presence and you’ll never have peace of mind.
How to simmer:
Not acting on our habitual patterns is only the first step toward not harming others or ourselves. The transformative process begins at a deeper level when we contact the rawness we’re left with whenever we refrain. As a way of working with our aggressive tendencies, Dzigar Kongtrül teaches the nonviolent practice of simmering. He says that rather than “boil in our aggression like a piece of meat cooking in a soup,” we simmer in it. We allow ourselves to wait, to sit patiently with the urge to act or speak in our usual ways and feel the full force of that urge without turning away or giving in. Neither repressing nor rejecting, we stay in the middle between the two extremes, in the middle between yes and no, right and wrong, true and false. This is the journey of developing a kindhearted and courageous tolerance for our pain. “
– Excerpt taken from  No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva by Pema Chödrön, page 161

 

Unemployment and Personality Changes

Here is an article about unemployment and personality changes. The stigma relating to people who are unemployed has a detrimental effects on their personality and wellbeing. This article articulates how unemployment and personality alterations impact your ability to find and keep new jobs. I found that there are many underlying barriers that prevent people from sustaining employment and personality is one aspect of it. What do you think?

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/02/personality-unemployment.aspx