Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The Practicing Mind

Review: The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner

What follows is the review from Amazon.com ... I recommend going "Inside the Book", reading the excerpt and then choosing "Surprise me" as often as you are allowed. This is the missing piece for meditators and anyone who wants to learn anything

In a society of immediate gratification, Thomas M. Sterner's book THE PRACTICING MIND almost parodies itself. Designed to be a primer for slowing down, becoming more aware of the present moment, and increasing self-discipline and focus, Sterner's brilliance shines through in the brevity of this complex book's pages. Less than a hundred pages long, this tiny but intense book delivers enough information to contemplate and apply for a lifetime. THE PRACTICING MIND enables those of us immersed in the Western world's constant motion and hubbub to slow down, check within, and grow. The nine chapters detail in depth the steps to mastering any skill or achieving any goal. Sterner clearly explains, through the use of colorful, vivid examples, how mastery comes from practice through repetition - whether we're talking about learning a new habit, achieving a professional goal, or improving one's golf game. Each chapter begs to be mulled over, internalized, and applied. The principles sometimes overlap, enabling the reader to make deeper connections and realizations as they progress. In a gentle and encouraging manner, Sterner not only illuminates the "how's" - the process - he also enables the reader to see that not only are growth and change possible, but "with deliberate and repeated effort, progress is inevitable." This book is already a favorite of mine, highlighted and scribbled in, and slowly, patiently, I'm witnessing the result of reading this material in my daily life. This book is a must-read for anybody who is tired of today's widely accepted non-stop frenetic pace, for anybody sick of feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and out of balance, or for anybody who wouldn't even know where to find the roses, much less bother to take the time to stop and smell them --Tammy Cook, Reviewer for Roundtable Reviews

Friday, January 9, 2009

What I Found When I Got Home from the Retreat

My super highway ...



The sharp edge of the wind can make some sharp edges in the snow



It is also capable of doing rounded contours



The white line above the treetops is the snow-covered shore of PEI ... but this is really about "The Blue Yonder" ... that blue that is BLUE!



Where my eye looks out from ...