by Brian Fippinger | Oct 30, 2015 | Attention, Mindfulness, Practice
How many of us feel like this? And, if you’re not imprisoned by your cell phone, maybe you’re boxed in by your inbox. Whether you’re in a cell or a box, it is hard to be engaged in the lives and concerns of those around you when you’re held hostage by technology....
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Sep 4, 2015 | Attention, Consciousness, Learning, Practice
I’ve always loved a good plan. A part of me finds great satisfaction in checking off those square boxes on my Action Item List. I’m sure it’s the feel-good squirt of dopamine that makes my little pleasure center rock! Really though, a good plan helps us to...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Aug 23, 2015 | Attention, Learning, Practice
Hearing the shrieks and howls I couldn’t help but set down my steaming coffee, the New York Times, and go to the window to have a peek. Their unabashed laughter, you could say, compelled me into action. Outside for our annual August Block Party, a colorful...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Jul 31, 2015 | Attention, Consciousness, Learning, Purpose |
“We cannot put off living until we are ready. The most salient characteristic of life is its urgency, ‘here and now’ without any possible postponement. Life is fired at us point-blank.” ~ Jose Ortega y Gasset What makes you feel the most alive? When is life the...
by Brian Fippinger | May 29, 2015 | Attention, Practice
Last week I was at a frightening ½ day conference. No, it was not about the latest evidence of how climate change is destroying the planet. Nor did it have anything to do with the already ubiquitous 2016 Presidential election. No this was a very well organized...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Apr 21, 2015 | Attention, Consciousness, Mindfulness, Resilience |
Vulnerability is sexy. Yep. Stay with me here. Mostly we tend to want to hide our vulnerabilities for fear of ridicule and disconnection (at least that’s true for me). Or, fear of actually feeling feelings that make us uncomfortable like grief, disappointment,...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Mar 14, 2015 | Attention, Consciousness, Learning
On vacation recently, we happened to meander into a shop on the main drag of the small town where we were staying. It was full of chotchkies. Within no time we were chuckling, then roaring–we even took a picture! “Your crazy is showing. You might want to...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Jan 15, 2015 | Attention, Consciousness, Learning, Practice
Rife with colds and flu, the cold winter months can present significant challenges. Perhaps like many of you, I became super ill over this past month and didn’t like it one bit! While I ‘hated’ most moments of it–the fatigue, the coughing, the...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Sep 15, 2014 | Attention, Consciousness, Embodied Leadership, Practice
What are you practicing these days? If practice makes perfect (as my first grade teacher said) or if practice makes better (as our aikido sensei teaches) or if practice simply makes possible, it makes good sense to know what we’re practicing. As human beings...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Sep 2, 2014 | Consciousness, Embodied Leadership, Learning, Mindfulness |
Earlier this summer I was looking for a possible getaway. Yet, I was not seeking a typical fun-in-the-sun event nor a grand adventure. A persistent longing for quiet and solitude had been ‘calling’ me for a few months in a very visceral way, so I looked...