The Light of Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness is like seeing life a little more - one little light at a time.
Practicing mindfulness is like seeing life a little more – one little light at a time.

Practicing mindfulness is like seeing life a little more – one little light at a time.

With each new sensation, emotion, or thought we become aware of, we can see the whole of our life a little more clearly.

And then we start making more informed decisions.

And one day we realize that life is different – brighter, perhaps – because we notice it more…one little light, one little breath, one little moment at a time.

To Dance

I surrender the wall
Brick by brick
That I’ve built
Around my heart.
Into your loving hands
I see them go
As you carry them away
With a glint in your eyes
As if you knew this day would arrive.
And while I at first
Grasp at the bricks
And then look
Longingly after them –
I know that we
Now have more space
To dance.

(c) 2012 Bob Pileggi

Stop the Beeps: Start to Focus

Phones ringing. Beeping with tweets. Tweeking with texts. Computers flashing ads. Buses with marketing. Facebook updates like 1000 per minute.

No wonder so many people have trouble focusing. Or feel hyper. Or stressed.  Or anxious. Attention is constantly being pulled in this direction and that. Constantly. Even by other peoples beeps and dings and makarenas. And it’s tiring.

Here are some things that I think will help make the world a more peaceful place to be. And more productive. Continue reading “Stop the Beeps: Start to Focus”

Stuck on the Cliff? Or Measuring the Leap?

Someone described to me his predicament: “I feel like I’m stuck at the edge of a cliff. I know who I am, but I’m afraid to leap in to more fully expressing myself because I don’t want to leave behind what I have now. Going back doesn’t feel good. Going forward doesn’t feel good. So I’m stuck here in pain.”

My response to him and to others who feel similarly, refers to another perspective:

Continue reading “Stuck on the Cliff? Or Measuring the Leap?”

How Do I Choose when Life is a Banquet?

On Choosing: Life is Like a Banquet
(Or, how do I end this feeling of overwhelm and scattered-ness from all these possibilities?)

By Bob Pileggi (c) 3/7/12 (Draft)

Download PDF.

My client started off by saying he felt scattered. “There are so many things to choose from – I feel scattered.” He went on to describe all the “things” available to him – starting a support group for people who want to enter his profession; doing a charity ride; being a part of a community garden; starting a masters degree program; exploring a newly discovered passion. And the list went on. But as he talked he also indicated that his current work, his relationship, and his creative self-expression were already taking time and attention, and really important to him.

I reflected back to him that it sounded like he had a big dinner plate in front of him… Continue reading “How Do I Choose when Life is a Banquet?”

Readings: by Whom?

Who do we ask to do a reading?

Whoever you want. Sure, consider folks who you think will be comfortable speaking in front of others. But it is also an act of love to invite someone to be a part of your ceremony. So let that expression of caring trump how well you think someone will read.

Consider inviting folks from each side of the family to do a reading. Or choose a longer reading that can be split in half, with two people reading. Or, for adventurous folks, consider a back-and-forth reading between two people who take turns reading stanzas of a poem, for example. Certainly makes the experience more unusual and interesting!

To Read or Not To Read, and How Many?!

Readings can be a helpful addition to a wedding ceremony. I invite couples to consider choosing readings that:

  • represent some aspect of their relationship;
  • that inspire them; or
  • that they aspire to.

This widens the breadth of selections! I’ve had couples use passages from Dr. Seuss, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings. And beautifully representing their life and loves in this way.

So if you want to have a reading, make it mean something.

And if it’s two or three things that are meaningful to you, it’s likely to be meaningful and interesting for your guests.

Living at the Edge of Our Bubble

Protective Bubble
We relate to one another through our protective bubbles.

We create a protective bubble around ourselves. That bubble helps us survive and navigate the world. But it also becomes an inhibitor to experiencing what really is in the world, because what we end up experiencing is always through the filter of our bubble. The true experience, therefore, is influenced by our bubble.

Interestingly, the bubble keeps us from fully experiencing ourselves, as well.

Continue reading “Living at the Edge of Our Bubble”