Reconnecting with Passion and Preparing the Mind for the Road Ahead.
Back on the bike, in a manner of speaking… Well, it’s Easter. It’s a time of transition as we move into the colder months here in Melbourne. It has been a very quiet month on the blog mainly because I’ve started teaching again, back in Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne. I’m loving it. … Read more
Feeding the mind
Today, I have the great pleasure and privilege of sharing with you a piece by an old friend, Coen Völker. Enjoy! By Coen Völker From the first of January 2013 I will go a diet for 1 year. This is a diet for my mind and I will explain this below. If you like you … Read more
Cycling and the Hero’s Journey: The Internal Battle
One of the interesting things about hero stories is that we can actually relate to many of the characters. While we mostly want to relate to the main hero, for obvious reasons, often we find ourselves connecting with the darker figures, ones grappling with or even immersed in their shadow. They also have their own … Read more
Maintaining the Self and Making Time to be
It’s very easy to live on automatic. The busier we get, being on autopilot can be quite helpful with the ordinary stuff while allowing us to focus our attention on the more difficult parts of the day or those we just enjoy the most. But automatic living can also become like a type of sleep-walking. … Read more
No way to get guaranteees
Reblogged from Mindfulbalance Blog: We all know the top hit of the ego’s silent soundtrack — “If I do this I’ll feel better.” Seeing through our own particular version of this is part of the process of waking up. Again, the essence of this entitlement is the assumption that we can make ourselves, and life, … Read more
The Road to Success: Being Prepared for the Challenges and Finding the Jewel of Compassion
Perspective is everything. We create unreasonable and unrealistic expectations for our own lives and those of others and this can really distort the perspective we bring to life. As much as we can, we try to block out the difficulties and setbacks. This shouldn’t be happening! Why is this happening to me? We normally treat … Read more
The Winning Mind: Keeping the Ups and Downs of Life in Perspective
Perhaps this post would be more accurately entitled ‘Getting the Ups and Downs of Life in Perspective, because that’s the real challenge we face so often. It’s so incredibly easy to get caught up in the dramas of daily life, the stresses of work, money, relationships – you name it – that we lose sight … Read more
Healing the Wounds of the Past: Coming to Terms with our Shadow
In many of the great myths and epics, including virtually every example from the world of Hollywood and comics, the hero has an ongoing confrontation with a figure who represents their opposite – often dark, destructive, violent elements – think of Dracula, who embodies all that suppressed desire of Jonathan Harker. There’s also Darth Vadar. During his training … Read more
Momentum
The other day I was cycling through the countryside in the outer fringe of Melbourne when a young kangaroo appeared on the road. It was probably 5 foot tall; a young one. It was clearly a bit confused and trying to find a way to get away from the road but it wasn’t able to … Read more
Taming the Wild Bulls of the Mind
Taming the Ox isn’t necessarily a linear event. Certainly that hasn’t been my experience. But by employing both mental and physical strategies, just as the ox-herd uses rope to harness the wild ox, and by cultivating our awareness of our own mind we can start to return to health and experience joy in living again.
