Eat When You're Hungry

Someone asked a Zen Master, "How do you practice Zen?"

The master said, "When you are hungry, eat; when you are tired, sleep."

"Isn't that what everyone does anyway?"

The master replied, "No, No. Most people entertains a thousand desires when they eat and scheme over a thousand plans when they sleep."

Calming the Mind...Too much knowledge Leads to overactivity...Better to calm the mind...The more you consider...The greater the loss...Better to unify the mind.
- Shih Wang Ming (6th century)

Beginner's Mind

Once, a professor went to a Zen Master. He asked him to explain the meaning of Zen. The Master quietly poured a cup of tea. The cup was full but he continued to pour.

The professor could not stand this any longer, so he questioned the Master impatiently, "Why do you keep pouring when the cup is full?"

"I want to point out to you," the Master said, "that you are similarly attempting to understand Zen while your mind is full. First, empty your mind of preconceptions before you attempt to understand Zen."

Be open to new endeavors with a clear mind.

"If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few."--Suzuki Roshi

Stopping Halfway, Never Comes One's Day

In the state of Wei lived a man called Leyangtsi. His wife was very angelic and virtuous, who was loved and respected dearly by the husband.

One day, Leyangtsi found a piece of gold on his way home, and he was so delighted that he ran home as fast as he could to tell his wife. Looking at the gold, his wife said calmly and gently, "As you know, it is usually said that a true man never drink the stolen water. How can you take such a piece of gold home which is not yours?" Leyangtsi was greatly moved by the words, and he immediately replaced it where it was.

The next year, Leyangtsi went to a distant place to study classics with a talent teacher, leaving his wife home alone. One day, his wife was weaving on the loom, when Leyangtsi entered. At his coming, the wife seemed to be worried, and she at once asked the reason why he came back so soon. The husband explained how he missed her. The wife got angry with what the husband did. Advising his husband to be fortitude and not too indulged in the love, the wife took up a pair of scissors and cut down what she had woven on the loom, which made Leyangtsi very puzzled. His wife declared, "If something is stopped halfway, it is just like the cut cloth on the loom. The cloth will only be useful if finished. But now, it has been nothing but a mess, and so it is with your study."

Leyangtsi was greatly moved by his wife. He left home resolutely and went on with his study. He didn't return home to see his beloved wife until gaining great achievements.

Do you stop halfway? Isn't life about finishing the projects? Completing all the unfinished business? Think about what you may have stopped and still have the opportunity to complete. It is in your hands.

Preying Mantis Trying to Stop a Chariot

One day, the King of Qi went out for a hunting with his men. The carriages were going along, when suddenly a Preying Mantis stood in the middle of the road with its sickle-like forelegs opened. It was obvious that he was trying to fight against the carriage to hold it back. Surprised at the case, the King of Qi ordered to stop and asked what creature it was. When he was told it was called Preying Mantis, and it would go well up to bridle decisively when it was challenged.

The King sighed with exclamation at its braveness. He mused a moment and added: "It's a great pity that it is not more than an insect. If it were a man, he must be the bravest warrior in the world!" Then the King ordered his carriages turn around it to leave the mantis there standing martially.

When the persons around heard the King's words, they were well touched and determined to devote themselves to the country. As time passed, the meaning of the phrase changed to its opposite.

Now it means that someone overrates oneself and try to hold back an overwhelmingly superior force. When somebody overrates himself, he is often warned: "Don't be a mantis trying to stop a chariot." Are you an individual that stands up to fight or do you overrate yourself thinking that your self-worth is greater then it truly is?

The Road Less Traveled...

Many of you may recognize this as a quote from the great poem, "The Road Not Taken" by the prolific writer Robert Frost. Have you ever read the poem? If you have not, I would recommend that you take a brief moment to read it here.

So are you ready to make life decisions that can effect you for eternity? Think about it. One decision can change the world. We make decisions everyday that can effect our future and our existence as we know it. It is much easier to take the high road then the road that is less traveled.

I took the one less traveled and that has made all the difference in my life as a person, a husband, a business owner and a friend. I chose life and to put my time in the right way. The hard way. I chose education, exercise and health to maximize my potential and optimize my well being. My wife reminds me when I want to throw in the towel that not everyone has the capabilities to be a doctor and I am almost there. If it was an easy task then everyone will be running around with PhD's calling each other doctor.

Most of the time periods in our lives are a clear sailing experience but sometimes life throws curve balls. Are you ready for the change that occurs from these pitches? We can only be partially prepared for the issues that arise in our daily lives. Life seems to blindside you on a Wednesday afternoon when you least expect it. How will you handle that incident that blindsides you?

Don't Hang With a Crab!

I recently heard an interesting fact about crabs from an old teammate from college lacrosse (who now owns a few crab shack restaurants along the Maryland shore points). When a fisherman places a bunch of crabs in a bucket, one or two eventfully get the bright idea to climb on out of that bucket and run to freedom. Why wouldn't they? I would think that would be the normal succession of events.

The interesting thing is that just as these bright crabs make it to the top of the bucket, the others reach up with their claws and pull the escaping crab right back down. That’s why you’ll never see a lid on a bucket of crabs.

No need. They self-suppress. Doesn’t this epitomize human behavior in today's society?

Think about it for a moment or two. Are you surrounded by “crabs” pulling you back down into the bucket? These crabs could very well be those closest to you…or they could be people that you have the occasional interaction (business associates, teachers, family members, or old friends).

Fear is their driving motivator to question your decisions. They always have a reason to burst your bubble or rain on your parade but they conceal their fear as genuine concern for your well being.

Statements such as... “Why would you want to do that? Why change your life if it isn't broken? Don’t you know how much that costs? You want to leave your job and start
your own business – why? Why would you go back to school?"

Does this sound familiar to anyone? For your own benefit, learn how to identify the crabs in your life - the people, the thoughts and the ideas that hold you back from achieving your personal, financial, emotional, physical and spiritual goals and needs.

Listen, when you feel the crabs grab hold—Break free from them. Don’t let them get into your head. Because at that very moment you are just one small leap from achieving your goal.

Lose the crabs in your life and achieve your dreams!

I don’t know what your personal goal in life is (unless I am currently working with you). Maybe you want your own your own business, get into shape, quit smoking, learn to meditate, just be happy, career change or how about the ability to do what you want when you want? It’s not impossible just a goal setting session away from outlining your blueprint.

Get-Up!

During my research for my dissertation...which has been a awful long time...I have confronted numerous roadblocks that has made me look within myself. I questioned life, my purpose here, what really matters to me and why I was in school...STILL!!!

Do you know what your positive characteristics are? Would you be able to put them on paper at any given moment?

Character grows in the stream of the world's life. It is the combination of qualities that distinguishes an individual from another. So we gain character through the experiences of life

Now the question is...will someone else be able to recognize your characteristics? Many times it is the character flaw instead of your positive aspects. Funny...

If we try to elevate others, we learn that their success is in proportion to their belief of our belief in them.