Personal Essays
Be Here Now
You might know that Andy Whitfield, late star of Spartacus, died in 2011 of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. What you might not know is how he chose to face his illness. Read More 
What the Battle of Gettysburg Teaches Us About Mindfulness in a Divided World
It was the deadliest battle ever fought on American soil. On its 150th anniversary, Barry Boyce reflects on what Gettysburg can still teach us—about what happens when we decide that fighting is our only choice. Read More
The Wisdom of Eagles
Did you know that Minnesota has one of the highest concentrations of eagles in the country? A couple of years ago, I had a chance to visit the National Eagle Center, just south of Red Wing. While there I was able to see eagles that had been rescued (no cages)… Read More
The rewards of stopping and noticing
In preparation for the Institute for Mindful Leadership's recent Mindful Leadership retreat, we send some prework to the participants, inviting them to begin to notice some of the "autopilot" conditioning we all engage in from time to time, especially in parts of the day when we are transitioning from one place… Read More
Not a typical manifesto, but a manifesto all the same
Practicing meditation is a skillful way to cultivate well-being—both personal and social. Read More
The Titanic: A terrible wake-up call
"The anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is a good time to be reminded of the only place we can turn to manage the uncertainty and existential storms swirling around us and thereby make better informed decisions; through turning within." —Levi Ben-Schmuel Read More
Welcome to meditation, Liz!
Liz Lemon, one of pop-culture's great curmudgeons, has taken up the practice. What does it mean? Rod Meade Sperry explores the question. Read More
Being Consumed
I was recently reminded of a column I once read. It was written by an organizational leader who was describing her realization about the auto-pilot way she was going through her life, and her ultimate discovery of the mind’s capacity to cultivate awareness. She shared that ”Blackberries used to be something we consumed,… Read More
Slow the Train
With a mental train speeding by, fueled by continuous noise and chaotic connections, what are you missing?, asks Soren Gordhamer, founder of Wisdom 2.0. Read More
