Why heart-centered business owners hire the wrong assistants
One of the more challenging issues that comes up in business is hiring help. In the early stages you’re usually too cash-strapped to contemplate this seriously, but after being at it for awhile, it soon becomes inevitable. When it goes right, it’s amazing. However, there are also lots of ways it can go wrong, and […]
Stepping Into Spiritual Practice after Religious or Spiritual Trauma
I was mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually lied to, manipulated and abused in the religion of my childhood (Jehovah’s Witness). Almost exactly a decade ago to the day, I was officially and publicly shunned and outcast from the religion. As a result, every member of the faith was obligated to shun me – not even […]
What to do in January to Help Make December 2017
Every year, every single year, it’s easy to be surprised by how quickly December arrives. We just went through a December, right? Yet, I’m guessing that’s not what you’re thinking about That’s because every year, every single year, it’s easy to forget, and to face a January full of possibility, of the hopes and dreams […]
A Sufi blessing for the New Year
It’s been years since I’ve been to a New Year’s Eve party. It never was my thing, and mostly I’m asleep well before midnight. However, I do enjoy the calmness, the inbreath, that I sense on New Year’s Day. It’s also true that tomorrow night isn’t everyone’s new year. Yet, because it’s the common calendar […]
[Video] Out in the cold (in a big Russian hat)
Over the weekend I was out walking our dog, Rocky, and some conversations that I’d had with different clients over the past week really struck me. The topic? What to focus on in the new year, and the difference between going from 90% to 95% and going from 0% to 40%, and which was better. […]
When everyone seems better than you are
My nearly eight-year-old son Sam crushes us all in a memory matching game. You know, those games where you set out cards face down, and there are matching pairs of pictures, in this case your friendly neighborhood Spiderman and some of his villains. The best I can do playing Sam is tie him— I’ve only […]
When you can’t get to spiritual practice for your business
Spiritual connection is a funny thing. You can access it in a moment, and yet, in my experience, it takes time, significant time, to be really deep in the awareness of Love. I know people who meditate or do practices an hour or two, or more, a day, as in sit on the cushion and […]
The deep pain of dysfunctional teachers
While on the spiritual path, or working within personal development circles, I have felt a great deal of distance between the depth of spiritual teaching, and the pain of dysfunctional organizational dynamics. We’ve seen this where large religious institutions have failed to protect their most vulnerable members. Many of us have also seen in it […]
More on Activism in Business
Live retreat with Mark: The Heart Sessions in November near Ithaca! A small group of no more than 16 business owners will come retreat, in person, with Mark for 4 nights and 3 days outside Ithaca, New York. The evening of Nov 15 through the morning of Nov 19, 2016. Click here if you want […]
Activism, Business and what my mentor told me
One of our clients recently came to the decision to stop participating in a volunteer project in order to focus on her business. This was a hard decision to come to, and because she was the lead on that project, it means risking that no one else will step into the void and the project […]