Buddhist meditation: a management skill?
Buddhist meditation: a management skill? |
- Buddhist meditation: a management skill?
- Becoming a rock-solid regular meditator
- Early Morning Mindfulness Inspiration - 9/14/2012
- When is it OK to trash-talk a religion?
- Why Americans' Prescriptions Are Going Unfilled
- True Innovations Recalls Prestigio Office Chairs
- Nearly 140 Tragic Child Drownings In Pools and Spas Reported By Media In Summer 2012
| Buddhist meditation: a management skill? Posted: 14 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT Lisa Napoli, NPR Morning Edition: A handful of executive MBA programs around the country — from Harvard to Michigan's Ross School of Business — are teaching students Mindfulness meditation techniques. It's not necessarily about teaching spirituality, but focus. There's no way to quantify whether learning how to be centered during a stressful business meeting is balancing the bottom lines at companies. But students say slowing down does help them be more effective. Click on the link below to here the report (3 m 57 sec) Buddhist Meditation: A Management Skill? Read More @ Source
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| Becoming a rock-solid regular meditator Posted: 14 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT
In some ways this might not matter. I've made progress. I'm kinder than I used to be. I've experienced all kinds of meditative states, including the jhānas and (so-called) formless jhānas). Heck, I've even had some powerful insights. But in some ways it definitely does matter. When I go through a period of meditating every day without fail, I find that my meditation practice really takes off. When I miss days here and there the quality of my meditation practice deteriorates. I lose momentum, and meditation seems more like maintenance than construction. Worse, the quality of my life suffers. I suspect that the difference between people who meditate without fail and those who don't (or can't) is that the former see meditating daily as part of who they are. It's just what they do. They don't have to think about it, because it's part of their identity. Those who struggle with meditating daily see that kind of rock-solid daily practice as something they need to achieve. And there's a sense of doubt about this: "Will I ever get there?" And this doubt becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because doubting you'll ever sit every day without fail makes it less likely that you will. How long do you have to sit anyway, before you develop this rock-solid confidence? This sense that "yes, meditating daily is just what I do. It's part of who I am"? I've gone for months without missing a day, and then I have a late night and an early start the next day, and I'm back to being a non-regular meditator. Is this familiar to you? Recently I've been using an affirmation to help me get past this stumbling-block of doubt. It's been helping me, and it may help you, too. So here it is. Try repeating to yourself: "I meditate every day. It's just who I am. It's what I do." It's pretty simple. I've been dropping this thought into my mind throughout the day. I did it while walking to work today. I even did it during my meditation, because I think that thoughts deliberately introduced into a still (well, relatively still) mind have more effect. Say these words as you lie in bed, before you go to sleep. Write them down, or stick a note to your computer monitor or on your car dashboard to remind you to call them to mind. I feel a sense of confidence as I say these words. I can feel my sense of who I am changing. I've been finding that by repeating that affirmation I'm building in to my sense of self the expectation that I'll meditate daily. It therefore isn't an "extra" to be fitted in. It's part of how I see myself. It's definitely helping. Maybe it'll help you, too. Read More @ Source
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| Early Morning Mindfulness Inspiration - 9/14/2012 Posted: 14 Sep 2012 05:00 AM PDT  "To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance." ~The Buddha       Read More @ Source 
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| When is it OK to trash-talk a religion? Posted: 13 Sep 2012 05:00 PM PDT The recent killings of diplomats at the American consulate in Libya raises questions about the balance between freedom of speech and religious liberty. This subject is dear to my heart, since I've been blogging on this here Church of the Churchless for eight years, attempting to do the same thing -- speak my mind about the ridiculousness of organized religiosity while respecting the personal beliefs of individuals (after all, we all believe in weird things; weird, that is, from the perspective of other people; to us, we're absolutely normal). It's unclear what set off Muslims who attacked American diplomatic outposts in Libya and Egypt. Part of the impetus clearly was an anti-Islam video put up on You Tube that trash-talks Muhammad. It's so infantile and poorly made, I'm not going to embed a viewer in this post like I usually do with You Tube videos. I managed to watch about five minutes before I got sick of the video and turned it off. Before crowds attacked the embassy and consulate, but after rumblings of discontent had been heard in the "Arab street," the American embassy in Cairo issued a statement that got Mitt Romney in an unjustified uproar. PolitiFact demonstrated that this wasn't an apology for the video, as Romney claimed. (How can someone apologize for something they had nothing to do with?) Still, Romney felt that it excused Islamic extremism and denigrated free speech. Here's what the embassy said. The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others. Snap judgments aren't helpful here. There are some subtle distinctions to be thought about carefully in this statement. My first reaction was to disagree with the notion that the video was an unjustified abuse of free speech. If Muslims can't take criticism of their religion, that's their problem. Grow thicker skin. But in the Romney campaign's talking points regarding whether it was appropriate for the embassy to condemn the You Tube video/movie, the response was "Governor Romney rejects the reported message of the movie. There is no room for religious hatred or intolerance." I agree with this (one of the few times I've agreed with anything Romney says). To me, Islam is an absurd religion. But so is every religion. None of them are worthy of being believed as objective fact, because there's no demonstrable evidence to support the tenets of any religious faith. Yet (and this is an important yet), most people on Earth believe in an unbelievable religion. So what is a non-believer like me to do? Spend all of my time going up to the vast majority of my fellow humans and scream at them, "You're an idiot! You believe ridiculous religous crap!"? No, that doesn't feel like a good thing to do. One reason is that I used to be one of those idiots myself. Another is that insulting people rarely makes them change their mind in the direction the insulter desires. Still another is self-interest: belligerently getting in someone's face can lead to your own being punched (figuratively or literally). I heard this on a radio talk show yesterday: "Sure, you've got the right to tell your neighbor that his wife is dumb, fat, and ugly. But he's also got a right to sock you in the nose." The bottom line for me is this: I'm fine with people criticizing religious beliefs. However, I don't like it when these criticisms are hateful, overly emotional, insulting, denigrating, and aimed at hurting the feelings of believers. Though I dislike organized religions, I've got no problem with individual religious beliefs. Like I said before, we all believe things that are deeply personal, can't be proven as objective fact, and offer us comfort in this often-uncomfortable world. Life is tough. We all need someone or something to lean on. This seems to be what the statement of the Egyptian embassy and Romney's campaign have in common. Me included, I guess. We respect the diversity of religious, spiritual, mystical, and philosophical beliefs in this country, and the world as a whole. We don't like it when haters venomously attack some belief system in a hateful manner, rather than reasonably. "I don't agree with the premises of your religion" is a lot different than "You're a fool for believing what you do." Personal professions of faith shouldn't be attacked; collective claims that such-and-such is objectively true for everybody deserve rigorous critical debate. I'd enjoy watching a You Tube video that dismantled in a reasonable fashion the tenets of Islam. But in my five minutes of watching I couldn't discern any coherent criticisms of Islam in the video that got some Muslims so righteously angry. Of course, they might have gotten angry at reasonable criticisms also. If so, my one-word response would be tough. Deal with it. On the whole, Muslims seem to be overly touchy about people criticizing their religion. There's no excuse for trashing the American consulate and killing four diplomats. At the same time, I don't like trash-talking of personal religious beliefs either. Here on the Church of the Churchless I often say, "Whatever works for you, go for it. Just don't expect me, or anyone else, to agree with you." 
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| Why Americans' Prescriptions Are Going Unfilled Posted: 13 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT
An increasing number of Americans are not filling prescriptions for their medications because they can't afford to, according to a new survey from Consumer Reports. Results show that 45 percent of people under age 65 who don't have insurance coverage for prescriptions said they had not filled a prescription in the last year because of the cost. Last year, 27 percent of this group said the same. Additionally, 84 percent of working-age people in the U.S. without insurance coverage for prescriptions said they had taken some action — such as spending less on groceries or postponing paying other bills — in order to pay for their medications, an increase from 71 percent last year. About 15 percent of people in the U.S. don't have insurance coverage for their prescription medications, said Consumer Reports editor Lisa Gill. In the survey, Consumer Reports researchers also aimed to find the biggest source of financial problems for consumers that put a dent in their general purchasing power. "For people who regularly take a prescription medication, their medical bills and medication bills, when they have financial problems, those are their No. 1 problem," Gill said. The survey results showed that 50 percent of people without prescription drug coverage, and 15 percent of those with drug coverage,said that in the past six months they have been unable to afford their medical bills. Smaller percentages said they were unable to afford gas for their car (32 percent with coverage and 15 percent withoutcoverage)or that they had missed a mortgage payment(8 percent and 2 percent). The researchers also found an increasing number of people taking "potentially dangerous" measures to save money on their health care. Among those without prescription drug coverage, 63 percent said they put off a doctor's visit, whereas 48 percent said the same last year. And 62 percent said they declined a medical test because of the cost, compared with 33 percent last year. People also reported cutting pills in half and skipping doses to stretch their medications, Gill said. There are better ways that people can save money on their medical costs, she said. "Ask if there is a generic drug that is equivalent to the brand-name drug that people are taking," Gill said. About 75 percent of brand-name drugs have a generic version. She also suggested looking for the prescription drug discount plans that many stores now offer Kmart, Target, Walmart and many others all offer discount programs. The plans vary — some involve a fee to join, and each has its own list of drugs that are available for a discount. "Shop around," she said, "and if your drug isn't on the list, ask if they have another discount program with a different list." Finally, she said, for those who need to take a brand-name drug that isn't available for a discount, pharmaceutical companies offer programs that may provide some financial help. They offer 30-day free trials, or a small discount on the price for a limited time. "These programs aren't great, and you have to read the fine print," Gill said. But they do offer something to consumers, she said. The telephone survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of households with telephones. Researchers conducted interviews with 1,158 adults who currently take prescription drugs. This is the fourth year that Consumer Reports has conducted the survey. Pass it on: The number of Americans not filling prescriptions for their medications because they can't afford to has increased. FollowMyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+.  Read More @ Source 
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| True Innovations Recalls Prestigio Office Chairs Posted: 13 Sep 2012 03:00 PM PDT
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with True Innovations LLC, of Hong Kong, China, announced a voluntary recall of about 8,400 Realspace Soho Prestigio High-Back Leather Chairs. Importer: Office Depot Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla. Hazard: The seat plate can break, posing fall and injury hazards to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Office Depot has received 78 reports of incidents involving seat plates breaking, including one report of a fall injury. Description: This recall involves Prestigio model leather office chairs. The high-back leather chairs were sold in black and have a five-leg metallic finish base with casters. The SKU number 181-265 and the words "Realspace Soho" and "Prestigio High-Back Chair Black Leather" are printed on a label located on the underside of the seat. Sold exclusively at: Office Depot retail stores nationwide and online at OfficeDepot.com from October 2008 through February 2011 for about $ 250. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the chairs and contact True Innovations for a free seat repair kit including a replacement seat plate and an installation tool. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact True Innovations at (800) 379-9773 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.trueinnovations.com. Read More @ Source 
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| Nearly 140 Tragic Child Drownings In Pools and Spas Reported By Media In Summer 2012 Posted: 13 Sep 2012 02:00 PM PDT
According to information compiled from media reports and released today by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) Pool Safely campaign, 137 children younger than 15 years drowned in a pool or spa during the traditional summer season of Memorial Day to Labor Day this year. An additional 168 children of that age required emergency response for near-fatal incidents in pools or spas during that period. "These figures are a strong indication that child drownings are a serious public health problem," CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said. "We are losing too many children to drowning, tragically cutting short these young lives and leaving families devastated. While summer is ending, our vigilance in ensuring that all children pool safely must not end. With so many indoor community pools, hotel pools and spas, indoor waterparks, as well as outdoor pools that remain open in warm-weather states, we must continue our efforts to remind everyone to pool safely whenever they are near the water." The media figures for this summer show that 54 of these drownings occurred soon after the children left an adult who was in their immediate vicinity, and 31 children drowned despite the presence of others at the pool. In addition, the media reports from this summer are consistent with CPSC's annual reports in showing that young children and toddlers are especially vulnerable to drowning - at least 100 of the 137 children who drowned were younger than five. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children one to four years of age. Not every child drowning is reported on or tracked by the media. In turn, it takes time for CPSC to compile data of all child drownings from around the country. Each May, CPSC releases reports for drownings and non-fatal submersions for children younger than 15 years of age. CPSC data from 2007 to 2009 shows an annual average of 243 children drowned in pools or spas during the summer months, which is about 63 percent of the average annual drowning figures for these years. CPSC's Pool Safely campaign message reinforces the important safety steps: stay close to children in the water, be alert, and watch children in and around the pool at all times. During the summer of 2012, the following twelve states suffered the largest number of pool and spa drownings for children younger than 15:
CPSC's 2012 submersion report (pdf) shows on average 390 pool or spa-related drownings occur each year for children younger than 15, based on statistics from 2007-2009. About 5,200 pool or spa-related emergency department-treated submersion injuries occur on average each year for children younger than 15. The Pool Safely campaign provides information on the simple steps that parents, caregivers and pool owners should take to ensure that children and adults stay safe around pools and spas:
The Pool Safely campaign was launched in 2010 to raise awareness about pool and spa safety, as mandated by the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. This year, the campaign is increasing its focus on populations most at risk of drowning, including children younger than five years old who represent 75 percent of child drowning fatalities on average, and African American and Hispanic children between the ages of 5 and 14 who drown at higher rates than white children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data from USA Swimming indicates that 70 percent of African American children and 62 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim, making them especially vulnerable to drowning. About Pool Safely: Read More @ Source 
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I really admire those few people I know who can honestly say they've been meditating for 10 or 20 years, and that they've never missed a day. I've been meditating for 30 years, but I've never been able to attain that kind of regularity. Sure, I've had periods of months at a time when I've never missed a day, but eventually I get tripped up and start missing days here and there.
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