The Taoist master Chuang Tzu tells about a man crossing a river when an empty skiff slams into his. The man does not become angry, as he would if there was a boatman in the other skiff. So, says Chuang Tzu, “Empty your own boat as you cross the river of the world.”

In solitude, I can empty my boat. Can I do it when I’m in the company of other people? Maybe: “Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it means never living apart from one’s self. It is not about the absence of other people- it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others.”

That quote comes from a book I wrote, so I should probably give it a try.

~Parker J. Palmer

oh, how we lock ourselves into needing to feel “good” all of the time….

inquiry for today~   lean into all the feelings of a particular hour….study them as you would an exquisite snowfall……

beam of wisdom

Don’t surrender your loneliness

So quickly.

Let it cut more deep.

Let it ferment and season you

As few human

Or even divine ingredients can.

~Hafiz