•A Bellyful of Mindfulness
A Bellyful of Mindfulness
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Taco Bell, a huge Mexican fast-food franchise, has a new ad campaign focusing on the slogan, "Get full." The commercials show people ecstatically announcing that they are full--thanks, of course, to the huge value meals now available at Taco Bell.
We know that feeling full isn't simply a matter of building a bigger, better burrito. There's a whole lotta emptiness going on, and it's not always filled by what we put into our bellies.
The...
•A Mindful Road Trip: The Perfect No-Goal Vacation
A Mindful Road Trip: The Perfect No-Goal Vacation
by: Maya Talisman Frost
It's the beginning of spring break, and we're heading south. That's all we know.
Our family is greatly anticipating what may be our last road trip for a long, long time. There's a lot of excitement in our house right now as we are shifting into a whole new phase for each of us.
My husband is launching a new business. I am writing a book. Our 17-year-old daughter is preparing for college in Nova Scotia in...
•A Sweep of Vanity: How To Burst Your Own Bubble
A Sweep of Vanity: How To Burst Your Own Bubble
by: Maya Talisman Frost
"Hoy-day! What a sweep of vanity comes this way!" --William Shakespeare, "The Life of Timon of Athens"
If there's one characteristic we hope we don't have, it's vanity. We'd rather be considered aggressive, driven, petty, even mean than have others feel that we think too much of ourselves.
Isn't that hilarious?
We're all vain. The world appears to revolve around us because we literally can't see it any other way....
•Alone In The Kitchen: Stirring Up Mindfulness
Alone In The Kitchen: Stirring Up Mindfulness
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Put on your apron! It's time to stir up a batch of mindfulness.
Julia Child, the trilling television chef who taught millions of Americans how to prepare French food without being hoity-toity, died in her sleep at the age of 92 recently. In dozens of articles, she has been glowingly eulogized for her spirit, her humor, and her ability to share her passion for cooking and fine dining.
I've never tried any of Julia...
•Becoming Excellent: Outsmarting Racism
Becoming Excellent: Outsmarting Racism
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Thinkers know better than to be racist. It's generally understood that racists are, well, not thinkers. It's not that racists are necessarily stupid--it's that they are ignorant.
We like to think that racists are choosing to hang on to their bias because they don't know any better. Those of us who are educated--or who think--can overcome any bias through information and intention. Right?
Tell that to our brains.
A recent...
•Becoming Radiant: Boost Your Team's Creativity with Mind Mapping
Becoming Radiant: Boost Your Team's Creativity with Mind Mapping
by: Maya Talisman Frost
I don't take notes anymore. Instead, I create one wildly colorful, creative and inspiring page whenever I need to make a decision, prepare a presentation, or plan an event. That whole two-column plus and minus approach? Gone.
Bring on the Mind Maps!
I read Tony Buzan's first book on Mind Mapping back in the early eighties, but I was too caught up in the old-school world to see how it could be of use to...
•Big Wave Mindfulness: Surfing For A Connectiton
Big Wave Mindfulness: Surfing For A Connectiton
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Surfing is mindfulness in action. Riding the biggest waves is an all-out, fully-present-or-die-trying proposition.
Thanks to a persistent case of aquaphobia, I've never tried surfing. However, I've done my share of snowboarding, and I am trying to imagine what it would be like to carve the slopes with several tons of avalanche chasing me down the mountain. First of all, I would have to hike to the top and wait to catch...
•Ch-Ch-Chain of Hearts: Cranking Up Compassion
Ch-Ch-Chain of Hearts: Cranking Up Compassion
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Can you hear your compassion? It's time to crank it up.
One of the most difficult challenges we face in our quest to be compassionate is dealing with conflict. Those we love most tend to be the ones most likely to engage us in sparring that cuts the deepest.
Why do we allow ourselves to use our harshest words and most acid tone of voice with the people we love most?
Precisely because we love them most. We're...
•Chewing On Mindfulness: Gum Is Your Secret
Chewing On Mindfulness: Gum Is Your Secret
by: Maya Talisman Frost
My grandmother, a feisty and athletic woman in her younger years, was a gum-chewer. She was never without a pack or two of Wrigley's Doublemint gum.
She wasn't a snapper or bubble-blower--she viewed that as highly uncivilized. Grandma kept her mouth closed, thank you very much, and her chewing silent.
She insisted that it helped her concentrate. It turns out that she was right.
Research has shown that chewing does...
•Clear Mind, Empty Head?: A Leak In "Mind Like Water"
Clear Mind, Empty Head?: A Leak In "Mind Like Water"
by: Maya Talisman Frost
There's a lot of talk in meditation circles about emptying the mind. This is a roadblock for many people. Why? Because it's counterintuitive.
After all, we spend most of our waking hours filling up our minds. We go to school, we get trained, we read, we learn, we absorb information from all around us. Then someone comes along and tells us that the best thing we can do is EMPTY our mind? Why would we want to do that?...
•Dancing On Your Brain: The Cha-Cha Effect
Dancing On Your Brain: The Cha-Cha Effect
by: Maya Talisman Frost
My grandmother used to say that the secret to living a good life is maintaining a flexible spine and a flexible mind. Whether we’re talking about joints or brains, there’s just no room for rigidity.
Mark Twain once made a comment that illustrates my grandmother’s idea perfectly. He said: “It is discouraging to try to penetrate a mind like yours. You ought to get it out and dance on it. That would take some of the rigidity...
•Dial M for Mindfulness: Using the Golden Arches
Dial M for Mindfulness: Using the Golden Arches
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Looking for mindfulness? Who ya gonna call?
Try dialing M.
It's easy to be mindful. It's just hard to remember to be mindful. That's why it's so important to pick our triggers.
Here's a great trigger for mindfulness--the letter M. I'm a great fan of the letter M. For me, it stands for mindfulness, meditation, mediation and mind massage. It's soothing to say: "Mmmmmmm." Add an H and you're thinking: "Hmmmmm." Add...
•Do-Sa-Do For Mindfulness
Do-Sa-Do For Mindfulness
by: Maya Talisman Frost
When I was 12, one of my best friends was a square dancer. Twice a week, her family would pile into the Country Squire station wagon and head to the Grange Hall, where they'd gather with their square dancing club for an evening of music, friendship and do-sa-do. (That's the correct spelling, by the way. Visit www.dosado.com)
As a regular guest, I was fascinated by the form but, in the height of my coolness-conscious years, also acutely...
•Doing Dinner: Confessions Of A Radical Mother
Doing Dinner: Confessions Of A Radical Mother
by: Maya Talisman Frost
I love slow living. It's peaceful, meaningful and downright radical in a go-go world.
According to a recent article in (appropriately enough)Time magazine, groups of harried parents across the USA are joining a wave of slow living advocates by doing something really revolutionary--having one sit-down dinner at home with their kids each week.
I don't know whether to applaud or cry.
The idea that parents are willing...
•Don't Ask Your Doctor
Don't Ask Your Doctor
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Perhaps I should ask my doctor if there is a drug to take to combat frustration from seeing so many drug ads. You know the ones I'm talking about. They always start out with a list of questions. Then they tell you that a new drug might be just the thing for you--all you have to do is ask your doctor.
Here's my tongue-in-cheek riff on those ubiquitous ads.
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Have you ever felt you had too little time for your many...
•Drawing On Creativity: How To Trick Your Brain
Drawing On Creativity: How To Trick Your Brain
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Can you draw?
Your answer to that question reveals a surprising amount about your brain and the way you integrate your right and left hemispheres. (In this article, the left side will be referred to as the dominant one, which is by far the most likely scenario.)
You see, the left side of the brain excels at verbal, analytical, rational and logical tasks. It's the dominant half. It takes over most of the time, using...
•Evangelical Skepticism: Pursuing Your Right To Be Wrong
Evangelical Skepticism: Pursuing Your Right To Be Wrong
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Michael Shermer speaks with the energy and passion of an evangelist, so it's not too surprising to learn that he used to be one. What is surprising is that he has made a 180-degree turn in his approach to belief. As a college student at Pepperdine University, he knocked on doors to spread the word of the gospel to anyone who would listen. Now he preaches the power of skepticism in the true sense of the word....
•Five Great Ideas From Aristotle
Five Great Ideas From Aristotle
by: Maya Talisman Frost
It was Socrates who said that the purpose of philosophy is to help each of us become “an excellent human”. That seems like a respectable and reasonable big-picture goal for every person on the planet.
But what about the specifics? How do we become excellent humans? How can we use philosophy in our everyday lives to help us succeed in this most important goal as homo sapiens?
The surprising thing about philosophy is that it is...
•Five Surprisingly Hip Politicial Ideas From Plato
Five Surprisingly Hip Politicial Ideas From Plato
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Don't you love politics?
Me, neither. But I do like thinking about politics. And wouldn't you know it? Just when you think you've come up with a dazzling opinion, you find out someone else had that same idea hundreds of years ago. So much for being original.
Still, it's delightful to discover that you share opinions with great thinkers.
Political pundits have a fabulous time skewering politicians and...
•Flights Of Fancy: An Air Of Gratitude
Flights Of Fancy: An Air Of Gratitude
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Feeling cranky about air travel? Get a grip.
Not on the arm of your passenger seat--on reality, history, and the incredible accomplishment of human flight.
We've just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Although there werecertainly others who were experimenting with flying machines--most notably, Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian who is widely celebrated in...
•Floating In Mindfulness: Dealing With Disappointment
Floating In Mindfulness: Dealing With Disappointment
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Feeling disappointed? It's time to float.
The time-honored approach to disappointment generally involves a fair amount of wallowing followed by a concerted effort to move on. Okay, this can work. But a more mindful approach includes an interim phase between these two. It's a unique opportunity to "float".
When things don't go our way--whether we're talking about election results, a job interview, a proposal at...
•Getting To Good: Your Spontaneous Woo Quotient
Getting To Good: Your Spontaneous Woo Quotient
by: Maya Talisman Frost
As I was driving to a friend's house, I passed the Dublin Pub, a local watering hole known for its live music. On the reader board, one band's name caught my eye: Spontaneous Woo.
I did a little digging and learned that the band hails from Bay City, Michigan and offers a funk/jazz blend. The term "spontaneous woo" refers to an audience response often seen during concerts in which a rising tide of enthusiasm culminates...
•Going Seamless: Dissolving the Brain Divide
Going Seamless: Dissolving the Brain Divide
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Are you a right-brainer or a left-brainer?
The greatest thinkers are at a loss when it comes to answering that question.
Just as we admire athletes who are able to hit a tennis ball or throw a javelin with either arm, we should emulate thinkers who engage fully in all kinds of activities without regard to whether or not it suits their specified brain orientation.
Labeling yourself as a certain kind of thinker is...
•Good, Good, Good, Good Intentions
Good, Good, Good, Good Intentions
by: Maya Talisman Frost
I always do a lot of thinking about good intentions in December.
It's not because I'm inspired by the holidays. I'm simply observing the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Each year, around December 10th, I reread that incredible document just to remind myself that as humans, we can all agree on what it means to have basic rights and to be treated fairly. It's an inspiring piece of writing, and it fills my...
•How To Party Like Leonardo Da Vinci
How To Party Like Leonardo Da Vinci
by: Maya Talisman Frost
After studying scores of great thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci, I think I've stumbled upon what really set them apart from the rest of the folks living (and thinking) at the same time.
It's remarkably simple. They learned how to entertain a thought.
Aristotle said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
Hmmm. To entertain a thought without accepting it.
We need to...
•Leaning Toward Lean: Clear Thinking For Better Health(Care)
Leaning Toward Lean: Clear Thinking For Better Health(Care)
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Mindfulness is all about paying attention. It's amazing what can be accomplished when mindfulness is applied to systems that need all the attention they can get. If there's an industry that needs some CPR and TLC, it's healthcare.
Cindy Jimmerson is a 30-year trauma nurse who is passionate about streamlining healthcare processes. Her consulting company, Lean HealthCare West, is blasting through...
•Looking At Time With A Capital T
Looking At Time With A Capital T
by: Maya Talisman Frost
I keep a fossil on my desk at all times. Whenever I feel rushed or find myself creating a sense of urgency, I pick up the fossil and caress its polished surface. It's over 200 million years old. Suddenly, returning that phone call or meeting that self-imposed deadline doesn't seem nearly as critical. My ancient arthropod reminds me that, in the scheme of things, this moment is indescribably insignificant. I find that remarkably...
•Massage Your Mind!: A Spontaneous Woo to You!
Massage Your Mind!: A Spontaneous Woo to You! by Maya Talisman FrostAs I was driving to a friend’s house recently, I passed the Dublin Pub, a local watering hole known for its live music. On the reader board, one band’s name caught my eye: Spontaneous Woo. Hmmm, I thought. What a great concept. There is nothing quite like letting out a joyous, spontaneous “WOO!” when things are going our way. We might personalize our woo, making it come out as “YESSSS!” or “Sweeeeeet” or even “Woo-HOO!” No...
•Massage Your Mind!: Are You a Fanatic?
Massage Your Mind!: Are You a Fanatic? by Maya Talisman FrostAre you a fanatic?No, really. Is there something that you do that has taken over your time and energy? Life is full of responsibilities. As parents, partners, employees, children, siblings or pet owners, we have duties. But our goal as an excellent human is to fulfill our roles while maintaining a balanced life. And, although it may take a bit of creative juggling, it's generally quite possible to do so.One of the interesting...
•Massage Your Mind!: Are You Living In A Cave?
Massage Your Mind!: Are You Living In A Cave? by Maya Talisman FrostWhen I was three years old, I had an experience I’ll never forget. My mother had just prepared lunch for my brother and me, and a neighbor lady came running over, breathless, telling my mother some news. Mom went right to the television and turned it on. This was unusual—she rarely watched TV. She set up the ironing board in the living room(!) so that she could iron while watching. Stranger still, she seemed to have...
•Massage Your Mind!: Tongue-Biting for Excellence
Massage Your Mind!: Tongue-Biting for Excellence by Maya Talisman FrostWe do a lot of thinking. We also spend a lot of time defending our ideas. In the process, we often attack (okay, more like poke at) the ideas of others. Let's try something new for the next few days. Instead of poking at other's ideas, make two SUPPORTIVE statements about what they have to say, even if you don't agree with the main idea. Find something INTERESTING about their viewpoint. It doesn't have to be positive...
•Mastering Mindfulness: A Thinker's Ode to Meditation
Mastering Mindfulness: A Thinker's Ode to Meditation
by: Maya Talisman Frost
I'm lucky.
When I was fifteen, I was the sole survivor in one of those horrific car accidents involving a bunch of teens, lots of alcohol, and late-night fast driving. While the driver and other passengers were killed instantly when our car hit a tree on a drizzly summer night, I had the most powerful experience of my life.
I felt myself being lifted lightly, and it seemed as though I was actually caressed by...
•Mindfulness and Laughter: Gaining Clarity While Giggling
Mindfulness and Laughter: Gaining Clarity While Giggling by Maya Talisman FrostLife is funny. Throughout the day, there are plenty of humorous moments that we tend to ignore. We get so caught up in being earnest that we miss opportunities to gain clarity while giggling.Sure, there are times when it is considered inappropriate to laugh, but if we're honest, we'll see that if we're suppressing a smile it's a sign that we're fully present. Not only that, but these are times when we could most...
•Mindfulness and Mammaries: Grinning With Gratitude
Mindfulness and Mammaries: Grinning With Gratitude
by: Maya Talisman Frost
I am truly inspired by a most mindful group of breast cancer survivors. Referring to themselves as "The Golden Mammaries", these women gather weekly to support each other, share stories, and mostly, to laugh. In their fifties and sixties, they've lived through cancer--some more than once--and they never miss their cue to grin.
Picture this: white hair, no hair, carefully-coiffed hair, wigs. Pale faces, robust and...
•Mindfulness: You're Soaking In It!
Mindfulness: You're Soaking In It!
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Looking for a bit more mindfulness in your daily life? Relax. You're soaking in it!
Perhaps you remember Madge the Manicurist, a television commercial character who commiserates with her clients about their chapped hands. While she is filing the nails of one hand, she conspiratorially confides that her client is actually soaking her other hand in Palmolive dishwashing liquid. After all, "It softens hands while you do the dishes."...
•Movin' On: Taking Transhumanism in Stride
Movin' On: Taking Transhumanism in Stride
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Back in the seventies, we watched "The Six Million Dollar Man", a popular television show about a trained agent who was critically injured and given the gift of technology--bionic legs and super vision.
Lee Majors portrayed a man capable of leaping tall buildings and scanning the landscape at night. We marveled at the possibility of creating a human with superior qualities. In the opening sequence of each episode, we heard...
•Open, Full and Imperfect: What You Must Know About Your Heart
Open, Full and Imperfect: What You Must Know About Your Heart
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Last Friday was National Wear Red Day, an intentional opportunity to wear a red dress as a symbol of awareness of the fact that heart disease is the number one killer of women in America.
I didn't wear a red dress, but I did get my very first electrocardiogram.
I wish I could say that I had planned it that way.
The truth is that I was experiencing chest pain, a terrible squeezing sensation in my left...
•Seeing Purple: On Pens and Paying Attention
Seeing Purple: On Pens and Paying Attention
by: Maya Talisman Frost
It's back-to-school time once again, and purple is IN. I'm not talking about fashion trends--though the September issues of most magazines are singing the praises of plum and berry shades. No, I'm referring to the hottest item at Office Depot, Staples, and other school supply meccas.
Purple pens.
According to a recent article in The Boston Globe, many teachers are giving up their infamous red pens and turning to purple....
•Sniffing Out Mindfulness: Your Nose Knows
Sniffing Out Mindfulness: Your Nose Knows
by: Maya Talisman Frost
A nose is a funny thing.
We tend to think about our nose only when it is too big, stuffed up, ready to explode in a sneeze, or focusing our attention on a particularly heavenly or nauseating smell. Yet, day in and day out, our nose is working hard for us, creating countless opportunities for mindfulness while preventing us from being mouth-breathers.
It's impossible to see much of your own nose unless you look in the...
•Socrates, Politics and Axe Murder: A Look at Gay Marriage
Socrates, Politics and Axe Murder: A Look at Gay Marriage
by: Maya Talisman Frost
This week, I attended a reading by Christopher Phillips. He is the author of Socrates' Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy, and has been described as the "Johnny Appleseed of philosophy" because of his penchant for starting meaningful dialogues with groups around the world.
He was in town to promote his newest book, Six Questions for Socrates: A Modern-Day Journey of Discovery Through World Philosophy. Because...
•Sparrow or Peacock?: Understanding Your Relationship with Your Stuff
Sparrow or Peacock?: Understanding Your Relationship with Your Stuff by Maya Talisman FrostMaybe it's just a weird week. Three times in the past three days, I've bumped into someone I know and started a conversation with, "Hey, how ARE you?" Nothing unusual about that. But the responses were all discussions of problems with STUFF. Cars. Computers. Sprinkling systems. Lawnmowers. Burglar alarms. Phones. Everybody's stuff was causing headaches. Okay, so I guess the short answer to the question...
•Straddling the Science/Magic Line: A Look At Magnetic Therapy
Straddling the Science/Magic Line: A Look At Magnetic Therapy
by: Maya Talisman Frost
What's the difference between science and magic? It's our understanding of what makes something happen.
If magic is hocus-pocus, science is simply well understood hocus-pocus. Fire? Solar eclipse? Volcanic eruption? Earthquake? Once we can explain it, it becomes science. But sometimes we're stuck straddling that science/magic line.
Consider magnets.
Remember when you were a kid back in elementary...
•Surfing Your Adrenalin Wave: How To Dissolve--Not Disguise--Anger
Surfing Your Adrenalin Wave: How To Dissolve--Not Disguise--Anger
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Feel that rising tide of anger? Surf's up! Start paddling.
Whenever we feel angry or frustrated, we get a blast of adrenalin coursing through our bloodstream. In the fight or flight response to stress, our bodies rely on our appendages. We need to hit, kick, jump or run away, and our bodies help out by sending extra blood to our limbs.
If we were living in the wild and had to actually fight off a...
•Top Three Secrets To Becoming A Better Thinker
Top Three Secrets To Becoming A Better Thinker
by: Maya Talisman Frost
We all know there are ways to become a better thinker. We should read more books. We ought to go to lectures and concerts. We need to visit exhibits and appreciate art. We can take classes and expand our horizons through travel.
Blah, blah, blah. Those are the easy answers.
If we really want to become better thinkers, there are three ways to do it that are guaranteed to get you tuned in to your brain and...
•Triggering Intention: How To Remember To Remember
Triggering Intention: How To Remember To Remember
by: Maya Talisman Frost
You've got a lot to store in that brain of yours. Sometimes you need to remind yourself to remember something. The most effective way to remember is to choose your triggers wisely.
Post-its work great, but I'm all for simplifying things even further. By choosing to make a certain behavior a trigger for a particular thought, we can skip the paper and adhesive and get right to the important stuff.
The trick is to be...
•Tripping On Mindfulness
Tripping On Mindfulness
by: Maya Talisman Frost
One of the ironies of mindfulness is that it's still possible to be forgetful, klutzy, or even distracted while doing our best to pay attention.
Why? We are choosing where to focus and so there are, by necessity, bits of information that aren't getting the full laser treatment. It's simply not possible to be mindful of everything all at once.
That's the beauty of it.
You can shine your mental high beams on, say, fully connecting with...
•Why You Must Stop Setting Goals
Why You Must Stop Setting Goals
by: Maya Talisman Frost
My goal in life is to have no goals. They get in the way of true progress.
Plenty of successful people swear by goal setting. They're praising the wrong behavior. Brain research tells us that the goals don't matter--it's the intention that gets us where we want to go.
Intentions and goals are not the same. Goals tend to be arbitrary and number-oriented, such as the number of pounds lost, amount of money earned, number of hours...
•Wireless Meditation: Top Five Tips for Wherever-Whenever Mindfulness
Wireless Meditation: Top Five Tips for Wherever-Whenever Mindfulness
by: Maya Talisman Frost
The problem with meditation is attachment. We get in the habit of needing our altar, favorite cushion, incense, CD, certain time of day, necessary length of time, or particular style of sitting. If we can’t do it the “right” way, we tend to skip it altogether. We get so attached to the trappings that we get a little testy if we don’t have everything just so.
This is funny when you think about it....
•Would Socrates Be A Celebrity Today?
Would Socrates Be A Celebrity Today?
by: Maya Talisman Frost
Last week, as I was standing in the checkout line of my local grocery store, I found myself staring at the dozen or so magazines on display. As I gazed upon the various photos and headlines praising or trashing the celebrity du jour, I got to thinking.
What kind of celebrity would Socrates be if he were alive today? How would we treat him?
In what way would he ask his questions in the 21st century? He never wrote much of...
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