Making the Best of the New Year It’s the new year, and many of us are making resolutions. There’s a lot online about how to best stick with whatever goal you’ve set for yourself this year, and there’s nothing wrong with trying to improve oneself. The paradox is, however, that’s it often easier to change if, instead of pushing ahead with gritted teeth and a relentless determination, if we do so with acceptance and gentleness. Pema Chödrön talks about this in her book Start Where You Are. She suggests we look deeply at who we are and accept ourselves without judgment. Then we can move forward. If we refuse to…
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Nonjudgment and Moral Discrimination
The Trickster Elegba Elegba, also called Èshù, is a Yoruban trickster deity. He mediates between the heaven and earth, has dominion over the crossroads, and, though he creates mischief, he does so in the service of harmony. Elegba teaches us that there are two sides to every question. [1] In their book of stories, Nina Jaffe and Steve Zeitlin retell a story about Elegba. Once upon a time, there lived two farmers, Olufemi and Olushegun. They lived next to one another and were great friends. Every day they talked, and they always agreed. If they were deciding how to harvest their crops or how to discipline their children, they agreed.…