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Author Archives: vspain
Stepping Up and Forward
I have been away from this blog for a while when life and career took a few turns. From December 2012 to November 2014 I directed Energize Everett, a community health outreach program in Everett MA. I took a floundering … Continue reading
Posted in Mindfulness, Type 1 Diabetes, Work
Tagged community, diabetes, life transitions, type 1 diabetes, women
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(Not Really) Satisfying
I just heard an ad for raspberry cheesecake flavored Yoplait. Like so many food ads it’s always about satisfying (forbidden, midnight etc.) cravings with something sweet, indulgent and “satisfying.” But eating food which is engineered specifically to keep you eating … Continue reading
Posted in Food Advertising, Food Memories, Simplicity
Tagged engineered food, food advertising, processed food, yogurt
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Forever Responsible
And finally one last bit of wisdom from the fox to the little prince. A world of truth in 2 short sentences. “Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible forever, for … Continue reading
[Recipe] Raw Cacao Cherry Brownie
A great example of something sweet that’s tasty and good for your body-
Posted in Art
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Graduation Words to My Son
Writing about Mr. Rogers and his commencement speech reminded me of the words I spoke to my oldest son at his high school graduation party, when we were sharing memories of him and wishing him well. I’ve re-read those words … Continue reading
Posted in Simplicity
Tagged graduation, high school, le petit prince, mensch, mr. rogers, Saint Exuprey. little prince
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What is Essential
Mr. Rogers was a fan of Saint Exupery. He had a quote from The LIttle Prince framed, and it hung over his desk. A reference to essentialism of a different sort. Beside my chair in my office is a framed piece … Continue reading
Bowing to Our Neighbors
When my sons were small they loved watching Mr. Rogers. I can’t say I loved watching Mr. Rogers, though I was thrilled they did because he was so kind and the show was so calm. But when Mr. Rogers died, … Continue reading
Posted in Mindfulness, Simplicity
Tagged community, holy, kindness, love, mr. rogers, neighborliness, sacred
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Violence of Technology
Building on the previous post and how we do violence to ourselves through “well-intentioned” over-commitment, this is a brief consideration of the violent consequences of technological approaches driven solely by expediency and efficiency. When measuring human success, we use terms borrowed from technology, words and … Continue reading
Well-Intentioned Violence
My weeks away from here have been consumed writing a grant due May 30th. This grant money replaces federal money recently cut from our program, so there’s a lot of pressure to succeed. Intense periods periods of work test the … Continue reading
Posted in Mindfulness, Simplicity, Work
Tagged joy, meditation practice, picasso, simplicity, success, thomas merton, valerie spain, work
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#3 Execute: A Feeling of Strength in Reserve
To pursue the disciplined pursuit of less, Greg McKeown says successful people use routine and ritual to focus on the essential. Artists in all disciplines intimately understand the power of routine. In 2006, Twyla Tharp called creativity a habit in her book, The Creative Habit, and … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Mindfulness, Simplicity, Work
Tagged disciplined, disciplined pursuit of less, greg mckeown, less, picasso, simplicity, twyla tharp, valerie spain
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