“Without mindfulness, advice like ‘Following Your Bliss’ can devolve into covering over challenging feelings with ‘positive’ ones. We do this when we lack confidence in our ability to encounter our minds and hearts exactly as they are. This constant self-distraction is hard work — we have to diligently manufacture these Read more…
Nicolae Tanase: Susan, what is the meaning of life? Susan Chapman: To me, this question opens our minds to further dimensions of ‘not knowing’ rather than to simple answers. But, like the smile on the face of a wisdom-elder, the process that unfolds from this inquiry can reveal life’s most Read more…
Beneath our Red Light shutdown is the Yellow Light fears we’ve been trying to escape. Beneath the fears is the Green Light of genuine sadness. “The Genuine Heart of Sadness” as it is called in Contemplative Psychology.
The Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education reveals a powerful truth — that the ‘Green Light’ of compassion underlies our more negative responses. As is said in the contemplative traditions, “First thought, best thought.”
In the era where many think armed gunmen can only be pacified by a “good guy with a gun,” there are notable examples where this is done just by staying in the “Green Light” of natural openness and compassion. Compassion doesn’t mean powerlessness. In fact, the opposite is true. The Read more…
“The Five Keys to Mindful Communication” audio book is #1 in nonfiction on Audible.com according to a listing in the UK’s Daily Mail.
Click here to listen The topic is listening as love. To me, this is the magic of mindful communication. Here’s a simple formula for this: Stop – Look – Listen. STOP: The first stage of mindful listening is to work with our speed and distraction. We need to simply stop, let go, Read more…
In her historic speech to the United Nations, 16 year old Malala Yousafzai demonstrates a perfect example of the mindful communication principle of “speaking truth, neither exaggerating nor suppressing.” Her words reveal that true power comes from reflecting our human experience as it actually is. If Malala cried for vengeance or focused Read more…
From Harvard Business Review. Neuroscience supports staying open in communication. “I’m not suggesting that you can’t ever demand results or deliver difficult feedback. But it’s important to do so in a way that is perceived as inclusive and supportive, thereby limiting cortisol production and hopefully stimulating oxytocin instead. Be mindful of Read more…
Susan Chapman’s approach to mindful communication showed up recently on CNN’s website, in an article on Tech Addiction by Amanda Enayati: When someone’s tech addiction causes you stress “….Communication is the essence of human relationships, says Susan Gillis Chapman, author of the book The Five Keys to Mindful Communication. “She Read more…