I had undertaken a project that I was beginning to feel was beyond my personal resources to accomplish. I had asked a friend and colleague if I might organize a workshop in the New England area that he would teach. After many months of collecting information, I was at the point of choosing and committing to a conference center. Next would come the advertising, invitations, mailings, registrations, etc. It happened many years ago in the early stages of my new career, and I was beginning to feel t

How can we turn daily conflicts into life teachers? Just by asking the question, we begin to transform conflict moments into ki moments and attacks into energy we can use to build the kinds of home, work, and community environments we want to live in.

The Holidays are filled with key moments — and Ki Moments. Are you ready for them? Gift decisions, company parties, Holiday dinners with friends and family — they’re loaded with opportunities, aren’t they? Will the pressure of the moment help you reach peak performance or will you look back later wondering why you did what you did — again!

I am a martial artist and black belt in aikido, a practice that continues to teach me about life, both on and off the mat. For example, at the end of each aikido practice, I express gratitude to my partners by bowing and saying: “Thank you very much.” I’ve found over the years that sometimes I have obvious reasons to say thank you – working with that person was exhilarating and fun. However, sometimes the reasons are not so obvious – my partner was stiff, rough, unconscious, or generally difficult to work with.

How are you inventing your life today? How does the way you think affect your actions? And how might you become more aware of the process?

Mimi and I had gone on an aunt-niece shopping adventure, and at age 15, I became the proud owner of my first mini-skirt. Upon seeing it, my dad hit the roof, and as usual, I was angry, scared, and tongue-tied. Years of admonitions to not “talk back,” had my voice stopped in my throat.

When attack becomes dance, everything is seen as a gift of energy.

Ever make a conflict mistake? No, I’m sure you haven’t. Neither have I. Healing a conflict mistake is possible with patience and positive intention.

The more I practice centering, the more I realize that as important as it is to be able to identify and access the centered state, it is equally important to be able to know when I’m NOT centered. Otherwise, how do I choose?

What is center? How do you choose to be centered, and why? In what ways can you develop a strong center?