a daily blog on well-being and how to feel better by Mark Barger Elliott…

“For God is seldom in our plans,” observes Mark Nepo, “but always in the unexpected.” His point is when we find ourselves surprised by a sudden turn of events something important can be unfolding. Nepo writes: “It seems that any moment of interest or pain or adversity can surprise us into the larger totality of…

This morning I read how advice one of the first Chinese wisdom teachers gave to those who came to see him was, “Not Two!” As questions arise in our lives, sometimes the answer is simply, focus on one, not two. —— If you know someone who might like to receive a daily email of On…

I came across this insightful parable about how to cope with pain yesterday in a book by Mark Nepo. An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning, sent him for some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt…

I don’t usually touch nature. I gaze at it. I appreciate its colors. But on a walk a few days ago I came across rows of tall plants with 5-inch cones on the top. There’s a picture of one at on-emotions.com. Usually, I would have walked right past these plants, but lately I’ve been opening…

Paul M. Sutter, a theoretical cosmologist, had an amazing article recently where he made these observations. —— If you know someone who might like to receive a daily email of On Emotions CLICK HERE. To download or share a free copy of my new book How to Feel (a little better): 50 Ideas for 2024…

I watched the sun set over a lake in Massachusetts last night and noticed different shades or orange that appeared on the water and in the sky. Then it occurred to me that I had never thought to give names to the colors of a sunset. Yes, I would absorb the beauty, but not the…