Maureen's blog

Just yesterday morning I discovered something new. It was a beautiful Zen sanctuary hidden amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A colleague of mine invited me to join a short Zazen (sitting meditation) practice along with a communal lunch. I was out of my element to find myself staring at a wall.

Then the bell rang. A stout yet smiling middle aged man entered.  He, the Zen teacher, sat and began telling this story: 

Cultivating other-centeredness is central to happiness. It is the ability to think of others. Other-centeredness is in stark contrast to self-centeredness. Self-centeredness is when you are only thinking of yourself. Buddhists commonly believe that the more you think of others, the happier you are. In other words, it is skillful to cultivate other-centeredness even if it is for your own personal benefit or happiness.

Self Centeredness = Pain

Were your parents the perfect example of what not to do? Did they use a wooden paddle? Or say, "because I said so" in response to your insatiable curiosity. Were you sent to your room repeatedly? Or told you couldn't do it? Was childhood something to survive versus thrive in? Surely, I met a paddle or two and have evolved beyond that paradigm. So have you. Our imperfect parents were perfect in revealing to us some less than optimum child-rearing methods. And just perhaps they were doing the best they could with the resources they had in those moments (i.e.

The roots of self-confidence are born or broken in childhood. Early experiences shape our sense of self. It is often just little words that wound kids or empower their dreams. So having a heightened awareness as to the enormous power of your words and communication to kids is essential for fostering confidence in children.

Cultivating Confidence