Literature Link for Jan 23, 2022- Can People Change?

• “How to Manage Uncertainty Through Life Transitions” by Rina Deshpande. “What is it about transitions that are so hard to deal with? In the case of major life events, we often anticipate the change that’s coming — the big move to a new city, the loss of a relationship, the ending or beginning of school or of career. . . Thankfully, there are simple ways to practice honoring and navigating natural fear response of avoidance.” Approximately a 2 page essay. https://www.sonima.com/meditation/life-transitions/

• One of my favorite Mary Oliver poems, “A Summer Day”. What will I do with my “one wild and precious life?” A beautiful recording, Mary Oliver reads “A Summer Day.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16CL6bKVbJQ

For text and commentary: https://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/2015/6/29/the-summer-day

• How to Be Human — The Manual by comedienne Ruby Wax. “A three way encounter between a Monk, a neuroscientist and Ruby Wax sounds like the set up for a joke. Instead it’s produced one of the most fascinating, intriguing and informative books about minds and bodies and brains and mindfulness I’ve ever encountered. A triangulation on what it means to be human. Utterly readable and surprisingly wise.” from author Neil Gaiman. From the reviews on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Human-Ruby-Wax/dp/024129472X

• “The Black Dot” -anonymous. “ One day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor walked around the class and handed the question papers with the text facing downwards.” A very short story about our tendency to focus on our problems. https://alltimeshortstories.com/inspirational-the-black-dot/

In faith,

Dale Dunnigan