MSI Press Blog

  What Does It Mean to Be Alive? Not “to survive.” Not “to function.” Not “to keep going.” But to be alive. It’s a question that slips past the medical charts and the calendars. It doesn’t ask how many breaths you’ve taken. It asks whether you’ve felt them. To be alive is not just to exist. It’s to respond. To notice. To choose. It’s the difference between a body and a presence. Between a schedule and a soul. Aliveness is not performance. You don’t have to be busy, productive, or impressive to be alive. You don’t have to be cheerful or strong or “doing great.” You just have to be here. With your senses open. With your heart engaged. With your mind not numbed by habit or fear. Aliveness is not constant. We drift in and out of it. We lose it in the rush. We find it in the quiet. We forget. We remember. Sometimes we feel most alive in grief. Sometimes in laughter. Sometimes in the moment we stop pretending. Aliveness is a practice. It’s in the way you greet ...

  Today's meditation from  Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful, and Peaceful Living   by Dr. Frederic Craigie. -14-   Throughout life, keep asking yourself, “What would I do right now, in this situation, if I were guided by my life purpose? What would I be doing differently at this moment?” The more mindful you are of your life purpose, the greater its impact will be on your life and the lives of those you care about.   Matthew McKay, John Forsyth, Georg Eifert   When I work with groups, I often begin with a mindful walking exercise. I give them Thich Nhat Hanh’s instructions for walking meditation;   Take short steps in complete relaxation; go slowly with a smile on your lips, with your heart open to an experience of peace.    … and invite them to get up from their seats, leave the room, and return to their seats in a spirit of mindful walking. The very first time I began a teaching session with a mindful walking exerci...

  Today's meditation from  Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful, and Peaceful Living   by Dr. Frederic Craigie. -7-   People say that what we’re all seeking is meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive so that our life experiences on a purely physical plane will have resonances within our innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.   Joseph Campbell   You are alive as you live your own life. There are so many forces that draw us to live other people’s lives. We live in a culture that relentlessly champions the external trappings of success. Newer cars are better than older. Bigger houses are better than smaller. Higher salaries are better than lower. Being one of the vice presidents of your company is better than being among the line staff. Being young and sleek is better than being older and heavy. There is nothi...