MSI Press Blog

  Today's meditation from  Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful, and Peaceful Living   by Dr. Frederic Craigie. -13-   Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.   Miles Davis   I am a self-taught fiddle player. I think of myself as “intermediate.” If you know traditional American music and heard me play Whiskey Before Breakfast, you’d probably at least recognize the tune, but you would not steer me in the direction of a recording contract. After many years of trying to find my own way, I decided to take some lessons. Perhaps learning some of the foundational aspects of fiddle playing—how to position and hold the instrument, how to grasp and move the bow—would help me take it to the next level. I knew I didn’t want violin lessons (yes, with some minor modifications: the “violin” and “fiddle” are the same instrument, but the approach to music is worlds apart), and I found a teacher who is a lover of old-time ...

  Today's meditation from  Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful, and Peaceful Living   by Dr. Frederic Craigie. -11-   You get this one life… If you do not have your deepest desires in sight-- and it’s interesting that the word “desire” comes from the Old Latin, meaning “of the stars--” if you do not keep your star in sight, you’re in danger of losing everything that is precious to you, and living out a life that is like a shell.   David Whyte   Remembering who you are is not an idle or academic exercise. You get this one life. Your desires are of the stars. Embracing who you are has a sense of urgency, of eternality. What do you do that is of the stars? What choices do you make that align with the desires, the values, and the passions that are sacred for you? Certainly, visioning is a part of the process. If your life is about compassion, you look for places where you can embody kindness and generosity. If your life is about curiosity...

Excerpt from  100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness  (Charnas) -- Tip #2 (Oh, Say) Every Wednesday I flex my work schedule and arrive at 8:00 a.m. at the Naval Hospital where I’m employed. I should be sitting at my desk by eight o’clock, but more often than not, I’m running a few minutes late, scurrying across the large medical complex toward my office. Each morning the national anthem plays over the loudspeaker at oh-eight hundred. Protocol requires all people outdoors to cease what they’re doing and face the flag. Some of us stand at attention. Others salute. I like to place my hand over my heart. There are always two thoughts running through my mind at this time: “Darn, I’m going to be late again” and “This is so lovely, I should make an effort to do it every morning.” Standing at attention for the few minutes required to listen to the “Star Spangled Banner” serves as a reflective moment. It forces me to be still, pay attention, and remember the purpose of my day....