There are so many subtle and not-subtle ways to disrespect other people. When I do it, I can feel the boomerang effect of disrespect. It creates a field. I feel like we’re seeing that play out in Minnesota, in Washington, in the world. It’s a terrible thing.

There’s only one way I know to be truly respectful: see everyone, including myself, as worthy of my patience, generosity, and love. Listen. Care. When I practice those qualities, I feel positive reverberations. And who knows how far out they flow?

And yes, there are people I want to leave out of that flow. I want to, but I feel like it would be better not to. I feel like it would be better to find a way to see them as worthy, too, all evidence to the contrary. Because what if no one has ever done that - seen them as worthy? What kind of pain are they carrying? And isn’t that what they’re sharing, and what we’re seeing play out? Which is also a terrible thing.

Honestly, I feel like we have some real power, still, as lawyers and judges and law students and law professors. The power to stand our ground, protect our democracy, stand up for the rule of law. So the question on my mind is, will we use that power? And the other question is, how?

I have enough. Sometimes I have to remind myself, but it is a fact. It’s not in question. There’s no world – at least in this moment – where my family goes hungry or sleeps on the street. How about you and yours?

There is enough, for everyone, if only we can be generous and compassionate. I feel like that’s also a fact. But sometimes it’s hard for me to remember when so many aren’t getting their share, or any share, right now. How can we remember there is enough, and help make that a reality?

And I am enough. Whatever I have to give, however much love I have to offer right now, is enough. It has to be, because it’s what I’ve got. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have more, or less, and that, too, will have to be enough. How do we remember that we are enough?

♥️♥️

I’m looking around. And it looks to me like there’s just so much harm. Not only our government, but also the ways it’s easy to mimic what’s happening on the national level, even when we don’t mean to: forgetting how much harm we can cause by not offering kindness to everyone (or by forgetting what “everyone” means).

What about looking for ways to not cause harm? And every time we see them, not only not causing harm, but doing something kind? Including for ourselves: what about looking for ways to do kind things for ourselves (which for me, anyway, feels easier when I’m not harming others)?

Because if not now, when? ♥️♥️

Happy New Year. I wasn’t sad to say goodbye to 2025, but I’d say 2026 isn’t starting off with any fewer challenges.

Challenges or no challenges, though, we can set our personal tone. How about 2026 for a tone of kindness? What if we commit to talk, write, and post, one-on-one or to our ten million followers (or 460, in my case), without causing harm, or lying, or being unkind?

I don’t know what if – what happens if we do that. But let’s try it. It won’t be too hard because probably most of us are being kind already. For those who are, and also for those who aren’t, may you be safe in 2026. May 2026 be a year of kindness and safety and ease for all.

Hopefully there will be small moments of peace as we enter the winter solstice in the global north, at the end of a challenging year. It will be dark…but there’s darkness everywhere. And there’s also light.

Which is the invitation of mindfulness: to be that light. The question is, how? How to be the light, for others and for ourselves?

In the stillness of the solstice - in the silence of the heart - we have the answer. Trust yours. Take things gently as the skies darken, or lighten. Be kind, including (especially) to yourself, whenever possible. Remember, the Dalai Lama says that’s always possible.

I wish you ease and wellbeing as we close 2025 and step into 2026. I’ll be off until January 8th, so see you then. Stay safe out there. Love you all.

Here we are in the heart of the holidays, and there’s also so much else going on. For me it’s crucial not to rely on finding moments of calm, but instead to remember to create them.

We all probably do that when we can by settling into the couch with a good cup of whatever. Which is beautiful. But what about also cultivating a state of mind that’s not couch-dependent?

One way to do that is with a little concentration. Not the focused, bearing-down type that we use at work, but concentration as in relaxation: just breathing, gently, with ease and with love.

With that kind of concentration, stress evaporates, at least for the moment. There’s just presence, stillness, and rest. There’s nothing sweeter than a nice comfy couch but when one just isn’t available – like when we’re in a courtroom or Zoom room or train – the breath and gentleness and ease and love always are.

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If mindfulness begins with training our attention, what’s the recipe for its other components, courage and grace?

For me, it begins with stillness. I get quiet and sometimes lovingkindness shows up. But sometimes what appears is a parade of horribles: anger, jealousy, greed, and their buddies. And all I can do is cringe.

When that happens and I can stay put, it’s because of courage: that moment of feeling cringy, knowing I’m feeling cringy, and looking anyway. And staying with whatever the cringy thing is (anger, fear, sorrow) – dying to it, as Pema Chodron instructs. And in doing that, reinforcing and strengthening courage. And over time and with practice, porting that courage into the larger, tumultuous moment.

That’s courage, and then there’s the attitude I’m trying to do all of that with, which is grace. Which is maybe just another name for love. Which means here’s my recipe, for right now: sit, look, cringe, keep looking anyway, love, repeat.

It’s almost Thanksgiving in the U.S. so we’re supposed to be practicing gratitude. want to be doing that all the time, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Do you know what I mean?

The world is just in a difficult place, and the trickle-down effect is pretty powerful. But even so, what if we take this one week, and turn it into a practice?

And what if the practice was asking the question, over and over, all day long, what can I be grateful for in this person, right now? And in this person, and this one? And what if we forbade ourselves from answering, “nothing.” What would we find? What could we shift?

I’m going to try it and see. Will you join me?

I’ll be off next Thursday for the holiday. See you on December 4th. Wishing you a safe and joyful Thanksgiving. 🦃🦃