The trace we leave behind

Whenever we say something, whenever we meet somebody, whenever we go somewhere, we leave a trace in the sense that after our encounter we have changed something. That change may be obvious and lasting, for example when a person that we talked to has an aha-moment. But...

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Is your traffic light always orange?

This is what my daughter Julia asked me when we were preparing to run an ultra-marathon. I did not understand her question, and she explained that one can train at three levels: red, orange, and green. Training at the red level involves going all out, it is a...

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Be open to serendipitous encounters

On a bike ride in Evergreen, Colorado, I encountered the elk shown in the picture next to the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi. This was an amazing encounter because Saint Francis is the patron of animals. I wanted to take a photo of this scene. Since I am clumsy...

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Running your life

This is not a post about running as a physical activity, running is a metaphor for the way in which our life unfolds. We can run the course of our life in different ways, we can run from something, we can run in circles, or we can run to something. These are different...

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Going against the grain

Stacking firewood by placing logs on their side allows logs to dry because the water does not infiltrate along cut ends. The image shows the woodpile of one of my neighbors. Since I love stacking and splitting firewood, I was intrigued by her woodpile and asked why...

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Just be kind

I was a junior professor, stressed and working myself to exhaustion yet still feeling inadequate both at work and at home. So, when three students from my introductory programming course came to my office at the end of the semester with concerns about their grades, I...

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No autopilot!

This is what Eve Mozur, one of the teachers in the Teaching with Heart program, wrote in her intention for how she wants to show up in the classroom. Do you recognize the experience that you drive somewhere, and after you arrive at your destination you realize that...

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Embodying Grace

The word grace refers to elegance that seems effortless, as in the image of the swan. Grace also points to a gift or talent that was not requested; she was graced with a kind heart. We normally don’t talk much about grace, but let’s ask the question how does grace...

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We need Trust to be in the Flow

On top of a mountain, I witnessed a beautiful sight of clouds cascading down a ridge. The movement of the clouds was smooth and natural, it was driven by an invisible wind. The picture captures flow at its best; it comes naturally, it is harmonious, and it expresses...

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Yes = No

This equation may look like nonsense, perhaps it reminds you of a Zen Koan. Yet there is a truth contained in this riddle that is important for those who are so busy that they wish there was a 25th hour in the day. How is the time-pressure that many of us face related...

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Roel Snieder

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