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The Love of Labour
Why tough work makes me happy …and How to Fix a Wet Basement with Interior Weeping Tile “I don’t like work—no man does—but I like what is in the work—the chance to find yourself. Your own reality—for yourself…what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere show, and never can tell […]
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In Training
What I learned from my dog Though I grew up with a German shepherd, I had never taken care of a dog myself. Among so many priorities in life, a dog would not fit, I thought. Around our house, which is a garden cottage in a shady neighbourhood, security concerns finally ignited the possibility: could […]
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Thoughts from a window cleaner
Or how to boost productivity, enjoy life, and succeed Popular wisdom says embrace the unknown, brave challenges, fear nothing. Easily said and – like rolling a boulder uphill – done. Before window cleaning, my struggles and successes had been spiritual, but accomplishment was etched into my body by the scrubbing, lifting, and sky-scraping work of […]
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A River in the Rainforest: How the Most Beautiful Moments Exist within the Mundane
Any experience can open up into something life-giving and gorgeous. Environments as unlike as day and night cross-pollinate. A stuffy airport queue recalls a river in the rainforest. Don’t fall for the appearances around you. Behind the veil, between the cracks, beneath the surface, there is beauty and wonder. Let go of what you think […]
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Engage!
I was standing over a cliff in New South Wales, Australia, watching the sea pound at the rocks. I suddenly thought of the principle of engagement, like the water that gets into every crevice and relentlessly does its work. There is no need for thoughts, intentions, or beliefs when you simply immerse yourself into a project. The […]
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Work Done
I woke up early for a work session with my dear friend, Tilman. We were replacing the seats in my 1998 Dodge Ram. Strange encounters of the previous day made for an internal renovation more nuanced than removing a pair of seats, and a chill lingered in me. The sky was steely. White light fell […]