Uplifted is a podcast a blog and a journey, from stories of adversity to new insights for a better life. Think of it as mindfulness taken off the mat and put into practice. Each short episode begins with a story of a personal challenge that, through awareness, leads to new insights and calmer, more positive ways of responding. So, when people or situations provoke us, we can react less reflexively and more thoughtfully. Elements of meditation, lessons from wisdom leaders, music, interviews, and readings are all part of the mix.
Molly Luther is the composer and the golden-haired girl. You can learn more about her and listen to the Variants for Orchestra at www.mollyluther.comThe Yale Oral History of American Music archive is an important repository of interviews with musicians and their descendants, friends and others who knew them. Included in the collection is an interview that Meg did about Molly with music journalist and educator Tim Page. At the end of the episode Meg recommends the podcast Fishko Files, by WNYC host and Producer Sara Fishko@FishkoFiles
CDC data on the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer and the number of deaths from breast cancer is here. Mammogram technology has improved significantly, with the introduction fo 3D technology. You can learn more here. Tig Notaro is a comedian and a survivor of bilateral, invasive breast cancer. She incorporates her cancer experience into her comedy act. She talks about the experience here. I recommend the podcast Seizing Freedom, from Virginia Public Media at the end of the podcast.
You'll hear a recounting of the beloved children's fable The Tortoise and the Hare.Although Aesop's Fables were written for children - their life lessons are ageless and timeless.Laura Joyce Davis, @laurajoycedavis is the host of the podcast Shelter In Place - about coming together in a world that pulls us apart. Take a listen - the writing and voice are both beautiful.
Neuroscientist Dr. Dean Burnett writes about our brain's fear response to the idea of change. He is the author of the Idiot Brain and the Happy Brain.Motivational speaker Tim Ferriss, talks about the importance of fear-setting rather than goal-setting in this Ted Talk.Therapy and Psychoanalysis can be useful tools for working through the pros and cons of life changes we are considering.Ingmar Bergman's film Cries and Whispers features loudly ticking clocks that were inspirational in the making of this episode. @garwboy@tferriss
Sometimes people come together in unexpected and helpful ways. Meg set out on a walk one early morning and found meaningful connections with a police officer and an elderly homeless man.
Tara Brach https://www.tarabrach.com/Radical Compassion https://www.tarabrach.com/radical-compassion/
John Muir bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_MuirJohn Muir Quotes, The Sierra Club: https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/favorite_quotations.aspxPictures of England: https://www.picturesofengland.com/Countryside
Bad dreams can pack a powerful punch. They often bring us back to places and situations that caused us stress or unhappiness. But our dreams can also deliver messages that we need to heed. Messages that offer us a way out to something better.
Living and working in a crowded, noisy city can grate on the nerves. But for Uplifted host Meg Lindholm, the noise that bothered her most was her father's repetitive tirades. She felt powerless to prevent them until she brought the image of a TV set to mind. And voila - the chain of negativity was broken.
How can meditation help us transform the worries that spin in our minds into images of beauty?How do we transform our worries into more peaceful abiding?How do spiders build their webs?What are sundogs?
Trying to understand certain experiences in the abstract, like therapy, doesn't really work. Sometimes it takes falling into the same pit of failure repeatedly to open up the door. And when I did new insights emerged that changed my life.
Many people have thought and written about what humans can learn from treesHere are some links:https://blog.tentree.com/10-life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-trees/https://www.outofstress.com/12-life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-trees/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativity-without-borders/202002/what-we-can-learn-trees
Meditation is a practice that helps us sit quietly with what is. Sometimes that means connecting with the pain and suffering of this world. We needn't recoil from tragedy. We can rather offer thoughts of hope and care to those at the center of tragedy. This practice is called Tonglen meditation. Tonglen is also known as exchanging self with other. You can hear Tibetan Master Pema Chodron talk about Tonglen here.
Anger can seem justified. We want our children to do better. But our reasoning can obscure the negative and harmful effects of our critical words. Here are some ways to manage anger.
Sometimes it's hard to be present in the here and now. Yet Mother Nature sometimes helps awaken the mind and the spirit. A gentle rainshower can be all it takes. And sometimes this message from nature feels like a form of divine intervention
This episode talks about how we can practice letting go with social media. We can let the number of likes we get on our social media posts define how we feel about ourselves. Or we can let go of our expectations and post what we want (maintaining respect for others in the process). Like drawing pictures in the sand that the waves wash away we can let our social media posts go and create new ones. We can learn from the example of Pablo Picasso.
You know when the mind races from one thought to the next making it hard to focus? Meditation can help. Pssst - it's ok to have thoughts while meditating.
When I got angry as a little girl my father never listened to why I was so upset. He always expected me to claim guilt and apologize. Recently, amidst so many polarized attitudes, I have come to savor the value of saying those three all-important words: I hear you.
I tell a story about how my childhood shyness limited me in making friends. Once I began reaching out more to others I became a happier person. This story sums up the theme of the podcast - becoming mindful or aware of the ways our thoughts, habits and fears limit us. https://www.facebook.com/upliftedpodcast
Life can overwhelm us with external pressures and internal fears, doubts and self-defeating habits.Uplifted is a podcast and a journey through stories of adversity, towards new insights for a better life.I’m Meg Luther Lindholm and I invite you to join me. We’ll take it one step at a time.
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