Kind Mind

Support this podcast via patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kindmind Living more in the now is like working on a million piece jigsaw puzzle. The attitude is present-forward. There is some vision or mission and a gradual building towards it materially and spiritually. But it’s not a race and you can only bring two pieces together at a time in the moment. If they don’t fit, you accept. If they all fi...

They say patience is a virtue, but it is impatience that society seems to nurture. Technological developments have greatly reduced the times of travel, communication and the fulfillment of desires - reinforcing our expectations for quick results. However, the pandemic crisis has forced most people to slow down and wait for the storm to pass. If ever there was a time when we needed more patience, i...

You can become a patron of this podcast on Patreon and access bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/kindmind "Dialogue" is a Greek word. "Di" implies two and "logos" translates as meaning. So much communication around difficult topics quickly deteriorates into debate, argument and judging - especially on social media. Even the word seeming benign word "discussion" means to strike apart, similar t...

Please consider directly supporting this podcast by becoming a patron and receiving exclusive bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/kindmind Please also subscribe to the new youtube channel for Michael Todd Fink: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbMY1FFV6x7ooIpWApY0YBQ This episode considers the role of synchronicity, or meaningful coincidences, in finding our way in the world and how they can...

 One of the most important ways we can improve mindfulness in our everyday life is through acceptance. Acceptance is part of the practice of open awareness in the present moment.  It means allowing experiences to come and allowing them to go – both pleasant and unpleasant. It also involves assenting to the reality of a situation and letting go of what cannot be controlled or changed. Mus...

A look at the bright side of aloneness. Music “Imagine, If You Will” by Bing Satellites. Episode artwork by Dove Dahlia can be seen at https://www.michaeltoddfink.com

Courage and fear are not really opposing emotions. Fear is more of an involuntary response like inflammation or fever. Courage is a principle or virtue that guides a person towards right action and overcoming fear in order to live whole-heartedly. Hence, the root word of courage is cor which means heart. Music “Deju Ju All Over Again” by Bing Satellites. Episode artwork by Dove Dahlia. More at htt...

Money can be funny and studies reveal the subtle isolating effect that even the image of it can have on human behavior. In Daniel Kahneman's monumental book "Thinking Fast and Slow," he highlights the disconcerting results from different priming experiments. For example, when subjects could see monopoly money in the background or stacks of cash on a computer screen-saver, they took twice as long t...

This is a very serious public health situation and for countless people it is also an intense psychological test. My heart goes out to all who are sick or love someone who got sick or died and all who are very anxious in this uncertain time. Just as this outbreak started in one region and has since spread exponentially, so too fear and panic can go viral. When then sun is clouded over in the sky,...

Light is the symbol of knowledge and illumination. This episode gives some analogies for protecting the inner light. https://www.michaeltoddfink.com (Music “Somewhere in the light II” by Bing Satellites and episode artwork by Dove Dahlia)

Studies suggest that, on average, we have 3 times more positive experiences each day than negative ones. Because of our evolutionary tendency to give more weight to the negative and because of the hedonic treadmill (pleasant experiences lose their mood enhancing power once habituated), this may not seem like the case. But there is more to it. We have learned that sympathy and empathy are mostly re...

62% of Americans report that they could use more forgiveness in their life. New research is helping our understanding of the link between forgiveness and physical health. A study published in the journal "Psychology and Health" in 2009 found that random cardiac patients with coronary heart disease who underwent forgiveness training were able to improve blood flow to the heart. They were at less ri...

We are surrounded by a cult of busyness, and Americans today leave a collective 650 million unused vacation days on the table annually with an overall economic impact of approximately $236 billion. From childhood, the pressure to compete, achieve, succeed and stay productive is now so strong. Combine that with the fear of missing out and how can people, especially young people, justify just sittin...

Psychologically speaking, maturity basically means the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner. Sounds simple. But, how does one respond in an appropriate manner to a political, societal or any other environment when it seems so dark, chaotic or dysfunctional? To answer, let us come back to the word maturity and trace its roots in search of deeper meaning. The etymology of s...

Addiction is a major health crisis in America, and everybody knows somebody struggling with drugs or alcohol. 23 million Americans suffer from a substance use disorder yet only 11% receive treatment. 75% of women and men in treatment for addiction report histories of abuse and trauma. This episode explores how addiction fits into the model of disease and its cultural and spiritual implications alo...

There is a studied link between mindfulness and pro-environmental behaviors, but that is not the point here. Mindfulness is the art of directing awareness with openness, curiosity and flexibility. One is guided in this practice to be present with what is by paying attention to different aspects of experience, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and responding wisely. The point, according to most conte...

While other types of art decorate space, music decorates time. For sound to become music, it must flow across time just as water becomes a river when it is flowing. Similarly, for life to be alive, it must flow. Life unfolds across time to reveal a lifetime. In quantum physics, the current model of the universe is string theory which purports that tiny strings are the foundation of all manifested...

Motivation is that missing shield of willingness. It could easily defend against the enemy of procrastination and its mysterious force that delays the completing of tasks that need to be accomplished by a certain deadline. And I'm glad it's called "deadline" instead of "lifeline" because that's what it is in many cases - a dead line. Artificially drawn with no real life. No life means lacking love...

Travel to new places, especially abroad, changes you forever and can reshape the mind in many positive ways. To immerse oneself in a new culture is like turning back the clock and recapturing the child-like magic of wonder where, once again, everything feels like the first time. Words and images along with sensations and experiences can be totally fresh. This can lead to spontaneous mindfulness as...

People often tell each other "you got to love yourself first." We almost shame each other with this directive, especially when it comes to finding love in relationships. And if we don't love our life, there is not a switch to flip to feel self-love. So, it is not the starting point. Self-compassion is. Recorded live at SpeakEasy Spiritual Community. https://www.michaeltoddfink.com

Rivers are worshiped in many spiritual traditions as living deities often goddesses. Many sacred tales from around the world take place along their banks. The river also represents the flow of our life as directed by our values. More at https://www.michaeltoddfink.com

Is anxiety really on the rise, as it appears and does modern society actually breed it? Or is it possible that when you remove the outer clear and present dangers of the past, we are left with our ancestors' internal legacy of fear? This points to two distinct possibilities for the chapter after this age of anxiety: a golden window of safety begins to close as scientifically predicted doom becomes...

Just some thoughts on purpose and connecting to the present moment. Conscious breathing can be an anchor. It is such a simple, enjoyable and timeless tool for remembering to be here now. From a talk at Indian Creek Zen Farm. https://www.michaeltoddfink.com

Even with all the comfort that advances in technology have bestowed, it does not seem that people, in general, have time to relax and fully connect. Communication breakthroughs have been achieved with a double-edged sword. With so much of our lives uploaded to the internet and our brains downloaded to the external hard drives of smart phones, the demands and work and hustle and distractions never...

We have transitioned to a new year. It is a symbol of letting go of the old and embracing the new. Traditionally, it is a time to live our better intentions and establish healthier routines. On a larger scale, we are now in the process of transitioning to a new decade. What have we learned about ourselves? What do we envision not only this year but in the upcoming decade? It is an opportunity to p...