Derrick Weston

“In our work with men, we have found that in many men this inability or refusal to feel their deep sadness takes the form of aimless anger.1 The only way to get to the bottom of their anger is to face the ocean of sadness underneath it. Men are not free to cry, so they just transmute their tears into anger, and sometimes it pools up in their soul in the form of real depression. Men are actually encouraged to deny their shadow self in any competitive society, so we all end up with a lot of sad and angry old men. Men are capable of so much more, if they will only do some shadowboxing.”
― Richard Rohr, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

“White America” is a syndicate arrayed to protect its exclusive power to dominate and control our bodies. Sometimes this power is direct (lynching), and sometimes it is insidious (redlining). But however it appears, the power of domination and exclusion is central to the belief in being white, and without it, “white people” would cease to exist for want of reasons.”
― Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me

“It makes sense that so many introverts hide even from themselves. We live with a value system that I call the Extrovert Ideal—the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight. The archetypal extrovert prefers action to contemplation, risk-taking to heed-taking, certainty to doubt. He favors quick decisions, even at the risk of being wrong. She works well in teams and socializes in groups. We like to think that we value individuality, but all too often we admire one type of individual—the kind who’s comfortable “putting himself out there.”
― Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

“Routine activities we normally miss Choose one of the following (or another of your own choosing), and each day for the next week, see if you can remember to pay attention while you are doing it. You do not have to slow it down, or even enjoy it. Simply do what you normally do, but see if you can be fully alive to it as you do so. Brushing your teeth Walking from one room to another at home or work Drinking tea, coffee, juice taking out the garbage Loading the washing machine or dryer Write your own choices here     Try this as an experiment with the same chosen activity each day for this week. See what you notice. The idea is not to make you feel different, but simply to allow a few more moments in the day when you are “awake.” Go at your own pace when doing your chosen routine activity, for example: Brushing your teeth: where is your mind when you are brushing your teeth? Pay careful attention to all the sensations—the toothbrush in relation to the teeth, the flavor of the toothpaste, moisture building up in the mouth, all the movements required to spit, etc. Showering: pay attention to the sensations of the water on your body, the temperature and the pressure. Notice the movements of your hand as you wash and the movements of your body as you turn and bend, etc. If you decide to take some of your showering time to plan or reflect, do so intentionally, with awareness that this is where you have decided to focus your attention. Next week, feel free to continue this experiment with a different activity.”
― Mark Williams, Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World