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Mindful - Week by Week
We live in a world of constant distraction and interruption. Cell phones, emails, texts, podcasts beep, ping, and shout at us all day long. These days my brain drains faster than the battery of my iphone. If only there was a way out of this virtual rabbit hole.
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Good news – there is an escape and it is mindfulness. Paying attention is a skill we can all learn and develop. Week by week, we’ll reflect and practice living in the present moment, listening with the heart, connecting with our deepest intention, building community and cultivating gratitude. Sounds fun to me.
So let's journey together. Meet me here for a bit of inspiration and guidance. Along the way, I'll offer weekly emails to explore insights into mindfulness. Send me a message below or email danmcneil14@gmail.com to sign up.
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Blessings,
Dan
Not Lost: May 4 - 10
Ellen, a wise woman and friend, once told me, "That which we love, we never lose. Love just changes form." This week I said goodbye to...
6 days ago2 min read
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No Nest: April 27 - May 3
Most Fridays, I attend an online meditation group called Living Dharma. Last week while sitting together, I had an image of myself as a...
Apr 262 min read
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Redbud: April 20 - 26
This redbud tree graces my neighborhood in Rehoboth Beach. Right after college, I spent a year as a volunteer in Appalachia. As I drove...
Apr 192 min read
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Falling: April 13 - 19
Earlier last month while reflecting on Sensing, I raised the question "What does freedom feel like in the body?" This inquiry surfaced...
Apr 122 min read
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Smiling: April 6 - 12
We've been delving into the 3S's - sensing, softening, smiling. Let's review.  Sensing  is paying attention to the world through the...
Apr 52 min read
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Softening: March 30 - April 5
I don't like confrontation. I don't like to say "no" to people. I don't like stepping out of my comfort zone. How do I know this? Because...
Mar 292 min read
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Sensing: March 23 - 29
Last week, I introduced the 3 S's as shared by Devin Maroney on my recent silent retreat. Over the next 3 weeks, I'll delve more deeply...
Mar 223 min read
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Spring Cleaning: March 16 - 22
Spring is here! The tree in my front yard went from bare to bursting in pink buds overnight and the crocuses around the corner are in...
Mar 162 min read
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Retreat - Closet: March 9 - 15
Image generated by Adobe Express Jesus said to his followers, "But when you pray, go to your private room , shut yourself in, and so pray...
Mar 92 min read
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Retreat - Refuge: March 2 - 8
Seven Oaks Retreat Center in Madison, Virginia. Last week I reflected on the word retreat as a verb, meaning to withdraw or to run back...
Mar 21 min read
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Retreat - Withdraw: February 23 - March 1
Image generated by Adobe Express. I want to run away, escape to someplace far away. I am afraid and uncertain about the future....
Feb 222 min read
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The Basics - Breathing: February 16 - 22
Solo rowboat by Art Bilodeau. Sometimes nothing works. I sit in the morning, but peace is nowhere to be found. It is hiding behind a dark...
Feb 151 min read
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The Basics - Sitting: February 9 - 15
Image generated by Adobe Express. To sit = To meditate Joseph Goldstein sums it up as Sit and know you are sitting. Anyone who has spent...
Feb 82 min read
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The Basics - Compassion: February 2 - 8
Image generated by WIX AI. I'm going old school this week. Jaden and Taniya, my son and daughter, have always loved music. Back in 2003...
Feb 22 min read
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The Basics - Here and Now: January 26 - February 1
Image generated by Adobe Express. Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment , non-judgmentally. The last two...
Jan 252 min read
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The Basics - Intention: January 19 - 25
Image generated in Adobe Express. Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose , in the present moment, non-judgmentally. Last week, I...
Jan 192 min read
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The Basics - Awareness: January 12 - 18
As we get ready for another year of mindfulness together, let's review the basics. Here's the classic definition of Mindfulness according...
Jan 122 min read
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Fresh Start: January 5 - 11
National Geographic Image. Humans thrive on patterns, routine, and ritual. And yet we can never step in the same river twice. Permanence...
Jan 42 min read
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A Mindful Year in Images
What a year! We've had plenty of opportunities to put our mindfulness skills into practice. Here are the images I shared week after week....
Dec 23, 20241 min read
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Empty: December 22 - 28
Image generated in Adobe Express. Weis, my meditation co-leader at work, reminded us during our last Mindful Monday, how the breath is...
Dec 21, 20242 min read
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Sandhill Crane: December 15 - 21
The Great Migration: Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska My mom just had knee surgery. Please send healing thoughts her way. This week, I'll be...
Dec 15, 20242 min read
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Recalculating: December 8 - 14
How did we get here? I'm feeling disoriented and afraid of where we are heading. I can't listen to the news without my stomach being in...
Dec 8, 20241 min read
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Grief - A Place Beyond Words: December 1 - 7
I scheduled a date to spend time with my dear friend Isabelle this week. She died unexpectedly and peacefully in her sleep before we had...
Nov 30, 20242 min read
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2nd Thanksgiving: November 24 -30
Some people call it Black Friday but I call it 2nd Thanksgiving and it is my favorite holiday of the year. Sure, I love 1st Thanksgiving...
Nov 24, 20242 min read
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Forgetfulness: November 17 - 23
I know a few things deep in my bones. Things like: Even when I feel lonely, I'm never alone. The divine hides behind every stone and...
Nov 17, 20242 min read
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Walk in the Woods: November 10 - 16
This week's election has left me feeling numb and discouraged. Maybe you can relate. In times like these, I dig deeper into my resources....
Nov 9, 20242 min read
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Change the World: November 3 - 9
Over the past month we've progressed through the first four aspects of mindfulness and now have arrived at the fifth: Self-care Present...
Nov 2, 20242 min read
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Heart Connection: October 27 - November 2
The longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart. Thich Nhat Hanh This is the path of mindfulness....
Oct 26, 20242 min read
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Freedom: October 20 - 26
I have my share of defense mechanisms, past hurts, limiting beliefs, shame, guilt, and fear. Some days they get the best of me. When my...
Oct 20, 20242 min read
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Present Moment: October 13 - 19
This week marks the 7th anniversary of my dad's death. Mac, my dad, died after an 8th month bout with lung cancer. His last months were...
Oct 13, 20241 min read
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Self-Care: October 6 - 12
[Click the YouTube link at the end of this post to hear me share the reflection and meditation.] In Rehoboth after a good rain, sizable...
Oct 6, 20243 min read
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Agenda: September 29 - October 5
Why do I meditate each day? Why do I lead Mindful Mondays at work? Why do I continue to send out Mindful Week by Week? What's my agenda?...
Sep 29, 20242 min read
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Being in Nature - Sun: September 22 - 28
I was in Alaska this past week and witnessed the most extraordinary sunscape. My friend, Cat, is new to meditation. She recently texted...
Sep 22, 20241 min read
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Being in Nature - Earth: September 15 - 21
[Click the YouTube link at the end of this post to hear me share the reflection and meditation.] County Mayo, Ireland, September 2023 I...
Sep 15, 20242 min read
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Being in Nature - Water: September 8 - 14
[Click the YouTube link at the end of this post to hear me share the reflection and meditation.] Here are some interesting facts about...
Sep 8, 20242 min read
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Being in Nature - Air: September 1 - 7
[Click the YouTube link at the end of this post to hear me share the reflection and meditation.] Some mornings sitting in stillness feels...
Sep 1, 20241 min read
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Being Human: August 25 - 31
This is me in my best Buddha posture simply being at the beach. When I tell people I'm a meditation teacher, I often get the response,...
Aug 25, 20242 min read
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Baby Blue Bronco: August 18 - 24
Last year my friend bought a baby blue Bronco. It is a beautiful car. Since then, I notice baby blue Broncos everywhere. This is the...
Aug 18, 20242 min read
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Break a Rule: August 11 - 17
I am a rule follower by nature. I'm all about creating habits, scheduling my day, and planning for retirement. But every now and then, I...
Aug 11, 20241 min read
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Beautiful Acts of Defiance: August 4 - 10
Many days when I read the headlines, I want to crawl under a rock. I feel at the mercy of terrible forces beyond my control. In these...
Aug 4, 20242 min read
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Lighthouse: July 28 - August 3
In the face of political turmoil, climate crisis, rampant racism, economic injustice, and wars throughout the world, I become overwhelmed...
Jul 28, 20242 min read
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Here: July 21 -27
I fear in writing about mindfulness week after week, I may have made it seem more mystical, more spiritual, more magical, more...
Jul 21, 20242 min read
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Stillness of the Eternal: July 14 - 20
Awe enables us to sense in small things the beginning of infinite significance, to sense the ultimate in the simple; to feel in the rush...
Jul 14, 20242 min read
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20 Minute Holiday: July 7 - 13
I recently spent two weeks in Crete, soaking in the sun and enjoying the beaches. Many of us work too much, are stressed out, and are...
Jul 7, 20243 min read
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Bridge: June 30 - July 6
It takes effort to write these blogs and sometimes motivation is hard to find. In those moments, I ask myself why I write these blogs in...
Jun 30, 20243 min read
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Life is Hard: June 23 - 29
"Cosmic Lottery" was the theme for last week in which I reflected on the good fortune to be born. This week is the corollary to being...
Jun 23, 20242 min read
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Cosmic Lottery: June 16 - 22
"Did you ever think we are spiritual beings having a human experience?" Kathy Snyder, my sister "To be born is to be chosen. To be...
Jun 16, 20243 min read
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Art Gallery: June 9 - 15
DC has some great museums. Not too long ago, I went on a tour of the National Gallery with my niece and her fiancé. The docent was...
Jun 9, 20242 min read
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No Problems: June 2 - 8
The other morning, I was meditating and watched my mind create one problem after another for no good reason. It was a bit amusing,...
Jun 2, 20243 min read
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Happy Baby: May 26 - June 1
Patrick and I spent a wonderful weekend with our niece's baby. At 8 months old, she is discovering these amazing things called feet. She...
May 26, 20243 min read
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