Thirty Thousand Days - Fall 2013 Vol 18 No. 1 | Page 2

How Are You? A t the end of my mother’s life, when she was quite sick, an old friend came to see her. When he asked how she was feeling, she said, “I’m fine.” I later asked her why she said that, and she replied, “What else should I say?” When you ask accomplished teachers how they are, they always say, “Good, good, very good” – always good. Many people say that they feel dishonest saying they are good when in fact they have problems. But what we are talking about here is developing a fundamental sense of strength and well-being. Wouldn’t it be better to associate our mind with that rather than with all the fleeting emotions and physical sensations we experience throughout the day? What is the point of being honest about something so fleeting and impossible to pin down? If your well-being is so dependent upon your emotions and physical sensations, you will have little opportunity to say, “I am well.” So when people ask how you are, say, “Good!” -Dzigar Kongtrul (from Light Comes Through) Contents The Three Thing I Learned While My Plane Crashed. . . . . . Cover Ric Elias My Religion is Love: Interview with Viv Monahan. . . . . . . . . . 3 Linda Anderson Krech Opinionated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Gregg Krech Six Simple Tips to Be More Mindful in Everyday Life. . . . . . . . 6 Elana Miller, M.D. How You Can Make Your Brain Smarter Every Day . . . . . . . . . . 8 Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. Make the Best of the Situation????????????????????????????????????????????10 Gregg Krech Taking Interest in the World????????????????????????????????????????????????14 Jo Coudert Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Seven Types of Ordinary Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Michael Leunig 2 • Fall 2013 Thirty Thousand Days is a publication of the ToDo Institute Editor Editorial Team   Editorial Board Gregg Krech Romola Georgia Judith Harris Perri Ardman Victoria Register-Freeman Design/LayoutAmanda Coyle Thanks to Elana Miller, Michael Merzenich, Ric Elias, TED Talks, Jo Coudert, Michael Leunig, Dzigar Kongtrul, Mark Nepo, Linda Anderson Krech, Viv Monahan, Pema Chodron, Brenda Ueland, and our great printer, Leahy Press. Cover photo by Juan Diego Godoy Robles http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdiego_gr/ Photography by snap713 / Flickr User (p 5); Trey Ratcliff (p 6); Ekke / Flickr User (p 6, lower right); sgrace / Flickr User (p 7, top left); Ame Otoko (p 7, middle left); anandham / Flickr User (p 7, bottom left); Sean Dreilinger (p7, right); PlasticineMonkey / Flickr User (p 9); Crikette Guilimaux (p 11); Philippe Teuwen (p 12); Ken Kozak (p 15, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, by Hokusai); Michael Leunig (back cover) The ToDo Institute is a non-profit educational organization. Thirty Thousand Days is published four times during the year: Publication Schedule Fall 2013..................................... November New Years Edition............................ January Winter 2014................................... February Spring 2014................................. April/May 2013 2014 2014 2014 Subscriptions are $15 per year ($22 outside the U.S.) or free with a basic membership ($30) to the ToDo Institute. To subscribe or become a member, send your check to: ToDo Institute PO Box 50, Monkton, Vermont 05469 Tel: [phone] Email: [email protected] www.todoinstitute.org www. ?????????????????)=????=?? ???)%??????????????????????????Q??????Q??????????)???????????????????????????e???????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????e??????????????????????)??????]??e??????Y????????]????????????????????????????????????????????]????????????)???????????????????????????????????9??e???e?)????????????????????]??????????????????????(????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????e???????????????)???? ?????e??????????????????????????????????)???????????????M????????????????????)Q??????Q??????????)]????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????%?????e??????)????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)??????????????????Q????????()Q??????Q??????????((0