14 Comments

Beautiful ... thank you! 🙏🏽

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Thanks Jeanne. I’m happy you enjoyed it 😊💙

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Very resonating. Thank you.

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Thanks for reading and commenting, Isabel. I’m glad it resonated for you 😊💙

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Thank you, Amanda. I have read two of Chodron's books but not this one. I will look for it! I definitely felt the same way reading her; she never misleads anyone into thinking they can overcome the crappy stuff (using that kind of language!) but helps you to find balance and strength. I was really taken by a line in The Wisdom of No Escape where she interprets the Tao line, "The Tao that can be spoken is not the ultimate Tao," as "The truth you believe in and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new." I'd never interpreted it that way! Thanks to Chodron. And thank YOU, Amanda!

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Ooh I’ve not read that one. I shall seek it out. I’ve read this one and When Things Fall Apart. Both wise and funny and life changing. I’m so grateful for books and the internet and to be able to learn from so many great people.

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I think Substack random reading gives us bits and flashes of peoples lives; for instance, I think that you do housesitting but know little else, and I am curious about that. Do you have an essay where you write about that in more depth?

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I am currently housesitting, yes. Have been for most of the last 18 months. And for 10 years we’ve been doing some kind of work for accommodation gig, some of which lasted years. I’ve not written specifically about it but last year I had a particularly bad experience in Canada and wrote about that! https://themindfulwriter.substack.com/p/can-you-be-mindfully-angry

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Thanks, Amanda. I'll check this out!

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Just read it. That's tough, glad it's in the past. I had an unexpected and explosive experience with a landlady once who was obviously off balance and started accusing me of things that didn't even make sense. Ugh, we had to get out of there fast. My wife and I still shake our heads whenever we drive by the house.

I wish you were in Massachusetts. We lost our winter tenant and can't find another with only about 3 months left (we have a Cape Cod house that we rent out in summers on airbnb).

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It wasn’t fun but it taught me and my husband some more lessons, which is always good. Sorry you lost your tenant. We’re a long way from Massachusetts - currently in the Scottish Highlands! Have been here a month and are here until mid April. It’s a really great housesit - phew! Lovely homeowners who are a pleasure to deal with. Great spot by mountains, lochs, the sea, and gorgeous critters to hang out with 😊

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It sounds amazing. I have never been to Scotland. I have a Scottish brother-in-law. Love his pronunciation of "garage" lol! Went to England once but it was a long time ago. My strongest visual is of green fields. And some cathedral in York.

Amanda, I really appreciated your Note where you said my newsletter was fast becoming a favorite. From someone whose writing I and many others really admire, that is a huge compliment, and is the best kind of word-of-mouth advertising, too! On that subject, I wonder if you would consider recommending Shy Guy Meets the Buddha on your blog? I don't know if you do that (I do, and you are one of my recommendations) and if you don't, I completely understand. Worth asking, right?

Thanks for your support and for being you! 🩷

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