Look Inside

Check out the Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human from Dr. Gabor Mate!

Why A Self Study Guide? Why Now?

New education and coaching for wellness.

2018 In Hindsight

My personal reflections on writing as a tool for wisdom and wellness.

Know Thyself, Part III: Challenge

Part III of the Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human Self Study Guide: Challenge

Know Thyself, Part II: Self Awareness

“If you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.” ----Daniel Goleman Self Awareness is Part II of Landscapes for Learning's Classic Wisdom for the ModernContinue reading "Know Thyself, Part II: Self Awareness"

Know Thyself, Part I: Study Your Attention

Attention “Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.” --Jose Ortega y Gasset  The Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human Self Study Guide is about disconnecting from the competing stimuli in your outer world to reconnect to your inner world. It’s about the fear of missing “in” ratherContinue reading "Know Thyself, Part I: Study Your Attention"

Adventures in Learning Familiar & Foreign

I have heard Joe Rogan interview Jordan Peterson many times, so often that I was reluctant to listen to them talk again.  As I plugged in my headphones and headed out the door on my usual morning walk with my fantastic dog, Finn, I asked myself, what else can I possibly learn from these guys?Continue reading "Adventures in Learning Familiar & Foreign"

Everybody Wants More Wisdom & Wellness

Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human  Self Study Guide Coming Soon! I believe so strongly that dedicating more time and energy to understanding oneself is the foundation for balance and wellness in this day and age of speed and data overwhelm that I left the security of my career as a high school teacher toContinue reading "Everybody Wants More Wisdom & Wellness"

Learning on the Inner Landscape

Study yourself for wisdom and wellness!

Self Study: The Beginning of All Wisdom

“Knowing oneself is the beginning of all wisdom”---Aristotle As knowing thyself is the classic, foundational wisdom to all other kinds of growth, learning, achievement, and success, the Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human Self Study Guide is the platform upon which you can build, adding other advice, self-help programs, formal education, workplace training and moreContinue reading "Self Study: The Beginning of All Wisdom"

An Examined Life

“An unexamined life is not worth living”-- Socrates Landscapes for Learning's Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human Self-Study Guide is designed to inspire and motivate individuals of all ages to live an “examined” life and give people simple, pragmatic tools for everyday use to begin their journey to know themselves better than anyone else ever could.Continue reading "An Examined Life"

“Know Thyself” Sure, but HOW?

"Landscapes for Learning's Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human Self Study Guide is a set of simple directions, tools, and practices to show you how to live by the classic maxim, “know thyself” for modern teens and adults. It was created for people to actively integrate the process of knowing themselves into their daily lives, andContinue reading "“Know Thyself” Sure, but HOW?"

CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE

HOW TO BE A GOOD HUMAN Your MIND is a POWERFUL weapon. LEARN to be a warrior and wield it INTENTIONALLY (MIND-fully).     Excerpted from the brief video clip of Robert Greene (above)... Your attitude colors what you see. A negative attitude keeps you CLOSED and inflexible. Give up your sense of security thatContinue reading "CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE"

Know Thyself: Simple, Not Easy

"There are three things extremely hard, Steel, a Diamond, and to know one's self." --- Benjamin FranklinThe Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human Self-Study Guide itself is simple, but knowing who you are is not easy. The five parts of the Self Study Guide contain simple directions to send you on your way, but youContinue reading "Know Thyself: Simple, Not Easy"

Classic Wisdom for Modern Humans: A WORK IN PROGRESS

The soon-to-be-completed Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human Self Study Guide contains the why and how to “know thyself” for wellness. It is a collection of tools and practices for you to know yourself better so you can express your uniqueness for a lifetime of wellness and wellbeing. The ancient  dictum, “know thyself” from the OracleContinue reading "Classic Wisdom for Modern Humans: A WORK IN PROGRESS"

Problems, Purpose, & Shitty First Drafts

"The meaning and design of a problem seem not to lie in its solution, but in our working at it incessantly. This alone preserves us from stultification and petrifaction." -- C.G. Jung Problems define us. Rather than ignoring them, pretending they don’t exist, or that they are someone else’s responsibility to solve, facing problems andContinue reading "Problems, Purpose, & Shitty First Drafts"

A Life Of Quiet Desperation? Just Say No.

For those of you who just don't feel as good as you know you could. For those of you who feel like you are spending and awful lot of time and energy maintaining the "story of you" or are busily decorating your comfort zone to make it a perfect "suffering-free safe space" yet still feelContinue reading "A Life Of Quiet Desperation? Just Say No."

Self-Study for Wisdom & Wellness

The answers aren't outside ourselves. Travel the inner landscape to find out how the mind works and you'll find out who you are and who you can be if you control your thoughts. "Build the image in your mind of what you want. Be specific. Write it down. Reject negative thoughts. Think of how youContinue reading "Self-Study for Wisdom & Wellness"

What You Won’t Learn at School

Engage in Self-Study to Prepare to Thrive in the Future “What’s good for everybody is to get to know yourself better because we are now entering the era where we are hackable animals…and there are corporations and governments that are trying to hack you whether you are a student or a billionaire…If you don’t get to knowContinue reading "What You Won’t Learn at School"

Yuval Harari on the Value of Self-Study

“What’s good for everybody is to get to know yourself better because we are now entering the era where we are hackable animals…and there are corporations and governments that are trying to hack you whether you are a student or a billionaire…If you don’t get to know yourself, you become easy prey to all these organizations and governments that are hacking youContinue reading "Yuval Harari on the Value of Self-Study"

Listen to Your Nudges

Listen to your nudges, bitches. They're never wrong. When you ignore them or you are too afraid to do what they ask, they usually show up as aches and pains in your body, or in your mind, or both. Denial, distraction, and ignorance will make you sick and suffer-- maybe not in the short termContinue reading "Listen to Your Nudges"

Return to Uniqueness

Why can't we inform people that they can be their truest selves sooner, encourage them to slow down to  practice stillness, to listen to their inner guide, and give them the loving support and tools to do so? That's a question I ask in my book and am answering with the creation of my coachingContinue reading "Return to Uniqueness"

Reflection: My Mission Possible Came True

Hello All, I wrote this blog post in October, 2018 about what I hoped would be my future... After many months (almost 36!) of brainstorming, obsessive thinking, reading, researching, writing and revising, yoga practice and moment to moment experiences, the purpose of  Landscapes for Learning is finally clear... I think. When I started the LandscapesContinue reading "Reflection: My Mission Possible Came True"

Toning Down Identity Politics for Common Humanity

Disturbing trends among young people worth paying attention to. Every educator, school leader, and parent ought read Haidt's The Coddling of the American Mind.    Check Jonathan Haidt out on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathanhaidt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonHaidt

Podcast 015: Future of Education: Learning Beyond Schooling

"I hope to help dismantle traditional schooling and its unhelpful, outdated, damaging values and persuade teachers, school leaders, parents, and students to focus their attention on better, more important ways of learning. My goal is to support ALL parties in this transformation with their humanity and a love for our shared humanity in tact."  Continue reading "Podcast 015: Future of Education: Learning Beyond Schooling"

Podcast 014: On Trust

Here's a short solo podcast about my thoughts about over-reliance on others rather than trusting oneself. This habit of excessive co-dependency is something that comes from the way we educate our kids. Landscapes for Learning Podcast Episode #14 On Trust Please "like" on iTunes and share with friends who might be interested in the futureContinue reading "Podcast 014: On Trust"

My Teachers

Some of the people (and animals) who have educated me and influenced the creation of my book, It's Not About the Grades: Landscapes for Learning Beyond Schooling, as well as this blog and Landscapes for Learning mission / project, in no particular order: My students over the past 14 years My four kids My dog,Continue reading "My Teachers"

List for Learning: 27 Take-Aways from It’s Not About the Grades

 27 Take-Aways from It's Not About the Grades: Landscapes for Learning Beyond Schooling Since everyone seems to be publishing books with rules for life and lists for "best" something or other, I thought I would make a list of possible take-aways from It's Not About the Grades: Landscapes for Learning Beyond Schooling, my newest memoirContinue reading "List for Learning: 27 Take-Aways from It’s Not About the Grades"

Know Thyself & Save the World

We need to stop subscribing to traditional, outdated schooling and attitudes about conventional education and instead engage in authentic learning for psychological health and wellbeing, balance,  to preserve our shared humanity, and prepare for a radically different future.   Q. How should we be educating people for the future? What should we study? Some answers:Continue reading "Know Thyself & Save the World"

Out with Grades, In with Soft Skills

  If It's Not About the Grades, then what kind of Learning Beyond Schooling? Modern schooling still subscribes to the notion that "If it [skills/learning] isn't measurable, it doesn't matter," but this is totally outdated!  According to Seth Godin, real work that matters, that is purposeful and fulfilling, relies more on "soft skills" than "hardContinue reading "Out with Grades, In with Soft Skills"