My Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life

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Tag Archives: "poetry"



72 Proverbs from Hell. (Not the Usual Hell.)

Every Wednesday is Tip Day, or List Day, or Quiz Day. This Wednesday:  72 Proverbs from Hell, by William Blake. I love paradoxes, koans, parables, proverbs, Secrets of Adulthood, and aphorisms. So how have I never come across poet William Blake’s Proverbs of Hell before? When I found it the other day, I couldn’t believe I’d never read it before. …


Assay: Why Does Happiness Have Such a Bad Reputation?

Assay: One surprising thing about happiness is that it has such a bad reputation. Yesterday, I was reading to my younger daughter from Shel Silverstein’s classic book of children’s poetry, Where the Sidewalk Ends. We came to this poem – which caught my eye, for obvious reasons. The Land of Happy Have you been to The Land of Happy, Where …


“The Best Way Out Is Always Through.”

The best way out is always through. –Robert Frost One of my personal koans. * I was interested by this article about color, happiness, and depression: Different colors describe happiness vs. depression. * Are you reading The Happiness Project with a group? I’ve prepared a one-page discussion guide for book groups, as well as a guide tailored for church groups, …


“Happiness…Not In Another Place But This Place, Not For Another Hour But This Hour.”

“Happiness, knowledge, not in another place but this place, not for another hour but this hour.” –Walt Whitman * I get a big kick out of the blog Formerly Hot, and I particularly like the new Friday series, where people post about their “formerly.” * Interested in starting your own happiness project? If you’d like to take a look at …