Joseph Kreydt

Tag: meditation

  • Crowding Out Thorny Worries

    A close-up of handwritten notes in a notebook, reflecting on personal growth and introspection, with phrases about nurturing and managing inner thoughts.
    Inside of me,
    A place where wild things roam,
    A flock I must shepherd,
    A garden I must tend

    Through storms and attacks,
    Famine, entropy, growth...growth
    — Is it not all growth?

    Growth to be hedged and pruned,
    Encouraged here, enticed there,
    To be nurtured into something beautiful.

    And what of these thorny worries?
    I've let them grow, expecting fruit,
    But they've only become a mess.

    I try pruning,
    But they only grow back stronger.
    Instead, I'll try to crowd them out.

    I'll scatter, all among them,
    Little seeds of prayer, and of faith
    That I'll receive the grace
    To handle whatever comes, when it comes.

  • Death Without Death

    Handwritten text on a page discussing selflessness and love for others, featuring a question about dying to oneself and a reference to a biblical quote.

    How do we die to ourselves without suicide?

    We live for another. We give up every part of us that says “I.” We forget ourselves with another who forgets their self. We close the eyes that watch out for the self, and open the eyes that watch out for the other. We do everything for the good of that other, and do nothing for the good of the self except in that it is for the good of the other. In doing this, we strip ourselves of the self God gave us as an act of giving, in love, to God.

    “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.”

    To die without death is to defeat death, to take away its power.

  • Matter is a Phase of Consciousness

    A handwritten note discussing philosophical ideas about consciousness and existence, featuring a metaphor of everything created as a flowing river.

    Since the moment it entered my mind, perhaps a year ago now, I’ve been unable or unwilling to let go of the notion that “matter is a phase of consciousness.”

    I imagine it like this. Everything created is a flowing river. Sometimes, something uncreated splashes into the river and creates ripples. Those ripples are our material lives. They are us from dust. And when they even back out, we are still there in the flowing river.

    Is this notion only delightful? Or is it true?

  • Goodbye Hello

    Goodbyes hurt.

    I must admit there is beauty in that. The hurt tells me I have a heart, and that I loved. It tells me to connect and stay. These are nice things to say to someone. Still, I’d rather not say goodbye.

    But there are so many goodbyes in this world that we have lost our sense of place. We no longer place flowers on the graves of our kin. Where are they, anyway? They’re not here. They’re in the place we left. Instead, we tithe and sacrifice and build digital monuments to the god of travel. We fly for him. We say goodbye for him. But not all of us. Some of us stay home. Some of us tend the gardens. Some of us keep watch. I prefer place. I like to stay.

    And if you’re the same, I say, hello.

  • Laughter is a Bridge

    When I was eleven years old, I rode a boat to Catalina Island with my family.

    At that age, my number one priority in life was to laugh, so, naturally, I brought a whoopee cushion with me.

    A couple foreign men were seated near us, saying something in another language. They were inches away, but they might as well have been in another country.

    That was, until they saw me tricking my grandma into sitting on the whoopee cushion. Then they started laughing. We all made eye contact and connected almost like old friends.

    We bonded over simulated farts, and I learned that laughter is a universal tongue. It’s a bridge that connects souls even when the high walls of language divide them.

  • My Contribution to Journalism

    There’s a lot of journalism about the dark things. That’s important because we can’t be whole until we integrate what is in our shadows and we can’t integrate what is in our shadows until they are illuminated.

    But I have something else to report. This can be my contribution to journalism.

    There are beautiful walkways cloaked in fresh air. And as the sun sets, the clouds have turned pink and purple and orange at the same time. And there’s a sycamore tree that has seen more sameness than I ever will. And two fawns are having a bedtime snack in a field. And the air is cool, but not enough for a sweater. And the moon is half, and the color of half and half.

    Broadcasting from just north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I’m Joseph Kreydt. To all the dark places and to all the light, good night.

  • Unlock the Magic: 8 Simple Ways to Rediscover Wonder

    Unlock the Magic: 8 Simple Ways to Rediscover Wonder

    Life can feel dull and even depressing. Routines are great, but they go stale from time to time. Your mental health can be on par, but still, life can knock you down. But if you’re feeling stuck in a rut, there’s always wonder.

    Wonder is that feeling of seeing a magic trick and being so impressed that you don’t care how the heck it works. No, wonder is even more than that. It’s seeing the magic in everyday life. You don’t need a ticket to a magic show or an exotic destination to experience it. It’s all around you, hidden in ordinary life, waiting to be noticed.

    Here are eight ways to invite more wonder into your life.

    1. Meditate.

    In much the same way that jogging is exercise for the body, mindfulness is exercise for the mind. It helps you learn to focus your attention, and that is crucial for wonder. To wonder about something, you have to give it your attention.

    Start simple: try a body scan meditation. Pay attention to how your toes feel, then move your focus up to your legs, then your arms… Don’t worry if your mind wanders at first. When you notice it, bring it back gently. Over time, as you practice, your focus will increase, and you’ll be able to stay alert and curious for longer spans of time.

    The more you’re focused and curious, the more you’ll notice things that fill you with a sense of wonder.

    2. Collect ideas.

    Ideas often inspire wonder. Use a notebook, the camera on your phone, a voice recorder, whatever, to capture interesting ideas, thoughts, and observations. Over time, you’ll have a treasure chest of wonders to revisit when you need some inspiration.

    3. Learn about nature.

    Nature is basically a wonder factory. Did you know that some eagles are strong enough to carry off wild pigs? I learned that in How to Know the Birds. Or did you know that deer taste bad to trees? I learned that in The Secret Network of Nature. Or have you ever seen a bonsai kumquat tree full of kumquats? I saw one at the conservatory in my city.

    Books, research papers, museums, and documentaries are all great ways to learn about nature. But the best way is to just spend some time outside-maybe bring a magnifying glass and look at bugs.

    4. Visit a beautiful place.

    Sometimes a change of scenery can help you feel a sense of awe. It doesn’t have to be the Eiffel Tower. You can find something closer to home. Maybe it’s a beautiful church, a breathtaking bridge, or even a funky modern building downtown. Take a moment to soak it in. Notice the little details. Wonder about it. Let yourself be amazed.

    5. Read proverbs.

    Proverbs are tiny packages of wisdom. They’re almost as good as fortune cookies. Sometimes you can get a fortune cookie and a proverb all in one. But sometimes all you need is the proverb. They make you pause and think.

    Pick up the Bible or scroll through Pinterest, find a collection of proverbs, and see which ones stick with you. Bonus points if you write them down in your treasure notebook.

    6. Ask people questions.

    Wonder doesn’t have to be complicated. It can start with a simple question: “How’s your day going?” or “What do you think about this weather?” You’ll be amazed at the stories some people share-and how they can open your eyes to new perspectives. Plus, asking good questions is a skill that grows with practice.

    7. Stop googling everything.

    Next time you have a question—like, “Why do rhinos have horns?”—don’t immediately google it. Let yourself wonder for a bit. Go ahead, pretend you’re an armchair scientist or a time-traveling explorer. Make up theories. Play around with the possibilities. Feel free to google it later. But only after you’ve had some fun first.

    8. Draw with the right side of your brain.

    Grab a pencil and paper and try drawing something you see. Don’t worry about being good at it; just focus on seeing. The act of drawing from sight turns on the right side of your brain, the side that sees things without thinking about them, and entices you to notice details you’d otherwise overlook. Before you know it, you’ll be seeing the world in a whole new way.

    If you want some guidance on drawing with the right side of your brain, I highly recommend the classic drawing book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I can’t promise it made me good at drawing, but it certainly taught me a few things.

    The magic of wonder

    That’s it! Wonder isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about asking questions and letting yourself be amazed even when-especially when-you don’t get the answer you were expecting.

    Why not try one or two of these ideas this week and see what happens? Who knows, you might just see some real magic.