Dalai Lama Foundation Study Circle Montreal

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. — Albert Einstein

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Inspiration of the Day:
In his famous Lectures on Physics, Richard Feynman presented this interesting speculation: “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?” Fascinated by Feynman’s question, Seed magazine posed a similar one to a number of leading thinkers. Their answers are shared here. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4597

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Be The Change:
If you had but one statement summarizing the most vital lesson of your life’s work, what would it be?

**Share A Reflection**
http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?qid=4597

When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves. — David Orr

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Fact of the Day:
Last year, global carbon emissions hit a record high, and the latest science tells us that we’re almost certainly locked into roughly 2 degrees Celsius (or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming. It might not sound like much, but 2 degrees Celsius will redraw maps, change landscapes, and force cities to deploy aggressive adaptation measures. A new book by Abrams Books, 100 Places to Go Before They Disappear, includes a powerful essay by Desmond Tutu and uses stunning photography to show us all exactly what’s at stake. This article includes an arresting slideshow of 10 of the places depicted in the book — ranging from Arctic landscapes, and South Pacific islands to modernized, metropolises. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4632

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Be The Change:
Reflect on a small step you can take towards healing the earth and put it in practice today. This link offers a 100 different starting points. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4632a

**Share A Reflection**
http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?qid=4632

When you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it. — J. Krishnamurti

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Good News of the Day:
We spend up to 80% of our waking hours in some form of communication, and 45% of that time is spent listening. And yet, it is the skill in which we have the least training. It isn’t surprising, then, that studies show how poor and inefficient we can be as listeners. Apart from lack of explicit training, other reasons factor in. To start with, we think faster than we speak or listen, leaving us with much room for distraction. As a result, the average listener understands and retains only 50% of what is said in a 10-minute presentation. But there is hope. Ralph G. Nichols, long-time professor of rhetoric at the University of Minnesota, identifies the 10 worst listening habits of Americans, and more importantly, ways of turning them into good listening habits. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4577

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Be The Change:
“Four words that could change the world: Tell me your story.” Try Dan Gottlieb’s experiment. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4577a

**Share A Reflection**
http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?qid=4577

Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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Good News of the Day:
To many residents Binghamton, New York, appears to be on the decline. The once thriving community was struck hard by the economic downturn. It now has a shrinking population, rising crime rates and increasing drug use among youth. But recently, the city’s quality of life got a boost from an unusual source: an evolutionary biologist who has studied microbes, zooplankton, and birds. Professor David Sloan Wilson is an expert on the evolutionary roots of altruism and cooperation, and he’s applying his insights to helping Binghamton promote kindness. Wilson’s Binghamton Neighborhood Project is part of a “whole-neighborhood” movement that seeks more comprehensive ways to improve the lives of at-risk kids. More broadly, it is helping community leaders understand how a neighborhood’s social environment can increase kindness and reduce problems like violence and drug use. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4367

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Be The Change:
Talk to your neighbors today — a way to start building a warmer environment for kids in your community.

**Share A Reflection**
http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?qid=4367

The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. — Charles DuBois

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Good News of the Day:
In Japan, The Skilled Veterans Corps is made up of retired engineers and other professionals, all over the age of 60. A group of more than 200 Japanese pensioners are volunteering to tackle the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima power station. They say they should be facing the dangers of radiation, not the young. It was while watching the television news that Yasuteru Yamada decided it was time for his generation to stand up.: “I am 72 and on average I probably have 13 to 15 years left to live. Even if I were exposed to radiation, cancer could take 20 or 30 years or longer to develop.” Mr Yamada is lobbying the government hard for his volunteers to be allowed into the power station. The government has expressed gratitude for the offer but is cautious. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4629

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Be The Change:
Following the Tsunami in Japan, one of our subscribers sent us some really inspiring stories of her country’s response to the tragedy. Read it here. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4629a

**Share A Reflection**
http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?qid=4629