Dear Brothers and Sisters, The face and voice are unique features that distinguish each person — they show their unique identity and are a constitutive element of each meeting. The ancients knew this well. Thus, to define the human person, the ancient Greeks used the word "face" (prósopon), which etymologically indicates what is in front of the gaze, the place of presence and relationship. The Latin term persona (from per-sonare), on the other hand, includes sound — not just any sound, but the unique voice of a specific person...

In the age of the never-ending news cycle, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in negativity while thirsting for perspective.

While some people genuinely love to clean, many of us find it a necessary chore we don't particularly enjoy. We want the end result, but the process leaves much to be desired. If we could afford to hire someone to do all of our cleaning for us, we would. A Zen monk might make us rethink that mindset. Soko, a Zen priest and spiritual director, says that not only is cleaning an effective spiritual practice, but it's actually 1000x more effective than sitting and meditating. Pretty strong words from someone who has dedicated a big portion of their daily life to meditation, no?Soko explains that life in the temple is very simple: They eat, they clean, and they meditate. That's basically it, but it's purposeful. "The idea is that when we're doing whatever we're doing, we are fully engaged," he says. "We are bringing everything we have, all of our concentration and attention to that thing. We're not in the past worrying about something that we regret or thinking about what we need to do in the future." In fact, they don't even know what the next day's tasks will be for that reason. - YouTube www.youtube.com Soko shares that Hakuin Zenji, a Japanese Zen master, said that moving meditation is a thousand times more powerful than sitting meditation. He also says they always start cleaning the inside of the building first before moving outdoors to tidy up the outside."You could say that this maybe correlates a little bit to the work we need to do spiritually, too," says Soko. "You know, before we can kind of clean up the mess of our lives outwardly, we've kind of got to look within first and do the inner work."What does that inner work entail? "Work is getting to know yourself and know the parts that you really maybe are uncomfortable with that you don't want to look at and the parts you are quite happy with, knowing the full range. And a way to do that is through meditation or deep spiritual contemplation." Sitting meditation has its benefits, but moving meditation is particularly powerful.Photo credit: CanvaHe explains that the cleaning the monks do in the temple helps cleanse the inner self."Doing these kind of simple tasks in the monastery, like exhausting yourself through a rigorous schedule cleaning, and doing it in difficult ways that makes your body ache and tired, is kind of like a cleansing of this gook that's been calcified around your inner being through the years of your life. And so slowly, step by step, you know, sweeping away or washing off this unnecessary or not necessarily unnecessary, but you know, this accumulated gook so that you can get to and see clearly who you are and what's going on inside." Well, that kind of changes what it means to clean, doesn't it? Shoukei Matsumoto is another monk who wrote a whole book on this concept called A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind. He shared that, in Japanese schools, it is normal for students to clean their own classrooms, and even corporate leaders incorporate cleaning into regular business practice. Monks, he said, spend more time cleaning than meditating. - YouTube www.youtube.com "When talking about the inner peace or mindfulness, people usually think of meditation, but I don't think that it is only about meditation. Every aspect of our daily life can become Zen and among these there is soji. Soji means cleaning in Japanese but as a Buddhist monk, soji for me is not just about the physical act of cleaning. It's meditation in motion, just like other actions such as cooking or driving, you might end up moving on autopilot and increase your concentration level. Soji can become a tool to cleanse your mind from anxieties and become an opportunity for reflection. It's easier to approach compared to traditional meditation and something you are already doing in your daily life."A woman who goes by The Minimal Mom on YouTube tried out A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind and shared her experience in a video. But what's great about her take on it is that she also incorporated some of the most recent research, combining the spiritual with the scientific: - YouTube www.youtube.com Perhaps if those of us who don't love cleaning can see it as more of a spiritual practice than a physical one, it won't seem like just another chore to do.

There was just something about actor and comedian Robin Williams that was equal parts vulnerable and hilarious, and that combo created pure magic. Whether it was on stage, on screen, or simply in an interview, Williams had this rare ability to put people at ease.Shortly after his 1993 comedy Mrs. Doubtfire was released, Williams gave an interview on Des O'Connor Tonight, a British variety show hosted by comedian and singer Des O'Connor. In the @loveitfilm Instagram clip making the rounds, Williams delightfully explains how he "found" the character's voice. See on Instagram Clad in a suit and tie, Williams is animated as he explains, "I first started doing the voice (he screams) VERY MUCH LIKE THAT. LIKE JULIA CHILD. AND I REALIZED THAT WOULD SCARE EVEN A HYPERACTIVE CHILD. So I had to kind of tune it down and I got more like Margaret Thatcher on steroids. And then I kind of took a little bit of Bill Forsyth and a little bit of this costume designer who's this wonderful, sweet lady named Merritt and combined them and got this gentle, gentle voice of Mrs. Doubtfire who can still say GET AWAY."O'Connor affirms Doubtfire's kind nature, agreeing, "She was gentle, wasn't she?" Williams then works his magic, turning the sweet moment into a brilliant joke: "Oh she's nourishing. She could breastfeed an entire football team."The Instagram page shares a bit of context: "He drew inspiration from Bill Forsyth, who he just finished shooting a film with at the time, and inspiration from the film’s costume designer. He combined her warmth with a comedic edge to create the gentle yet commanding tone of Mrs. Doubtfire." Robin Williams appears on Des O'Connor Tonight in 1994. www.youtube.com, Des O'Connor Tonight Williams was brilliant throughout the entire interview. O'Connor, who announces Williams had just gotten a Golden Globe for the character, seems genuinely excited to introduce him. Williams comes dancing out, revealing his very high-waisted black pants. O'Connor offers him tea, to which Williams jokes, "I love that. A little tea and Prozac makes the day go by so quick." He adds, his mind quickly firing, "And some sugar. A little Betty Ford speedball, great!"From there, the jokes simply never stop. They begin discussing Mrs. Doubtfire, and Williams kids that he had a bikini wax for the role, which was "totally unnecessary." When the topic of the accent comes up, Williams explains, "It's kind of Glaswegian (Scottish) because I just finished working with Bill Forsyth for four months." (The film he's referring to is Being Human, which co-starred Ewan McGregor in his first ever role.)As they go on, Williams doesn't let up. He makes dinosaur and A Chorus Line jokes all in one sentence, keeping the audience on their toes.The topic of the 1994 Northridge earthquake comes up, and, in typical Williams style, he gets beautifully serious. "If there's any good side to earthquakes, it's that people suddenly drop all the, you know, 'where's my fax machine,' and suddenly simple things—I mean like water, air—and people start to take care of each other. I mean it really happened in San Francisco. Crime goes down. I think crime in L.A. went down 80 percent."Williams then jokes, "I think it's because they can't find their ammunition. But people start to forget about everything else and you're forced back to the bottom line of taking care of each other. It happens. And then people start to realize, 'You're my neighbor. I've been hooked up to the cable for four years.'"He then plugs Comic Relief, a non-profit charity fundraiser he co-hosted with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal to raise money for the homeless epidemic. Robin Williams does standup for Comic Relief. www.youtube.com, A Blast from the Past Comments from across social media are reminders of how much Williams was loved. One adoringly shares, "I love that the interview gave him a chance to remind people he was a humanitarian. He actually cared for people. Such a wonderful man. He brought so much positivity to the world."

Ah, that boss—you know the one. When you return from a hard-earned vacation, using the paid time off you’re legally allowed, he walks over to your cubicle and hits you with a series of passive-aggressive comments. Now, instead of feeling re-energized, you’re walking around with an unfair feeling of guilt and discomfort, as if you’re in the doghouse for breaking a non-existent rule. Not cool.Actor-comedian Ben Sweeny satirizes this unhealthy workplace dynamic in a hilarious—and hopefully not too relatable—video titled "your toxic manager when you get back from vacation." It’s part of a series starring his character Corporate Sween, aka "CEO of Corporate America," known for his generally unpleasant office behavior. Some of these laughs may sting, but they’re worth it. See on Instagram "I personally never took vacation when I was in your shoes"In this clip, Corporate Sween confidently struts into an employee’s office, flashing an enthusiastic smile, and very quickly starts grilling them about how their PTO has affected everyone else. "Wow, look who’s back from PTO! Paid. Time. Off," he says, eyes wide. "How was vacation? Yeah, you got some good rest? You got some color! Yeah, you’re looking great. So, listen, I’m glad you’re back, but it was very busy for the rest of us while you were out lollygagging [sic] last week, okay?"The guilt-trip is heavy: "So I need a very big week from you now that you’re back from vacation," he says. "I personally never took vacation when I was in your shoes, but I guess we’re of a different generation. I guess we’re built a little bit differently." He then checks the employee’s computer, awkwardly requests that they "lock in," and departs the room after one final, uncomfortable throat clear. See on Instagram "It's just a skit, it's just a skit"The video earned a big reaction across social media, especially on Instagram, where people seemed to feel very seen. Here are some of the top comments: "I endured 20 years of this and eventually just thought it was normal ?""I'm on PTO and I'm not looking forward to this…""This happened to me just a few days ago coming back from the Holidays, worst feeling ever""Lollygagging must be included in corporate dictionaries around the world ???""Time to take another vacation""The aggressive head nod, the upside down smile and lack of blinking. This man could put Pennywise in a PIP""It’s just a skit, it’s just a skit…""May God deliver me from ever working for this type of company again ?""'Whatchya got cooking today?' Sir, this is not a Wendys""Good time to go back on PTO?" - YouTube www.youtube.com Sweeny has released a treasure trove of other office-cringe-comedy videos, touching on topics like holiday breaks, exit interviews, pay cuts, and productivity. But the PTO clip may touch an even deeper nerve, given that a lot of people don’t know how to handle a passive-aggressive comments from their real life manager. In 2019, Priceline surveyed more than 1,000 full-time U.S. employees, learning that 24% of Gen Z respondents felt guilty about taking a vacation, followed by Millennials (19%), Gen X (16%), and Baby Boomers (8%). On LinkedIn, career coach Brittany Bishop wrote that, by doing three key things, we can set ourselves up to enjoy PTO guilt-free: "Give [yourself] permission to take the time off," "prepare for the time away in advance," and "actually [leave] work for others to do" and trust that they can make it happen.

Making friends and developing deeper, stronger relationships starts with good conversation. Sometimes that means small talk at work, while other times it's the kind of conversation that really takes off at a party.Some people are naturals when it comes to easy, flowing conversation—especially highly likable people, who tend to attract others and often hold the key to mastering genuine conversation. From their gestures to the way they articulate questions, there's a lot others can learn from them.Communication experts who spoke to Upworthy say there are 10 things highly likable people do during conversations to build stronger relationships. - YouTube www.youtube.com 1. They listen without distractionListeners often make the best conversationalists."That means not looking at your phone or scanning around the room to see who you want to talk to next," says Kerri Garbis, CEO and founder of Ovation Communication. "Focus on the person in front of you only. Make eye contact. This fosters a relationship because when you are fully present, it signals respect, interest, and helps others feel valued versus like they are competing for your attention."2. They collect dataBeing inquisitive about what people need during conversations is key to building stronger relationships."If you take a moment to ask your colleague or even friend, 'What are you worried about? What's the biggest concern facing you right now?' you can get great data on how you can help them - in a way that taps into something urgent and top of mind for them," says Kate Mason, PhD, an executive communications coach and author of Powerfully Likeable: A Woman's Guide to Effective Communication. "They'll remember your thoughtfulness and the actions you took."3. They balance the conversationHighly likable people never make it all about themselves."Sometimes conversations can be 'lopsided' where it's more about the other person than about you," says Rob Volpe, a communication expert and author of Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. "While that can be okay, you aren't there to be their therapist. Sometimes the context and topic may make it off balance, but if it continues and you aren't feeling seen yourself, feel free to say something like 'I'd love to share my thoughts on this' or 'May I share something I'm dealing with at the moment?'"4. They mirror their conversation partnerTaking cues from body language can foster deeper relationships."It's a subtle way to make someone comfortable because they recognize themself in your actions," says Jennifer Anderson, a communication expert who works with entrepreneurs. "Your energy should match the energy of your counterpart. Think relaxing-in-lounge-chair energy vs. about-to-deliver-a-presentation energy. Those are two very different conversations. If you paired them up, there's definitely about to be some awkwardness." - YouTube www.youtube.com 5. They skip pre-planned questionsWhile coming to conversations prepared with questions may help you feel less anxious, highly likable people usually don't use them."Often people have questions in their back pocket, like about the weather or sports, but the most likeable people in the room are those who can be present in conversations and ask follow-ups based on what someone is talking about," Garbis says. "This builds a relationship by making conversations feel relational and not transactional."6. They are self-awareHighly likable people are masters of self-awareness, especially during conversations."Self-awareness of your judgment is key to building relationships," Volpe says. "We all carry biases which can block our view of the person standing in front of us. When you catch yourself being judgmental, have some grace with yourself and get curious about the other person as well as where your judgment is coming from. This clears one of the biggest obstacles to having empathy with others."7. They respond with affirmationHighly likable people make others feel seen and heard."No matter what is coming out of the person's mouth, make it clear that you're not judging or competing with them," Garbis notes. "If they say: 'I went skiing this weekend,' don't jump in and say that you also went skiing. Say something like, 'Wow, that sounds exciting, tell me more about that.' You can respond with validating statements like: 'That makes sense, or I can see why you're so good at that, or I can see why that matters to you.' This reduces defensiveness and nervousness, and it makes people feel safe to be themselves and creates relationships faster." @justaskjefferson it’s been great catching up! #communicationtips #communicationskills 8. They remain calmBringing a sense of calm rather than chaos to a conversation can put everyone at ease."Calm is the most powerful communication flex you can do," Mason says. "If you can stay calm, especially in a heated conversation, you actually end up looking trustworthy, reliable and unruffled - all very powerful things to be remembered for."9. They remember namesHighly likable people personalize conversations by using the other person's name."Never ever tell people you are terrible at remembering names," Garbis explains. "This will tank the conversation because it signals you don't matter, nothing you say matters, and that you aren't worth remembering. It makes a person mentally check out of the conversation. Use good tricks like repeating a person's name at the beginning and again at the end. If you forgot by the end, say something like, 'It was so fun to hear about your skiing adventure. By the way, I'm Kerri, it was so nice to meet you, and can you remind me of your name? I don't want to forget it?' They'll be so grateful you repeated your name too!"10. They use humor where they canFinally, highly likable people make sure to infuse conversations with laughter."It's a great connector," Anderson notes. "Don't try to be a standup comic, just find the lighthearted observations and details that you can share in conversations. Humor is never a weapon; judgy and mean-spirited comments convey weakness, not confidence. You'll risk alienating your conversation partner if you come in with a full roast of your friends or coworkers. If all else fails, everyone loves a Dad Joke."

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