Category Archives: Essay

Article: On Happiness

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Dave Hood

What is happiness? It is a feeling of contentment or satisfaction. I am not referring to fleeting enjoyable moments or short experiences of pleasure, but an enduring sense of contentment and satisfaction with one’s life. This desire to feel happy is what motivates most people. To be happy is the meaning and purpose of human existence. Most people, don’t say to themselves, ” I am going to do this or that or some other thing so I can be happy.” Instead, the pursuit of happiness is carried out indirectly in one’s quest for pleasure or satisfying experiences. Continue reading →

Essay: On Compassion

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Dave Hood

Dave Hood “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” ― Mahatma Gandhi We live in a world lacking in compassion. The sad reality of humanity is that the vast majority … Continue reading →

Posted in Essay | Tagged awareness, Buddhism, Christianity, Compassion, Dalia Lama, Dave Hood, definition, empathy, Faith, golden rule, human condition, indifference, Karen Armstrong, sad reality, spiritual literarcy, spiritual wisdom, spirituality, Spirituality and Practise, steps, suffering, Suggestions, The Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, Tips, turn a blind eye, wilful blindness, writer | Leave a comment

Essay: On Heroism

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Dave Hood

By Dave Hood Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.”― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn “The hero’s story is always a journey. A hero leaves … Continue reading →

Posted in Essay | Tagged Archetype, archetypes, Artist, athletes, Buddha, Carl Jung, CEO, Christopher Reeves, Dave Hood, definition, Denial of Death, Dirty Harry, dreams, Ernest Becker, essay, examples, false heroes, False heros, film, Gandhi, Greek Mythology, Harry Potter, hero, Hero archetype, Hero of a Thousand Faces, hero's journey, hero's project, heroism, James Bond, Jesus, Joseph Campbell, Lance Armstrong, Lincoln, Martin Luther King, morality, On Heroism, popular culture, quotes, Robin Hood, Schindler's List, selfless, Shane, Spider-man, Terry Fox, The Denial of Death, The Hero Essay, Tiger Woods, Tragic hero, writer | Leave a comment

Short Essay: The Enchanting Shadow

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Dave Hood

By Dave Hood “Life itself is but the shadow of death, and souls departed but the shadows of the living,” noted Thomas Browne, 16th Century writer, physician, and philosopher. Since the dawn of time, the shadows of people, objects, things, … Continue reading →

Posted in Essay | Tagged artwork, astrology, comic books quotes, Dave Hood, essay, Games, Kumi Yamashita, mythology, popular culture, Religion, shadow, Spiritual Practise, symbolism, The shadow, Video, writer | Leave a comment

Short Essay: The Pain of Waiting

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Dave Hood

Dave Hood “We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.” ―Voltaire Waiting is about expecting something to happen. Waiting can be like someone we dislike who challenges our patience and threatens our peace of mind. Sometimes one … Continue reading →

Posted in Essay | Tagged creative writing, Dave Hood, essay, pain, pain of waiting, waiting, writer | Leave a comment

Essay: Appreciating Beauty in Everyday Life

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Dave Hood

By Dave Hood “Beauty saves. Beauty heals. Beauty motivates. Beauty unites. Beauty returns us to our origins, and here lies the ultimate act of saving, of healing, of overcoming dualism. Beauty allows us to forget the pain and dwell on … Continue reading →

Posted in Appreciating Beauty, Essay | Tagged appreciating, art, beauty, creative writer, Dave Hood, distraction, drawing, essay, nature, noticing, observation, photography, sketching, witnessing, worry, writer | Leave a comment

Essay: On Writing a Memoir

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Dave Hood

By Dave Hood For many years, those who wrote memoirs shared true stories about something noteworthy or an unusual experience. I am thinking of The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, and A Year of Magical … Continue reading →

Posted in Essay | Tagged A Year of Magical Thinking, afterlife, Angela's Ashes, Author, craze, criticism, Eat, memoir, Pray Love Wild, The Liar's Club, writing | Leave a comment