At a meditation retreat several years ago, my teacher reminded us of the legend of Sisyphus. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the King of Corinth who was punished for chronic deceitfulness by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action for eternity.

I’m one of those guys who would like to go to heaven but I’m not willing to die to get there. So reading Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal” was not easy for me.

Note: This is an article I was asked to write for Foster Families Today recently. I thought it was applicable and interesting enough to all parents, families and people in general. Thank you for reading.

This blog title is borrowed from an Avett Brothers song, which is also featured as the song of the month on our foundation website. Over time, I’ve been training myself to say “I love you” right out loud to people who are not always expecting – and occasionally not accepting – such a sentiment from me.

Thanks to those who’ve read and commented on Empty Abundance, and here’s a link to a sample chapter to entice those who have not.

In lieu of our regular monthly newsletter, I wanted to share with you a great learning opportunity for any non-profit leader looking to grow and diversify their revenue.

Though never documented, it is legend that Ernest Hemingway said; to be a man, one must plant a tree, fight a bull, write a book and father a son.

A note from the Author: Below, since we will finally publish on October 27th, is the final excerpt from my book, Empty Abundance; Finding Meaning through Mindful Giving. Appropriately for you, dear reader, it is the last two pages of the book. Thanks for hanging in with me; it’s been a shockingly long process from concept to actual printing. Note: I’ve yet to see the final sample book! The book itself can now be pre-ordered on our site and on www.emptyabundance.org. Next month, I will return to original blogging each month. As always, I’m grateful that you care to read because believe me, it is an honor and a privilege to be read.

I know in my soul, as Bogle does, that I have more than enough. And so I spend most of my days working to serve those who serve the poor, but I also enjoy every reasonable perquisite provided me by forty years of discipline and hard work.

The “Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey” included thirty thousand interviews completed in two waves by researchers at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University. Among other findings, the study states, “Those who gave contributions of time or money were 42 percent more likely to be happy than those who didn’t give.”