Month: January 2026

Living One’s Dreams


Betsy White’s memoir had me thinking that not many of us would be willing or able to push beyond so many expectations of what is possible. Still for all of Betsy White’s pioneering achievements, she is the opposite of intimidating. I have found that is often the case for those who truly love what they are doing. Betsy warmly welcomes the reader to her world as she shares with open honesty about her struggles and the real rewards of her considerable efforts.

Betsy met and married Gene, a man who shared her passion for mountaineering, and her humanistic impulses. His civil engineering work providing access to fresh water in many developing countries made it easier for them to add international summits to their “life lists.” The couple did not allow their peripatetic life style to get in the way of raising a family. They found creative solutions to inevitable unanticipated problems with their gift for making friends who could offer them guidance and support. As a result, their lucky children got to experience a variety of cultures as well as wonderful mountain climbing adventures.

Betsy’s career focused on developing training programs and other practical resources for supporting human, and specifically women’s rights. Her cultural sensitivity and willingness to put in the effort required to learn the language gave Betsy rare access to Muslim women in the various countries where she lived and worked. When Betsy decided to pursue an advanced degree, her ground-breaking dissertation focused on how expectations placed on Muslim women affected their countries’ overall development and level of wellbeing.

Part way through the book, it occurred to me that Betsy’s mountaineering experience might have had quite a positive influence on her multi-achievement “balancing act.” It would teach the value of seeking out good climbing companions, careful planning, adaptability and finding creative solutions when things do not go as planned. The extent of her mountaineering experience would certainly have honed her intuition about when it makes sense to take risks, and when it makes more sense to turn back.

I found many valuable lessons like these in what Betsy shares. While most of us do not have the resources or degree of freedom that Betsy had to truly live her large dreams, many of us probably do not dream large enough. A great deal is possible. We risk short changing ourselves and the world by not carefully considering what risks are worth taking to include what we truly care about in the precious time that is aloted to us in this life.

Lessons from the Way of Tea Video

This short Lessons from the Way of Tea documentary shares my experience with Japanese tea ceremony (also known as The Way of Tea). I was first attracted to the art’s many sensory delights and the way it acknowledged the seasons. There was also the joy of selecting the scroll and utensils and arranging flowers for a particular gathering.

We students copied our teacher hoping to learn the many steps well enough to be able to share tea in a natural flowing way, while supporting our guests’ tranquil awareness. Only after striving to prepare and share a bowl of tea over and over again, did it dawn on me that this gentle art is a bit of a ten ton canary.

It felt quite intimate, and somehow universal at the same time. Like any art, what you get from it, depends upon what you bring to it. That kept changing.

As my ability to sustain attention to the scripted generosity increased, I could feel my own responses more vividly and I was more able to fully take in other’s reactions. I began to find a deeper beauty in everyday objects, nature and people. I sensed wider connections, and I realized that bringing caring intention to even routine chores can add meaning and purpose to life. Tea ceremony practice never failed to leave me feeling centered and at peace.

The art’s core principles of Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility (on the scroll by Takase Studio in the photo above) are built into the rules and preparation steps in such a way that I directly experienced many important lessons.

Few people, even in Japan, are interested in learning tea ceremony’s formal procedures these days. But since what the traditional art has to offer seems so badly needed in our hurting world, I began to dream of finding more accessible ways for others to gain access to their own “tea wisdom.” This latest Lessons from the Way of Tea video is one result.

A second video, Hannah’s World: Living Tea Values provides an example of someone, who seemed to be living life guided by tea ceremony’s core principles and reaping the benefits for herself, others and the land that she loves. An earlier project involved developing an accessible tea and dialogue mindfulness practice that, among other benefits, shows promise as a means to combat the serious health risks associated with loneliness and social isolation.