Lessons from Japanese Psychology
How to Appreciate Your Partner
Instead of Trying to Fix Him (or Her)
with local author Gregg Krech
Gregg has kindly made his powerpoint for the presentation available to
us.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
6:30pm, Free, Lawrence Memorial Library.
For a map to the library, click
here.
The relationship we have with our partner has the potential to be an
ongoing source of growth and intimacy, a fulfilling partnership in which
we travel through our life adventure as a team. But a relationship can
also be a great source of frustration, disappointment and pain. Curiously,
as we become busy with jobs, kids, household projects and personal interests,
our primary relationship gets less and less attention. We may take our
relationship, and our partner, for granted, consistently noticing how
he or she falls short of our expectations.
In this free program we will explore the Japanese approach to self-reflection
called Naikan (pronounced neye – con) and how it can be used to
cultivate a greater sense of appreciation for one’s partner, and,
beyond that, for one’s life. Self-reflection challenges us to cultivate
love through gratitude and an honest self-examination of our own conduct
towards others. The presentation will consist of a mix of stories, poetry,
case studies, quotes and practical exercises with time for discussion
and comments/questions from participants.
Gregg Krech is one of the leading authorities on Japanese Psychology
in North America and the founding Director of the ToDo
Institute, a nonprofit educational center for purposeful living in
Monkton, Vermont. He is the author of the award-winning book: Naikan:
Gratitude, Grace & the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection (Stone Bridge
Press, 2002) and the editor of Thirty Thousand Days: A Journal for Purposeful
Living. Gregg was recently featured on Vermont Edition where he discussed
practical ideas for reclaiming the true spirit of the holiday season.
He has pioneered the application of Naikan and Morita therapy in the areas
of hospice, living fully with illness, relationships and attention. The
ToDo Institute promotes an approach to life that emphasizes character
development over symptom reduction, and points people towards doing something
meaningful with their life, in spite of their limitations and problems.
Krech believes that self-reflection challenges us to cultivate love through
gratitude and an honest self-examination of our own conduct towards others.
His presentation will consist of a mix of stories, poetry, case studies,
quotes and practical exercises with time for discussion and comments/questions
from participants.
The One-World Library Project is a “world library within a library”
with a collection of books, films, and other media about world cultures.
OWLP items are available for community members to check out at the Lawrence
Memorial Library in Bristol. The One-World Library Project also hosts
regular programs at the library on the various fascinating cultures that
fill our planet. For more information about the One-World Library Project
please call 453-4147 or go to www.oneworldlibraryproject.org.
The Lawrence Memorial Library, which hosts the One-World Library Project,
is located at 40 North Street in Bristol and has a full listing of items
in the One-World Library in their online catalog, www.lawrencelibrary.net.
People are encouraged to recommend or donate items to OWLP that express
the richness of their personal experiences with other cultures whether
through family, study, travel, language, food, history, art or music.
To purchase books or other media to donate to the project, the OWLP encourages
the support of local bookstores such as the Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury.
