I've always appreciated the simplicity of investing in mutual funds. The stock market is confusing and intimidating but leaving my savings in a checking account where it will depreciate would be unfortunate. Mutual funds are the perfect balance where I can invest a relatively small amount of savings in a wide range of stocks without needing to …
Author: Ryan Shelton
While my job description is to lead the science department and teach physics at Padua Academy in Wilmington, DE, my calling is to prepare teenagers to lead their communities towards a vibrant and healthy future. This purpose has lead to the creation of Loving Lives Delaware.
Before becoming a teacher, I explored many careers and had many adventures in search of the best way to make a difference in the world. I hiked over 1700 miles, traveled to 5 continents, managed a bakery, started a meditation center, counseled troubled teens, attended Duke, UNC, and Harvard, protected forests as a wildland firefighter, volunteered thousands of hours with Americorps, rafted the Grand Canyon, and SCUBA dived on the Great Barrier Reef.
My next adventure is starting a family with my beautiful wife in our Wilmington home. I'm sure there will be many mistakes along the way, but I hope we're able to create a loving household that's a beacon of support and clarity for others in our community. Thank you for all of your support throughout our journey.
People Are Suffering
I've always struggled with the idea of success. All of the benchmarks seem to be selfish. Did I get an A in Organic Chemistry? Am I making a 6 figure income? Did I marry a beautiful woman with a respectable family? Did I raise good kids? Did I retire in the nice community? Did I work …
Trusting Dhamma
I can let go of my future and trust dhamma to guide my path when my life is the only one being impacted. It's much more difficult for me to trust dhamma to take care of my responsibilities towards others. Since establishing my daily practice all my relationships have improved as I've been a better supporter and listener for friends …
Our Teacher Has Passed
S.N. Goenka, my Vipassana teacher, has passed. I've decided to wait a few weeks before writing about this because I feel like it's not my role to tell people how they're supposed to feel about his passing. I do feel that it's appropriate to share my thoughts now that everyone has had a chance to process …
Choosing Who To Love
Contemplating the meaning of unconditional love has been incredibly beneficial in growing my family relationships. None of us can choose our family, and understanding what it means to unconditionally love someone has helped me embrace all of my family members for who they are. I've recently discovered the challenge of applying unconditional love outside my family. We …
The Many Traditions
The issue of how to become liberated is confusing. Just like with Christianity it seems that everyone has their take on how to reach the divine state. One challenge that I've found within Goenka's teachings is the idea that he teaches the one and only way to become liberated. He states that he has helped …
Life Chooses My Path
What do I want to do with my life? What is my passion? How can I make a difference? How do I meet my potential? I have asked myself these types of questions over and over again throughout my life. With Vipassana, now I'm wonder if I had the questions all wrong. Growing up as …
Mind Control
Do you remember watching Professor X from X-Men raise his hand to the side of his head and jump into someone else's head? Haven't we all dreamed about having telepathic powers at one time or another? Now I realize that all that time I spent dreaming about telepathy I didn't even have control of my …
Friendship Timing
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about Right Friendship where I expressed that I needed to withdraw from friendships while I established my practice. Very understandably, this made some new meditators uncomfortable. "Why would I work hard to establish a practice that will cause me to lose friendships that give my life …
Gratitude
Written by Dipanshu Mansingka from Hyderabad, India It's been a week since Pujya Guruji passed away. For 2 days I felt different as across world meditators meditated and practised Vipassana and giving metta to him. I said to myself and the nature, may I get a life where I can grow in dhamma with him. Is it a …
Living Vipassana 