As we approach that time of the year when New Year Resolutions are talked about, I’d like to share an insight from one of my favourite books, Willpower, Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney. To summarise, while willpower is a quality we can – and arguably should – all develop more of, on a day...
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The Dalai Lama’s Cat and The Out of Africa connection
Part of The Dalai Lama’s Cat dedication reads: In loving memory of our own little Rinpoche, Princess Wussik of the Sapphire Throne. She brought us joy; we loved her well. Readers of the Dalai Lama’s Cat books will already have formed a good idea of His Holiness’s Cat’s distinctive, quirky and adorable personality – based entirely on our own...
The Dalai Lama’s Dog
As readers of The Dalai Lama’s Cat will know, I am a big fan of the author F. Scott Fitzgerald – and more specifically his novel The Great Gatsby. There are a number of allusions to this in The Dalai Lama’s Cat – so much so that one blogger entitled his review ‘The Great Catsby,’ which I found very amusing. ...
The Art of Purring: Read the Prologue and Chapter One
I am pleased to be sharing the prologue and first chapter of The Art of Purring. Prologue Oh good, you’re finally here, though you’ve taken your time about it, if you don’t mind my saying so! You see, dear reader, I have a message for you. Not an everyday message and certainly not one from an ordinary person. What’s...
David Michie on ‘The Art of Purring’
I’ve recorded a video about The Art of Purring: how I came to write it, what other authors inspired me and some of the themes in the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk1hs4slgaw (4.45 minutes) If you’d like to receive future blogs and vlogs from me, please click the ‘Follow’ button on the bottom right hand of your screen now. I promise I won’t...
Happiness, food and The Art of Purring
How important is willpower to your happiness? And does food have anything to do with it? Most of us would agree that it requires willpower to graduate from school, learn a skill, or practice anything till you get really good at it. Self-fulfilment is unlikely to just happen spontaneously. It is more likely to arise as a side effect...
How I first became interested in Tibetan Buddhism
I’m often asked how I first heard about Tibetan Buddhism. So I decided to record a short video to explain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_28O8HCe–Y If you’d like to see any other of my short blogs or vlogs, please click ‘Follow’ on the bottom right hand of your screen. I promise not to bombard you with desperate sales messages!
Yoga and The Art of Purring
I have been practising yoga for about 4 years, beginning with Ashtanga before switching to Iyengar, which suits me better. There was a time when I couldn’t make the simple statement ‘I practice yoga’ without following it up immediately with what I felt was an important admission ‘-but I’m useless at it.’ However, as I’ve explored the subject more deeply,...
Read the first few pages of ‘The Art of Purring’…
Prologue Oh good, you’re finally here, though you’ve taken your time about it, if you don’t mind my saying so! You see, dear reader, I have a message for you. Not an everyday message and certainly not one from an ordinary person. What’s more, it concerns your deepest, personal happiness. There’s really no need to turn around to see...
Animal consciousness and ‘The Art of Purring’
Among my earliest memories are sharing my bed with a Siamese cat called Pandy. Growing up I was surrounded by pets – feline, canine, my much-loved rabbit Bugs, Greg the guinea pig, as well as an assortment of golden hamsters and white mice. Most of my teenage years were spent with a cockatiel on my shoulder: Tokai especially liked it...
Why I am writing The Dalai Lama’s Cat series
I am sometimes asked why I wrote The Dalai Lama’s Cat. With the second book in the series, The Art of Purring, to be released in just over a month’s time, I thought perhaps it’s time I explained myself. Please click this link to a three minute video: The Dalai Lama’s Cat is available on most online stores like amazon...
What is it like being the companion of a global celebrity?
Is it easy living as the anonymous companion to a global celebrity? Some people believe that the unknown companions of very famous individuals must feel constantly overlooked and undervalued, like the drab hens to glorious roosters. When the rooster gets all the attention with his lustrous plumage and magnificent dawn arpeggios, wouldn’t it be understandable if the hen sometimes yearned...
