Editors Note: The following guest article was provided by Max Lewis who works in Child Protective Services for the State of Oregon Department of Human Services. I think you will find this article very enlightening and I encourage you to learn more through the resources he mentions at the end of the article.

Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before. It takes something from him –Louis L’Amour

About twenty miles West of Portland, Oregon lays Hillsboro. A city of about 91,000 people it has a unique mix of urban, suburban and rural landscapes typical of towns that greet travelers heading West towards the coast from Portland. Agricultural and other signs of rural of commerce blend seamlessly among signs of contemporary life like mass transit and a small but distinct downtown. Lattice Semiconductors and the software giant Intel both have a large presence in the city as well. Though not far from Portland it is a city of extremes. In the fall rain pours violently, in early winter thick fog hovers over the landscape and in later months snow can pile up quickly. In summer the Sun beats down on the flat city absent even the slightest breeze to offer relief and temperatures can hover in the 90’s for days. It is in this unique city’s Police Department that a Lieutenant is trying to implement the concepts of Mindfulness to the benefit of his Officers in the field.

Lieutenant Richard Goerling exudes the erect and deliberate demeanor of a life long military man. Twenty years in… Continue reading