There is a woman in a spiritual community I participate in that seems to be in a constant state of suffering. Her large eyes openly plead for some kind of rescue. When any of us interact with her, we usually hear about her illnesses, her depression, her financial woes, and how it all began when…

What is it about us humans? We always want more. We are inherently prone to dissatisfaction and constantly yearn for something more “perfect” — the perfect mate, the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect body. Even those who live in gorgeous mansions by the sea fantasize about getting a more perfect garden or yacht.…

My son Izaak has been living in Australia for several years now. One Australian phrase that I love is “No Worries, Mate!” I remember waiting in a huge line to check in for a flight there in 2002. Over the loudspeaker they announced “No worries, everyone! Relax!” Can you imagine that announcement in an American…

Valentine’s Day is only days away. Why not make a commitment now to start developing a loving relationship with the most important person in your life? YOU. Do you scoff at this idea? Do you think it’s egotistic or morally repugnant to focus on loving yourself? Know that loving yourself is not about selfish egotism…

I know that I’m kind of going against the message of this article by even using the “T” word in its title. But the title’s message is so important. It’s the end of the year, a time for reflection. Soon we greet a new year, a time for change. Decide now to free yourself and…

At New Year’s time, we often decide to break old physical habits that don’t serve us anymore. We may resolve to eat more healthfully, exercise more, or stop smoking. With the holidays coming up soon, perhaps now is a good time to think about addressing your negative emotional habits — those chronic, habitual, almost reflex-like…

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature of relationship. Over the past few years, some long term friendships ended for me, and truthfully, in each case, it came as a relief. However, mixed with relief came a lot of other feelings — especially guilt and sadness. I felt like I had failed in…

One of the books on my summer reading list this year is Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. Reading about the experiences of a concentration camp survivor might be considered rather harsh summer fare, but I have repeatedly heard people talk about the inspirational power of this book. I agree — and I recommend it…

How often have you heard an advertisement that warns you to “Act Now! Before It’s Too Late”? Of course, most of the time, this kind of thing is simply a form of psychological manipulation. But there really are some things that have an expiration date. I’m 62 and my husband Steve is 65. That means…

Most of us assume that our day-to-day emotional and physical ups and downs are a result of things that “happen to us.” We believe we are at the effect of random events or influences in the outer world or at the mercy of other people. But what if it’s the other way around? What if,…