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…
Personal Reflections Posts
Act Now! Before It’s Too Late
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…
The Line Between Fear and Trust
There is certainly no shortage of things to worry about these days. From politics and war to climate change to health, so many people I know are caught, almost gleefully, in a state of addictive fear. Various forms of media feed the fire. Conspiracy mentality isn’t confined to the fringe anymore. It’s gotten to the…
Clinging Never Works
Whenever we approach Valentine’s Day each February, I usually write about the blessings of love. But what about the flip side? Lost love? Or clinging to those we love? Just as Christmas-time can be painful for many, so can Valentine’s Day. Sometimes it’s hard not to cling to the things or people we love. We…
You Are Only As “X” As You Want To Be
Here’s a phrase I’d like you to contemplate as we begin 2018: You are only as X as you want to be. That means: You are only as happy as you want to be. You are only as wealthy as you want to be. You are only as successful as you want to be. You…
Tending the Soul of the Earth
A version of this article first appeared in the December 2012 newsletter, but it remains timely! Enjoy. The idea of “tending the soul of the Earth” was first brought to my attention at the 2012 Science and Nonduality (SAND) conference in San Rafael, California. In several of his talks, Sufi teacher Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee stressed something…
The Uncertainty of the Now
Anyone who takes an interest in meditation and consciousness is probably familiar with the phrases “The Power of Now” and “Be Here Now” — titles of landmark books by Eckhart Tolle and Ram Dass (respectively). By letting go of our constant mind-jabber, which is usually focused on the past or the future, we can find…
Death — or Transition?
With Halloween and the Day of the Dead upon us, it seems like a good time to discuss the topic of death. What really happens when our physical body dies? While modern science and medicine is convinced that our physical bodies are all there is to us, every ancient culture and wisdom on Earth disagrees.…
Homeopathy — Ever Controversial
Homeopathy has aroused controversy ever since the time of Hahnemann — mostly because it posed a threat to the medical status quo. Yes, it has always been mocked as “ridiculous” by the powers-that-be within medical orthodoxy. But I believe that the outcry against homeopathy has been mostly motivated by the bottom line — that homeopathy…
How to Make Happiness a Habit
Most of us spend the majority of our time in an emotional state of mind that my teacher, Gary Sherman, calls our “baseline state.” Usually, this habitual way of being is established in childhood, often as a reaction to the underlying tone of our family home or, perhaps, various childhood traumas. The trouble is, our…