If the unexamined life is not worth living, the unexamined mind is not worth having. Who are we? At the deepest sense of ourselves? What is this consciousness peering out at the world? And is it possible to turn our awareness back on itself? If we fail to look at ourselves, to understand who we truly are, to understand our unconscious thought patterns and habits, we are doomed to repeat…
There’s no aging. There’s just this moment. There’s no future. There’s no past. There’s no “I was young, and now I’m old.” This is all comparison. This is all an illusion. This is all the symptom of a mind that can’t focus on reality and is always comparing this to the past, my life to someone else’s who’s better. Be grateful for this moment as it is. Don’t worry about…
Why does someone else's success make us feel so crummy? Why do some people take pleasure in other people's successes, and other people become miserable with envy? We all know comparison is the thief of joy, so why do we still get jealous when scrolling through friends' vacation photos or seeing other people achieve big things or dealing with toxic colleagues? And most importantly, how can we be inspired by…
The Foundations of Conditioning Human Adaptability and Culture Human beings are the most remarkably adaptable species on Earth. We are blessed with the ability to adapt to any environment, location, and situation. A baby growing up in Spain will adapt to her culture and learn Spanish. A baby growing up in the Arctic will learn to icefish and speak Inuit. This adaptability gives us the variety of rich cultures and…
"Buddhism is not a religion, it is a way of life."Visit to a Himalayan Monastery: Sanctuary in Dharamsala, IndiaI'm going to tell you about the time I visited a Buddhist monastery in Dharamsala, India, which is the home of the Tibetan people in exile from Tibet. India has been very kind in letting the Tibetans have sanctuary in Dharamsala and McLeodGanj in northern India. Very few, if any, countries were…
Send me a message We quit on ourselves because we tied our confidence to the finish line. When the goal gets delayed, the confidence goes with it. If achievement is the only thing that makes us feel good, then 99% of our lives will feel like failure. The answer isn't smaller goals. It's moving where the good feeling comes from. Getting back up is the achievement. Real confidence comes from…
None of us are promised tomorrow, we are only promised this moment. Understanding why it is important to live in the present moment can turn that fear into beauty, making this instant far more precious and special. That can be scary, but it also makes this moment more beautiful, more precious, and more special. And while tomorrow’s uncertainty can be scary, the fact that this infinitely wondrous world is still…
Some people have such a loud voice in their head that they are unaware they have a voice at all. It has become so noisy and constant that they lack the awareness to hear it because they are completely lost in their thoughts. Only when a person sits down to meditate and turns their attention inward do they discover the presence of this unrelenting voice. This voice is inside us,…
For some people, they have a very consistent solo meditation practice and they find it very enjoyable and beneficial. I would never want to tell anyone that the meditation they love is not good enough. Any meditation is absolutely wonderful.But, many other people, they can find meditating alone to be more difficult. Whether deciding between morning vs evening meditation or simply trying to stay consistent, practice can present challenges. Moreover,…
Meditation is an antidote to modern life, and more people are beginning to understand its value every day. Much of the world is either planning a shift or has already stepped into this transformative practice. However, there are a few key "don'ts" to keep in mind before beginning your journey.How Not to Meditate: Is There a Wrong Way?Many people ask if there’s a "wrong" way to meditate. While it brings…
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