After meeting his shaman in Chile who told him to follow his heart, Todd returned to his NYC life. He was a highly awarded Creative Director at the world's largest ad agency, all by the age of 31. Hear what possessed him to leave it all behind in search of meaning and purpose. On this podcast, we'll be sharing stories and spiritual lessons from throughout his 9 year journey. So…
Q: Dear Todd, is the sense of self true nature? Or just an inevitable delusion of perspectivized consciousness?Todd Answers: I would say that our sense of self is merely the turning of our consciousness back onto itself so that it can experience itself. This is how we can know ourselves — our true selves, our essence.When we look for ourselves and we peer through the thoughts, the sense-objects, and the…
Q: Dear Todd, “All suffering exists in the mind” leaves out the heart and the intuition part. Any thoughts?TODD ANSWERS: The heart and the gut (intuition) are essential to empathy and healthy emotions. From my experience, suffering most often starts in the mind and then our heart begins to ache. Emotions are where we feel our thoughts. Occasionally, like as in physical pain, our brain receives the pain signals and…
The distinction between a sensory pleasure being hedonistic and a beautiful experience lies in the depth and nature of the encounter. While both involve a heightened sense of enjoyment, they diverge in their underlying qualities and the impact they have on one's well-being.A sensory pleasure is often hedonistic when it prioritizes immediate gratification and indulgence in sensory stimuli. This could include the enjoyment derived from taste, touch, sight, sound, or…
Q: Dear Todd, how to take life seriously?TODD ANSWERS: When we wonder whether we are taking life too seriously or not enough, we are stuck in the middle of two polarities. The key to breaking free is to not take life at all. That's right. Just leave it be. None of us are so powerful as to be able to control the many forces of the universe that were set…
Q: Dear Todd, the more awareness I have, the more I see the resistance towards the situation, the people, the work, and the place. I meditated and changed my attitude case by case, bit by bit. Recently my depression is coming back, and I can't even sit still to meditate. Just started the medication. Any advice?TODD ANSWERS: First off, that's incredible that you were able to do that and see…
The idea that everything outside of oneself is a projection can be a complex concept to grapple with, especially when faced with the harsh realities of crime, suffering, and cruelty in the world. It's essential to approach this perspective with nuance and recognize the interplay of various factors.Q: Dear Todd, if everything outside of me is a projection of myself, then what does it mean when I see the crime…
What is the nature of attachments? Why do we develop them if they only cause suffering? How do we break free from the grip of attachments and how do we still form healthy and loving bonds? These are the questions we delve into in today's podcast.
Q: Dear Todd, how to meditate without a motiveTODD ANSWERS: Meditation doesn’t need to come with any motive or goal in mind. We may be driven to learn and practice meditation to quit an addiction or to become happier or more focused. But even if it’s just curiosity, that’s a motivation. Something inside you made you wonder if there was more to life, if a greater level of happiness was…
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”On trial for corrupting the minds of his students, for which he was sentenced to death, Socrates defended himself by saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”While many scholars may see this phrase as evidence that he meant we should sit around lost in thought, I believe Socrates was pointing to something much deeper. To examine, we must observe. To observe, we must…
“I thought my biggest fear was growing old and dying in prison. In truth, my biggest fear was growing old and not knowing myself.”
- Rick Smith, Albama inmate
Path to Peace - A newsletter not just for your mental health but also for your spiritual health.
