You are trapped. Not in a physical cage, but in a mental one. Luckily, this is a cage of our own making, and we each possess the key to freedom.The cage is made of our conditioned likes and dislikes. We think they are not conditioned, that they are natural, innate to us. But they are all conditioned, and they can be changed. I used to hate olives and cilantro. They made…
If you pull out your phone to avoid your emotions, you are not ready to pull out your phone. Everything you do on your phone will be neurotic, dependency-based, and ultimately destructive.Imagine you find out your car is in need of repair. It’s starting to make a weird noise. Instead of having a mechanic fix it, you fill up the gas tank with sand. This is what we are doing…
We are an outward-focused species. We believe that fortunate circumstances will make us happy. On vacation, we’re supposed to be happy and the rest of the year is supposed to be a struggle. But what kind of life will we lead when only the extraordinary brings us joy? Whatever we do frequently becomes ordinary, so even the extraordinary will quickly become dull to us.Rather than waiting for an extraordinary vacation to be…
Isn’t it funny that scientists are now thinking we live in a simulation, when it’s like, “Yeah, we are living in a simulation. Our mind simulates reality.” The observation by scientists is astute, but it doesn’t mean we’re inside a computer. It means that we live inside our head.Every single thing we experience in this physical universe is experienced inside our mind. It is the result of our eyes, ears…
We all know that one man’s trash is another’s treasure. But did you know that one man’s wealth is another’s trash? Here’s what I mean by that. We all have blessings in this world. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you have, you are blessed to be alive in this world. The only difference between living in blessings and living in misery is the story we tell…
As you may know, a few years back while I was out of the country, the people closest to me stole all of my most valuable possessions. Naturally, upon refusing to give them back, that kind of thing ends a relationship. But in that act of selfishness, I lost a lot more than the relationship or my valuables.With the relationship severed and irreconcilable, I lost everything I had from my…
Our world is rapidly changing. We have very close elections and the results can have a massive impact. The world may not look much like what it used to. The demographics and the opinions of the population can swing dramatically. Some changes are good, some may be temporary setbacks (which may in the long run be a blessing in disguise), and other changes are too soon to tell.I was watching…
If you’ve seen my recent social media posts, you’ll know that my diary was stolen out of my hotel in Thailand. They took my whole camera bag which had memory cards full of photos, my expensive Nikon camera, and my journal full of my most personal thoughts, stories and struggles.At first when it happened, I was very angry. I felt violated, exposed, and naked. I knew the thief probably didn’t…
Why should I change myself to become better if I have nobody in my life? This is a two-pronged question. Because when we say "better," what do we really mean? And that word, better, means two things to the person who asked this question. Better in the sense of, "I want to feel better. I want my mind to stop fighting me. I want to be happier, healthier, and better…
We live in a world that, at times, can seem to celebrate and reward the greediest among us. We live by our own code of values and morals, yet we see people who are unencumbered by ethics get ahead and who seemingly don't have a care in the world.But the truth is, there is a greater joy than the fleeting pleasure of accumulation. There is a greater and lasting peace…
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