What Are You Taking for Granted Right Now?

We all have these most advanced, incredible bodies of infinite potential. When we lose our gratefulness, we lose sight of our infinite nature. Instead of seeing infinite possibilities, we see only obstacles. But when we are grateful for ourselves, we know we can overcome anything, that there is nothing that somebody else has that we do not possess in terms of our inner ability. Every single one of us wins.…

Are You Seeing Reality, or Your Interpretation of It?

We think we see the world as it is. But we see the world as we interpret it to be, and that interpretation is everything. If we see a picture in the newspaper, and it is a woman crying in front of a burned house, and the caption says, “Woman saved by neighbor,” and we read that and realize this is a happy moment, this isn't a tragic loss. But…

How To Be Grateful When Bad Things Happen

A few years ago, I was driving to Michigan to go to my best friend's wedding when I got a call a few hours out of town that there was a fire. I got a call from this fireman, and he asked if I lived in the unit where the fire was. I told him no. And he said, “Okay, good, good, good.” Then he called back and said, “I…

Minimalism Is Not About Less, It’s About Appreciation

Minimalism is a practice that can really help us appreciate what we have and be very mindful about what we need, what we want, and what isn't contributing to our well-being. So often we're surrounded by stuff that we don't want, that we'll never use, and that is just creating clutter in our house, in our lives, and in our minds. So if we start to really notice what we…

Can Practicing Gratitude Lead to Toxic Positivity?

Forcing gratitude on people, especially people in pain, can be harmful. Nobody should be told to “stay positive” or “just be grateful” when they are going through trauma or real suffering. To truly help someone: We cannot deny their pain. We cannot push delusion, denial, or false hope. We must face the truth directly. Stress, fear, trauma — all of it needs to be felt, acknowledged, and understood. Ignoring it…

Everything I Was Grateful For Is Gone

It’s important to understand that listing gratitudes is a symptom of a grateful mindset, not the cause of it. If our list contains things that can be taken away — money, people, achievements — then losing them feels like gratitude failed us. But real gratitude is not based on possessions. Real gratitude can be for: Life itself Breath in your body Sound Sight Warmth A moment of peace Anything that…

3 incredible opportunities for deep meditation every day

Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate!Every year, I think about the inner freedom America’s Founding Fathers displayed when they envisioned a new form of government built on the ideals of liberty and equality. They first threw off the shackles of tyranny in their own minds so their creative spirit could imagine a better way forward. The conditions of political freedom were not prerequisites for their flourishing. In fact, it…

The Narrator of Your Life Is You

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…

Looking Back, I Wish I Knew This Sooner

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…

How to Find Peace When Nothing Feels Good Enough

There was this woman I knew. She was very wealthy, and she had the perfect life. On paper, and from the outside looking in, everyone would say that’s the American dream. But this person was never happy. She was always focused on the negative. If she went to a five-star hotel, she would change rooms three or four times — because the wallpaper might have been peeling a little, or…