I have been reading self help books and attending various “spiritual growth” events  and workshops for many, many years.  I have devoured the writings of Rhonda Byrne, Eckhart Tolle, Don Miguel Ruiz, Alan Watts, Deepak Chopra, Ernest Holmes plus many books on Buddhism and Christianity. Last night, in a Nyquil induced daze, it occurred to me that all [...]

According to researchers, meditation can increase your brain matter, enhance your ability to empathize, and reduce sensitivity to pain. Using MRI scans, researchers at UCLA examined the brains of long term meditates and noticed that areas of the brain for regulating emotions were larger than non meditates. In another study, researchers found that people who meditate on compassion and kindness actually alter [...]

Since I started reading Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now”, I am trying to become fully present in my daily activities.  According to Tolle, by living in the present moment we can overcome the cause of many of our sufferings and eventually find inner peace… Let’s face it, I eat way too fast and  wolf down my dinner before everyone else. I am [...]

Many times we meet strangers along the way who cause us to pause, to remember who we are, why we are here, and think about where we are going. Last month, I met a soldier… I was coming back from speaking at the NSA’s National Convention in San Diego in July and had a stop [...]

Some people will do anything to escape the reality of their lives. With some, it’s drugs. With others, it’s identity, whether they identify with a belief or an activity or a relationship. I see the latter a lot – frightened egos trying to turn a relationship into a fortress. Look at the person you love [...]

Thinking about an email I received from a friend. After telling me the problems that some people close to us are having, my friend said, “Life is bumpy, isn’t it?” I replied that there is no reason that life shouldn’t be bumpy. Our suffering is not caused by the fact that life is hard, but [...]

If you watch any TV you’ve probably seen the ubiquitous commercials for the Snuggie™- A blanket with sleeves.  In the infomercial  you see attractive camera-ready men, women, and children blissfully smiling in their new found source of happiness. Suddenly, conundrums like “how do I answer the phone under a blanket?” are solved with the Snuggie™.  Life is perfect [...]