“To be alive is to totally and openly participate in the simplicity and elegance of here and now.” ~Donald Altman
Embodied presence probably sounds superfluous. How else would we be present but in the body? If we leave our bodies, then we are by definition deceased. No longer present.
The simplicity of this embodied presence idea belies its depth though.… Read More
“If you learn from a loss you have not lost.” ~Austin O’Malley
Every experience, including every loss, has something to teach us even when we are not up for a lesson.
Losing one of my pets has been a chance for me to reflect on the value of the present, and has strengthened my commitment to engaging in each moment and not letting my worries and anticipation erode the possibilities of the now.… Read More
“I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety in order to be light and free.” ~Thich Nhat Han
My dad had been ill, in and out of the hospital for a couple of weeks, when my mother called with news that he had been airlifted from their local hospital to a larger regional medical center.… Read More
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” ~Dalai Lama
“I wish I could do it all over again,” said my grandmother on her 60th wedding anniversary.
“Really?” I asked.
A small smile crossed her face as she replied, “Yes. Because when you enjoy your life—when you really enjoy your life—it just goes by so fast.… Read More
“Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth.” ~Iyanla Vanzant
Have you ever had an experience that took you to emotional rock bottom? One that left you drained, broken, and totally numb?… Read More
“Nothing reduces the odds against you like ignoring them.” ~Robert Brault
Do you ever wake up feeling like you’re battling yourself?
What’s worse is waking up in that battle and feeling like you’ve already lost before you’ve even started the day.
But think about that for a second: isn’t living this way crazy?… Read More
“Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.” ~Richard Bach
There are times when nothing seems to move in the right direction. It is either stuck or goes from chaos to confusion. Days follow nights as pages on the calendar turn into months, but you remain at the same place.… Read More
“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” ~Rodin
When I was in college, I knew what to do and everything clicked along.
But as graduation approached, I got nervous.
I’d always assumed that some “good job” would turn up when I got out of school. But now it was in my face that I had no idea where I was going.… Read More
“When we come close to those things that break us down, we touch those things that also break us open. And in that breaking open, we uncover our true nature.” ~Wayne Muller
As someone with a serious chronic medical condition, I have danced with mortality. Many times. It wasn’t until our most recent pas de deux, however, that I truly understood just how much this dance could impact me.… Read More
“If you surrender completely to the moment as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Last week on Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend Ehren and I had a meeting we’d both spent months working toward.
After writing and rewriting a romantic comedy screenplay for over a year, and consulting with a screenwriter friend to improve it, we’d finally secured a meeting with an agent—her agent.… Read More
“Freedom is instantaneous the moment we accept things as they are.” ~Karen Maezen Miller
The world is filled with people who work hard at being positive, peaceful, and more spiritual and who then feel bad when they don’t measure up. I know because I used to be one of them. And I still am from time to time.… Read More
“Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” ~Joan Borysenko
Every day I meet with people who are stressed and want things to be different. I also encounter people who are so distressed they’ve accepted suffering’s dominion over their life. Almost all, however, are interested in the concept of change.… Read More
“Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.” ~John De Paola
My almost three year old, Willow, is obsessed with playing doctor.
She lies on the couch, hands down at her sides. She hands me a small flashlight and a toy frying pan (which I’m told to pretend is a stethoscope) and orders, “Check me out, Doctor Mommy!”
She methodically points out every scratch, scrape, bruise, and freckle on her body.… Read More
“Peace is not merely a distant goal we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.
Stress equals success.
I wholeheartedly believed this for many years. Who had led me so astray? I have only myself to blame.
The concept of peace had no practical application in my life.… Read More
“The future is always beginning now.” ~Mark Strand
Do you ever feel like there’s something missing in your life? It feels like you’re always waiting for something to arrive. You want the future to come, because it’s better there.
But that’s all wrong.
The future is an illusion. It’s just a concept in your head.… Read More
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” ~Gandhi
I have always been a person who wants to be one step ahead. I think my parents would say that I liked to push the boundaries. I wanted to experience many things, and I wanted to experience them quickly.
When my brother went to sleep-away camp, I had to go the next year despite being three years younger than him.… Read More
“Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” ~Albert Einstein
I feel grateful to be a writer not only because I love to write, but also because writing has been one of my greatest spiritual teachers. Challenges I face as a writer teach me important life lessons, just as life teaches me lessons I can apply to my writing.… Read More
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance” ~Alan Watts
My obsession at an early age became to follow my heart—a life’s search for meaning, adventure, and enlightenment.
This search has been remarkable, a journey that has brought me to fascinating places for extended stays (Japan, the UK, Australia, you name the place) and has led me to relationships with some of the most interesting, loving people from around the globe.… Read More
“If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.” ~Unknown
I was entering a completely new stage in my life. It could have been the beginning of something great, but it was entirely foreign to me. I could handle being productive, I could handle struggling to survive, but what was hard to handle was wading through the unknown.… Read More
“Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you resist, persists.” ~Eckhart Tolle
Sunday started out with a panic attack.
It wasn’t little butterflies in the stomach like right before a first kiss. It wasn’t the feeling of anticipation as a roller coaster slowly climbs the big hill before the drop.
This panic attack felt like I was about to jump off a cliff while being chased by clowns.… Read More
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