“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Your mornings set the tone for the rest of the day. We all know this. If you get off to a bad start, oftentimes the rest of your day follows suit.
The …
“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” ~Pema Chodron
In my twenties I had dreams that I could fly. Literally. In my mind’s eye, I had a vision of …
“The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.” -~Pema Chodron
These past few years, I’ve focused on education and passing the required exams to get into university. I had my mind set on where I …
“Don’t wait for your feelings to change to take action. Take action and your feelings will change.” ~Barbara Baron
Paul and I had been acquaintances for eight years. When I opened the door to his office one afternoon to offer …
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~Helen Keller
My patient, John Done, rolled in by ambulance from his home in rural Oregon. As his story unfolded I understood why the nurses and ER doctors …
“Appreciation is an excellent thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us, as well.” ~Voltaire
Halloween is the coming attractions preview of the holidays. Those little witches, ghosts, and goblins will soon morph into angels, wise men, …
“Growth begins when we begin to accept our weaknesses.” ~Jean Vanier
I went out with my mom this Sunday, a beautiful, sunny, fall day in San Francisco. As we sat on a bench looking out over the bay and ate …
“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ~Proverb
Two years ago, after hearing Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project, talk about setting up …
“It isn’t what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it’s what we say to ourselves about what happens.” ~Pema Chodron
I remember when I first read the pathology report on my patient, Mr. Jackson (name changed), my stomach …
“We all have problems. The way we solve them is what makes us different.” ~Unknown
Have you ever experienced times when you go through just one bad thing after another? When it seems like the world is out to get …
“Life is a choice.” ~Unknown
I’ve recently realized that life is a never-ending stream of choices, even when you think you don’t have many options.
Some look insignificant on their own but somehow manage to contribute to a massive whole. …
“Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.” ~Unknown
My friend Kayla and I ran a student organization together at our graduate school. One day, we were sitting at the local café, talking about plans …
To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Many people I talk with feel that they have no joy in their life. They feel obligated …
“Don’t let today’s disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow’s dreams.” ~Unknown
For the past few days, I have been thinking about my orange tree. Every year, we ignore it completely, and it generously gives us bounteous amounts of sweet oranges. …
“Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” ~John Lennon
I am someone who enjoys doing a lot of different things, and yet I don’t always enjoy being busy. Sometimes when my schedule gets full, I feel almost …
“The person who lives life fully, glowing with life’s energy, is the person who lives a successful life.” ~Daisaku Ikeda
In everything we do, we seek happiness. Or at least what we think will bring happiness.
But this goal can …
“Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~Buddha
Thank you for this food we are about to eat.
Many of us grew up with families who began each meal with a blessing. These …
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
Up until my early twenties, I carried around a lot of anger toward someone in my life. I’d been hurt by a person I trusted, and …
“Don’t let today’s disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow’s dreams.” ~Unknown
One of the most difficult parts of reaching your goals or making positive change is pushing through discomfort.
This is where a lot of people give up—when the process …
“This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival” ~Rumi
Not more than half an hour ago, I was, in a very typical fashion, struggling and getting frustrated trying to gather my thoughts for this post. I …
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