“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” ~Gandhi
Both the industrial and digital revolutions promised increased productivity, meaning people could work less and live a more balanced life. We all know that’s not how history has played out.…
“To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is: a dissatisfaction with self.” ~Joan Didion
I like to think of myself as a realist. I realize it sounds good to recommend fighting envy with gratitude. As in, “Don’t …
“I am not what happens to me. I choose who I become.” ~Carl Jung
Recently I experienced a big shock, the kind that most of us don’t encounter very often.
I was with a friend when I discovered evidence of …
“It is better to travel well than to arrive.” ~Buddha
I have this thing about road trips. I love them, can’t get enough of them. I could never step on another airplane for as long as I live and be …
“Be present. It is the only thing that matters.” ~Peaceful Warrior
Technology pervades our world. From cell phones and laptops to iPods and digital cameras, the average person owns an arsenal of gadgets that, in many ways, simplify life.
You …
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” ~Buddha
You experience and create all kinds of different energies that affect how you feel and what you accomplish …
“Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.” -Charles Swindoll
One day everything seems great in your world—maybe not perfect, but overall things are going to plan. And then something happens.
You …
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” ~John Allen Paulos
I used to love uncertainty. I wandered my way all around this country with little more than a suitcase …
“The only Zen you find on tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.” ~Robert M. Persig
We live in a fast-paced, achievement-oriented society. At the end of a busy, to-do-list-focused day, we often find ourselves mentally and …
“It is easy when we are in prosperity to give advice to the afflicted.” ~Aeschylus
Earlier this year I got some feedback from the ‘tween magazine I wrote for: “It sounds like good advice, but kids probably won’t do any …
“It’s really important to be able to receive love and receive compassion. It is as important as being able to give it.” ~Pema Chodron
Yesterday morning two of the correspondents on the news in Boston (where I’m home for the …
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ~Dalai Lama
It’s a well-known fact that the holidays bring on the blues. According to the National Mental Health Association, reasons for feeling blue around the holidays …
“Give yourself permission to immediately walk away from anything that gives you bad vibes. There is no need to explain or make sense of it. Just trust what you feel.” ~Unknown
Last year I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with …
When I first sat down to write this piece for 5 Rules for Life, I wrote “Live without rules” five times, each followed by a reason to keep your approach to life flexible.
The way you live is …
“We must never assume that which is incapable of proof.” ~Unknown
You can never truly know someone else’s intentions.
If a coworker offers to cover your shift, she may be trying to ease your stress—or she could be vying for …
“If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.” ~Ajahn Chah
Eckhart Tolle believes we create and maintain problems because they give us a …
“Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are.” ~Julius Charles Hare
I admit, I have a beautiful life. I don’t mean to brag, but I love the life I have and there is …
“The biggest problem for humanity, not only on a global level, but even for individuals, is misunderstanding.” ~Rinpoche
Someone cuts you off in traffic.
What a jerk!
A date stands you up.
She obviously doesn’t like you.
Your colleague gives …
“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” ~Unknown
Even though I couldn’t possibly care less about oil-based raincoats, I listened to him talk for about fifteen minutes one rainy morning …
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~Dr. Seuss
As children we’re taught to just say no, and we do it with abandon.
Want to come …
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