Your Side of the Story
The Art of Slow Living: How to Reclaim Your Peace and Joy
“In today’s rush, we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just being.” ~Eckhart Tolle
We’re going to start with a visualization exercise. Set a timer for one minute, close your eyes, and reflect on your happiest childhood memories…
I was born into a family of wanderers, individuals who held a deeply rooted love of travel, and an even deeper sense of adventure. My happiest childhood memories are the times when we packed up our suitcases and hit the road (or the sky or the sea).
In the quiet stillness of …
If You Don’t Like the Cards You Were Dealt…
“People are so caught up in their own negativity and losses that they give up on creating the future they want.” ~Grant Cardone
I have a friend. Let’s call him Ram. Ram is always angry because of the cards that he was dealt in life. He comes from a middle-class family that has no money or inheritance. He got a decent education but couldn’t go to a better college because his parents didn’t have the money to fund it.
He’s disappointed that his education has limited his opportunities. He’s frustrated that he has to spend money on public transport while …
3 Practices That Help Ease the Pain of Being Highly Empathetic
“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.” ~Walt Whitman
Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another’s experience and understand with depth the gravity of their situation. In general, I believe the world needs more empathy.
But I’ve learned over the course of my twenty-nine years that sometimes being a highly empathetic person is incredibly painful. And sometimes too much of a good thing is a bad thing.
Hearing stories of the pain that people experience can be extra painful when your mind tries to carry their pain around …
Pain, Suffering, Joy, Love—Meditation Helps Me Experience It All
“I know, things are getting tougher when I can’t get the top off the bottom of the barrel.” ~Jesse Michaels
No one thought I was going to live to see twenty. Including me. In fact, I vividly remember telling my father that it would be miraculous if I saw twenty-five. It wasn’t emotional. It was simply a statement of fact. And yet here I am—mid-thirties, wife, daughter, one on the way, house, job, sense of purpose. What happened?
I was one of those kids with questions. Big questions. “What does it all mean?” questions. I used to wonder what …
Understanding Is Love (and the World Needs More Love)
“Understanding is love’s other name. If you don’t understand you can’t love.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
I recently attended a weekend workshop, and there was a man in the group who always had a strange look on his face whenever we had to look for a partner to work with. I noticed that some people avoided him, like they didn’t want to work with him. Perhaps it was the vibe he gave off because of the way he looked at people.
At some point later in the weekend I sat with him. It was hard to put my finger on it, …
Our Odd Culture of Over-Sharing and the Quest to Be Relevant
“Be yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just be.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
We show off our best moments—another sunshine shot from the beach, big smiles, cocktails and all. We try to be controversial. We ride the wave of the latest trend, showing we’re ‘on point’ and ‘in the know.’ We follow in the slipstream of something clever or enlightened someone else has said, rewording a little as if it’s now ours to own.
We hit send. We repeat.
As …
My Favorite Tip to Ease the Pain of Grief
“It’s also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that’s sitting right here right now…with its aches and its pleasures…is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive.” ~Pema Chodron
Many people like to think of grief as an emotional experience. It’s something that dominates your internal, emotional space, and that’s it.
But it doesn’t take long when you’re in the thick of grief to experience grief that isn’t emotional at all.
You feel heavy. Like there’s a giant weight on your shoulders.
You feel like your legs are weak and shaking from …
What I Did When I Felt Lost and Purposeless
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” ~Lao Tzu
About a year ago, I came across an e-course titled “Find Your Purpose in 15 Minutes.” I found this course during a time when purpose was something I was actively looking for. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure what to do next, and without anything to work toward I was looking for a new motivation to pull me forward.
The e-course I stumbled upon represents a society increasingly concerned with fulfilling its destiny. There is an unsettling pressure, particularly from …
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