Letting Go Is Freedom
The Amazing Power of Listening to Your Inner Critic
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ~Aristotle
Over the past few years, I began to feel a shift in my career. Despite spending years earning certifications and degrees and building skills, my work no longer felt meaningful.
As I contemplated a change, a persistent thought echoed in my mind: “Why can’t you just be grateful for what you have?” I had many things to be grateful for, yet I wasn’t happy and constantly judged myself for it. After months of unsuccessfully trying to push this thought away, I decided to sit with the feeling of guilt and approach …
How to Navigate Loss and Fear and Emerge Resilient
“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ~Lao Tzu
Sailing on a beautiful day in calm seas can feel like a spiritual experience and can convince your senses that life should always be like this.
My family life was smooth sailing for many years. My husband and I were committed to our family and our responsibilities of building and running our businesses, leaving little time for anything else. Gradually, the weather changed, and we found ourselves in the uncharted, turbulent waters of divorce.
I was unprepared for the toll it would take. My anxiety caused me to lose weight, …
How to Find the Gold When Everything Falls Away
“To stay with that shakiness—to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness—that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—that is the spiritual path.” ~Pema Chödrön
Sixteen years ago, when everything familiar fell away, I felt desperate for spiritual answers. I bartered with a woman who called herself a quantum healer. When I explained I didn’t have enough money to cover rent, bills, and food, she scoffed, “Well, you have to have money to be spiritual.”…
4 Powerful Ways to Master the Art of Living with Uncertainty
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” ~John Allen Paulos
Uncertainty has always been a fact of life, but I think we can all agree that its looming presence seems to be more potent than ever.
As if the uncertainties of personal matters—finding love, holding down a job, raising healthy kids—weren’t challenging enough, now we’re facing political, environmental, and technological uncertainties on a scale not previously known.
Polarizing figures are running for office and winning.
Heat domes and super blizzards are disrupting our quality of life.
Artificial …
The Most Useful Mindfulness Technique I Know
“This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.” ~Rumi
When people start out with mindfulness, they want to feel better. They want all the worried, angry, or regretful thoughts to pipe down a little and stop making them feel so bad.
That’s great, as far as it goes, and mindfulness can deliver it if you practice consistently. But there’s something even better on offer, and it both is and isn’t about feeling better.
I learned this on an intensive meditation retreat.
There I was, excited to be there and ready to attain states of bliss, …
How to Prevent Your Ego from Running Your Life
“The ego is not master in its own house.” ~Sigmund Freud
What does that mean? If the ego is not in charge, who is?
Before diving deeper, let me tell you this story.
That Little Voice Again
My jaw tightened, and I couldn’t sit still. Anyone could see that the conversation was heading south. As I was fiddling with my car keys, a little distracted, a very distinct, persistent little voice pushed me to interrupt my sister.
Go ahead. Say it! Make her stop talking!
Like a broken cassette, the words you are wrong kept looping in my …
Miraculous Empath Breakthrough: My Mother’s Cancer Gift
“Humbleness, forgiveness, clarity, and love are the dynamics of freedom. They are the foundations of authentic power.” ~Gary Zukav
Last July, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and began chemotherapy. She asked if I could stay and help her through the treatments.
Our relationship had always been strained—she was judgmental of my nomadic lifestyle and often spoke in a way that left me feeling demoralized and degraded. As an empath, this criticism was particularly hard to bear. I would feel an instant shock, like an infusion of toxic poison flowing through my veins, triggering a strong desire to …
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