Posts tagged with “wisdom”
How to Get to the Shore When You’re Drowning in Pain
“The intensity of the pain depends on the degree of resistance to the present moment.” ~Eckhart Tolle
Pain can feel like a dark cave with no light to help us find our way out. Or an ocean with waves so big we feel like we can’t ever swim to the shore. Peace is the place we arrive at when we swim to the shore, up and out of the pain we were drowning in. But how do we get there?
For most of us, the first thing we do when we’re in pain is look for somebody to join us …
Overcoming the Painful Desires and Beliefs That Feed Addiction
“Taking responsibility for your beliefs and judgments gives you the power to change them.” ~Byron Katie
I had spent five horrible years in and out of rehabs and support groups for my substance use problems. Along the way, there were a few periods where I cleaned up for six months, eight months, and almost a whole year one time, but nothing seemed to stick.
The worst part was that even with all of the painful effort it took to keep the drug and alcohol use going, and all of the painful consequences that were piling up, I was happier in …
The Secrets to Happiness: Lessons from a Toddler
“Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.” ~Chuang Tzu
My niece is nineteen months old and the most present person I have ever hung out with. If you have children or are around them, you know exactly what I am talking about.
I know you want more joy, health, and lasting happiness in your life, we all do.
Could it be that instead of only teaching our children the lessons of life perhaps we should let them teach us the lessons of happiness?
I don’t live in the same city as my niece so time with her is very …
5 Unusual Ways to Meditate for Simple Daily De-stressing
“Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” ~Joan Borysenko
Meditating even for just two minutes every day could help reduce your anxiety, calm your mind, and energize the senses. That’s two minutes of your twenty-four hours. Two minutes that could lengthen your life as you get rid of the negative energy surrounding you and welcome the positive.
Contrary to what you may think, meditation doesn’t have to be in an empty house or room overlooking gorgeous scenery. It would be a bonus, yes, but I have proven that you can clear your mind …
It’s a Great Day to Make a Mistake
Why are we so terrified of making mistakes? Why are we killing our creativity and curiosity with our desire for efficiency and conformity?
Today is a great day to make a mistake—and here’s why that’s a good thing.
Moving Beyond Pain to Find Happiness and Meaning
“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” ~ Unknown
Most of us have experienced a day or event in our life that changes us forever.
I remember that day vividly, and it still invokes incredible pain in my heart. It was the middle of the night in February. I was twelve years old, and I awoke to my mother screaming and crying to my brother that our dad was dying. He died in his sleep from a massive heart attack.
I will …
Accepting Imperfection and Making Peace with Our “Piece in Progress”
“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” ~Unknown
I’m back in New York City after touring for the last five years as a global musical scientist.
My international and domestic sonic experiments took me all over the world to exotic lands and faraway locales.
I climbed the Inca Trail for four days straight while combating altitude sickness, learning how to speak at low capacity oxygen levels (imagine Darth Vader), and hemoglobin adaptation became my mantra.
I also wrote and recorded a number one single in Copenhagen, Denmark. Likewise, I traveled …
Releasing Negative Beliefs: How Letting Go Sets Us Free
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~Andre Gide
I have walked on water.
The frozen wasteland known as Chicago had kept me inside, wary of the intense cold that was breaking records that particularly frigid winter. But after interminable snow days, I began to feel like a caged animal that needed to break free.
I woke early one morning, overcome with the urgent need to connect to something living, something wild. I wrapped myself in countless layers like the kid in The Christmas Story and ventured out into the …
Stop Waiting for Tomorrow: 3 Ways to Love Your Life Now
“Life always waits for some crisis to occur before revealing itself at its most brilliant.” ~Paul Coelho
My husband had been unemployed for more than two years before it hit me that I was dealing with it all wrong. During that time, I kept thinking that any day he would find a new job. And every day that went by I was disappointed, frustrated, unhappy, and even angry at times.
For two years I felt like we were in limbo. I was always thinking, “We’ll do this or that after he finds a job.” Everything seemed to be put on …
3 Tips to Get Out of Your Head and Start Expressing Yourself
“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” ~Bruce Lee
I have always been timid when it comes to expressing myself, speaking my mind, and standing up for something. This stems from being raised in a culture where showing emotions is frowned upon.
Nothing I ever did seemed good enough. There was constant criticism that I could do better, and be better. I was raised to never to talk back to my seniors and not to say anything when I had nothing nice to say.
So …
Grandma Betty: Inspiring 81-Year-Old Instagram Celebrity
She’s a “simple southern girl” who exudes joy, positivity, and hope, in spite of her lung cancer diagnosis—and in spite of having lost both her husband and daughter to cancer.
Grandma Betty has inspired more than half-a-million followers on Instagram with her infectious energy and smile. And now perhaps she’ll inspire you. She’s certainly inspired me.
When asked why she’s so happy, Grandma Betty responded, “I’m happy cause I’m living. And I’m taking one breath at a time. I don’t take no more. I take one breath and one step at a time.”
It’s a message we all need to …
Avoid the Pain of Emotional Eating and Transform Your Mood
“To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” ~William Londen
In essence, interconnectedness refers to the linkages between all things. Some even take it a step further and say that not only is everything linked, but in actuality, there are no real distinctions between you and me, between thought and behavior, or between past, present, and future.
On the surface, the concept of interconnectedness seems simple—everything is linked to everything else, and everyone is linked to everyone else. However, in practice, applying the concept of interconnectedness to the way I …
3 Self-Honoring Ways to Deal with Low-Energy Days
“Being who you are is another way of accepting yourself.” ~Unknown
A few months ago I woke up with what my good friend and I call “the rage.” I was automatically annoyed by the tone of people’s emails in my inbox. I was frustrated by the lack of response from others. My tea tasted too strong. I felt cooped up in the house. Need I go on?
So I went to the gym to increase my endorphins. I figured that a good workout would be the perfect cure-all.
It wasn’t. I left my HIIT (high intensity interval training) pleasantly exhausted …
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 