Many of us organize our days around a to do list. Sometimes we write it down and check off competed items with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Or perhaps we note with disappointment the items that remain unfinished or even unstarted at the end of the day. Whether our list is written or simply […]
Breathe deeply, until sweet air extinguishes the burn of fear in your lungs and every breath is a beautiful refusal to become anything less than infinite. ~D. Antoinette Foy Lately, I’ve been feeling some anxiety. Not debilitating or overwhelming, but anxiety is not something I typically experience, so I’ve noticed it and wondered about its
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ~Isaiah 30:21 Lately, I have witnessed several people agonizing over choices. True, the decisions in question were important life-direction decisions leading to very different paths, not choices to take
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In the movie Black Panther, Nakia tells T’Challa, “You can’t let your father’s mistakes define who you are. You get to decide what kind of king you are going to be.” I loved the whole movie, but this line is what stuck with me. So many of us are shackled, limited, burdened by our history.
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I accept my destiny to walk this earth awake and at peace, in mastery and not in fear. ~The Way of Mastery How do we walk through our lives? How do we walk through a single day? What guides our steps? Too many of us are driven by fear, by shoulds, by musts, by must
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Years ago, I was standing on a sidewalk in Paris, close to a line of cars parked along the curb, chatting with some friends. Suddenly a deep voice bellowed from the car closest to me. “Step away from the car! Step away from the car!” I didn’t just step, I leapt several feet, crashing into
I am never upset for the reason I think. ~A Course in Miracles What happens when we feel disturbed? The mind starts thinking. Emotions flood the body with sensation. At least that is what happened to me recently when I got upset after a conversation with someone. I was upset about what the other person
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Years ago, I happened to be at a church service where a pastor candidate was giving what I called an “audition sermon.” After the service, the congregation was invited to stay and ask questions. One woman, concerned about dwindling church membership, asked, “What are your plans to grow the church?” The candidate paused, and with
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When an item is sold “as is,” it means that there is no warranty. The buyer accepts the item in its current condition and assumes all responsibility for whatever happens, understanding that there are no promises or guarantees about how long or how well the item will perform. Life is like that, I think. Somehow,
For by their fruits you shall know them. ~Matthew 7:16 The Bible teaches that we know who people are by their fruits. I’ve been thinking about that lately. By what characteristics do we measure people? What are the qualities manifested by those we hold up as beacons of holiness or enlightenment? What are the attributes
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I was watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas with my grandchild recently (for the umpteenth time). Every time I see this movie, I’m reminded of its simple message about the holidays. Even when all is lost (spoiler alert), the Whos down in Whoville remember that the true gifts we give each other come from the
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All life is your guru. There is absolutely nothing that does not reflect the perfection of creation and the power of love that created it. The very cells of your body vibrate in harmony with all that is. Your understanding or your lack of understanding changes nothing. But your experience changes everything. Once remembrance is
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Talk less, listen moreJudge less, love more A mantra is a word or short phrase that focuses your attention. It can be a sacred mantra that connects you to the divine. It can be a brief, inspiring quote. It can be a reminder or guide to keep you focused on what is most important to
Everything we hold on to will be relinquished. The people we love, the things we have, the beliefs we defend, the identities we treasure, the bodies we inhabit – all will be left behind. Like the great closing sale of life – everything must go! Every loss we fear will come to pass. What does
Recently I invited a friend to join me in an activity I had planned for the two of us. I had an idea of how this would all go, but when my friend showed up, she had a very different idea. Taken a bit by surprise, and thrown off balance for a moment, I did
Not once but twice in recent weeks I caught myself being judgmental in a way that surprised me. Both times, my judgment was based on a narrative, a story I was telling myself about things I had observed. At its inception an observation is neutral, but then we quickly start embellishing it with interpretations and
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Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Sometimes life brings us a gift of such overwhelming magnitude that it’s hard to resist trying to make sense of it in our rational minds. Our minds are dedicated in their mission to label, categorize, explain, and construct narrative, to fit everything neatly into an organized system
This phrase has been helping me stay focused. Jack Kornfield attributes it to his Buddhist teacher Achaan Chah as an encouragement to commit oneself to meditation. In that sense it is an admonition to literally sit on the seat of your meditation cushion. To me, however, it is also a reminder to figuratively take the
I ran across this phrase recently. It caught my attention because I love the word abide. Looking up its etymology, I found that it carries with it a sense of “waiting onward.” I loved that too. Not waiting passively or impatiently, but with an attitude of alert attention, open receptivity, readiness to engage fully with
I haven’t had a word of the year for a decade. In an illustration of cosmic humor of the universe, my last word of the year was in 2013 and my word was “wait.” But as 2013 came to a close, no new word came for 2014. Now, ten years later, as 2023 drew to
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