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No matter how enlightened and accepting we think we are, inside each one of us is a judgmental axe ready to fall.  And it’s very difficult to resist.  Our ego loves judgment because it gives us a sense of being right and superior. The problem is, it doesn’t move us forward. It’s just a way of spinning our selfish wheels. Every time we spend our precious mental energy speculating…

Buddhists remind us that happiness or suffering is dependent on how we relate to the present moment.  And so, if somewhere nervously out at the periphery of our minds, we would rather belong somewhere else, that’s going to cause us pain.  The goal is to give up of all hope of alternatives to the present moment. The goal is to reach a place of enduring contentment with ourselves.  It’s…

My truest moments of community have always seemed to work in the following way.  Everybody starts by laying down their cross. Confident that their suffering is the heaviest. Convinced that they would trade places with anyone if they could. But once they take a look around, once they really feel the weight of the suffering other people have been carrying, they reach down and pick their cross right back…

They were the dream company to work for.  Everything about this consulting firm, from the people to the process to the perspective to the product, screamed my name. It was a perfect fit.  Their circus must meet my monkeys.  And so, let the courtship begin.  I started reaching out with a steady campaign of emails, proposals, social media outreach and even a few face to face interviews with internal hiring managers. …

The frustrating thing about growth is, it comes on its own terms and in its own time.  It’s realized at nature’s pace and speed, not ours.  And so, growth is less intentional and more incidental. We don’t try to grow, per se. We simply accept ourselves as we are, and then we grow automatically.  A few years ago when my left wrist injury kept me from performing locust posture, my first…

Whatever thing you’re afraid of, it’s merely an ancestor of something deeper and stronger and more human than you realize.  And if you don’t follow that fear down the chain, you’ll never uncover the truth about yourself.  Like when you’re running twenty minutes late for work and suddenly your whole body is sweating so you start power walking down the street, weaving in and out of traffic, hurdling over…

When I published my first book as a fresh faced, unknown author, my initial print run was three thousand copies.  That was a lot.  Not only did I have to borrow money from my parents to underwrite production, but I also had to store most of my inventory in their basement.  But little did I know at the time, the average book in this country only sells maybe a…

The hard part about asking for what we need is, we must first be aware of what our needs actually are.  And before that, we must believe that we are entitled to express those needs.  And even before that, we must accept ourselves as people who even have needs in the first place.  Such a complicated issue. Especially when your personality style is conflict avoidant and peace making and people…

Relaxing doesn’t necessarily mean taking a long nap.  It simply means doing things that calm and soothe your mind, body and soul.  Like my meditation teacher once said, relaxation is a native plant that grows in your own backyard.  In fact, the word relax simple means to loosen and become less formal and decrease tension.  The goal, then, is to engage in relaxation activities that are uniquely appealing to us. Whatever…

When we’re feeling troubled, we assume that our pain will last forever.  Peace of mind appears to be gone for good, and any victories we achieved by facing and conquering our problems in the past are forgotten like a bad dream.  That’s the curse of negativity. It stops us from loving ourselves. It keeps us from believing that there is a tomorrow that can turn it all around.  When…