I appreciate the following words by Thich Nhat Hanh not only because I spent thirty years growing salad greens, but also because I often think about the dangerous human tendency to reflexively look for someone to blame when something happens that we don’t like.
Read MoreA central focus of my father’s remarkable healing and awakening journey was centered around uncovering the shortcomings of his mind. A brilliant inventor, my dad realized that he’d always glorified his brain, and that letting it “rule the entire kingdom” had kept him trapped in an endless cycle of suffering.
Read MoreAs someone who puts a lot of energy and determination toward achieving my goals, I have to constantly remind myself to stay flexible instead of falling into the familiar trap of plowing full steam ahead with blinders on. The following insights—gleaned from several articles that arrived in my inbox from DailyOM—have been helpful reminders not to resist the unexpected by viewing it as an obstacle. Instead, I’m trying to stay open to messages from the ever-changing universe, and welcome the unanticipated with more ease, excitement and curiosity.
Read MoreIt takes courage to be a human alive on planet earth. Everything we grow to love and rely on is always changing, and we can’t hang on to any of it forever, no matter how desperately we try. One reason I’m drawn to Buddhist philosophy is that it addresses the issue of impermanence head-on, explaining how much of our suffering comes from clinging to our desires and rejecting the truth of life as it actually is.
Read MoreFor today’s Pause to Ponder post, I want to share a short but powerful exercise I learned from Patrice Vecchione during our recent Quest “Write Your Mind Open” writing workshop. Before we started writing, Patrice asked participants to create a list of beliefs, attitudes or behavioral patterns that shut us down or hold us back—in relationships, writing, work, or any other arena of life.
Read MoreI’ve pondered the meaning of life since I was a young girl. I remember being outside in the countryside on a moonless night when I was eight. Looking up at the countless bright stars in the dark sky, I felt full to bursting with a fierce longing to comprehend the vastness of the universe and the meaning of life. I found my father and with great hope asked, “Daddy, why are we here?”
Read MoreWhat is wisdom? It definitely goes beyond the information our brain is constantly accumulating. Wisdom is somehow recognized by our entire body and soul as right, healthy and helpful—something that aligns us with a deeper, more timeless truth that helps us live with more peace and ease. I found the following description of wisdom by Yung Pueblo beautiful, so I wanted to share it with you.
Read MoreA huge part of my personal healing journey has been about developing the ability to fully embrace difficult emotions instead of trying to run away or suppress them, which is why I greatly appreciate the following wise words from Glennon Doyle on why we should stop resisting pain.
Read MoreToday’s Pause to Ponder post was excerpted from a chapter titled “Rest” from “Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words,” by poet and philosopher, David Whyte. In this gem of a book, Whyte dives into the meaning of 52 different words as he explores and illuminates the complex experience of being human.
Read MoreToday’s short Pause to Ponder post features a poem by the wise Lebanese-American writer, poet and artist, Kahlil Gibran. It’s from his book “The Prophet,” which was published in 1923 and has sold over 100 million copies worldwide.
Read MoreToday I’m sharing some wisdom from Diego Perez’s newest book, The Way Forward. Diego writes under the pen name Yung Pueblo, which means “young people.” The name is meant to convey an optimistic outlook for humanity—that we’re entering an era where many of us will experience expanded self-awareness, growth and healing.
Read MoreToday’s short Pause to Ponder post features beautiful wisdom about acceptance from the spiritual teacher Ram Dass, excerpted from one of his teachings shared by the Love Serve Remember Foundation.
Read MoreReal emotional maturity is how thoroughly you let yourself feel anything. Everything. Whatever comes… What you have to know is that suffering is just the refusal to accept what is. That’s it. Etymologically, it comes from the Latin word to “from below to bear.” Or, to “resist, endure, put under.” So healing is really just letting yourself feel.
Read More“People don’t like to feel envy. They feel like it’s kind of like a taboo. They don’t want to feel that. They think that they’re a bad person for feeling that. But actually, envy is very instructive, because envy tells us something about desire. I always say to people: Follow your envy. It tells you what you want.” —Lori Gottlieb
Read More“‘Expect anything worthwhile to take a long time.” This is borrowed from the wise and wonderful Debbie Millman, for it’s hard to better capture something so fundamental yet so impatiently overlooked in our culture of immediacy.” —Maria Popova’s blog, The Marginalian
Read More“If your happiness depends on your children being happy, that makes them your hostages. So stay out of their business, stop using them for your happiness, and be your own happiness. And that way you are the teacher for your children: someone who knows how to live a happy life.” —Byron Katie, from "Question Your Thinking, Change the World: Quotations from Byron Katie"
Read More“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice. Only in this moment can we discover that which is timeless. Only here can we find the love that we seek. Love in the past is simply memory, and love in the future is fantasy. Only in the reality of the present can we love, can we awaken, can we find peace and understanding and connection with ourselves and the world.” —Jack Kornfield, from A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life
Read More“The spiritual world provides a sense of wonder and a degree of open-mindedness not always found within the confines of science. The world of reason can be narrow and filled with dead ends, while a spiritual viewpoint is limitless and invites fantastic possibilities. The unseen world is boundless…“ —Rick Rubin, From The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Read More“Every time you’re given a choice between disappointing someone else and disappointing yourself, your duty is to disappoint that someone else. Your job, throughout your entire life, is to disappoint as many people as it takes to avoid disappointing yourself.” — Glennon Doyle, from Untamed
Read More“Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.” ― Eckhart Tolle
Read More
