There’s no doubt in my mind that giving is the highest purpose. There’s so much we can give, whether it be material, intellectual, spiritual or energetic. Even when we’re poor in resources, the act of giving elevates us and reminds us that we’ve got far more that we realized. In fact, the act of giving is one of the most reliable ways there is to recognize the abundance that is ours. For me, the thing …
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“This human tendency to look for outer causes for our moods is the greatest addiction on our planet.” -Richard Rudd I’ve been teaching an acronym for quite some time called STOP. It says, never try to solve a problem, make a major life decision or resolve a conflict when you’re SAD, TIRED, OVERWHELMED or PISSED OFF. The point is that we often tie ourselves into knots trying to get closure through action, when we’re …
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“Everything has beauty. But not everyone sees it.” -Confuscius My friend, Barry, has perfected the art of sitting still on the back porch with a handful of birdseed long enough for a couple squirrels to climb into his lap and eat out of his hand. He thinks they’re about the cutest creatures he’s ever seen (trumped only by chipmunks, which he also attracts in a similar way). I’ve got another friend who hates squirrels, calling …
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The Buddha said, “If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re tired, sleep.” The implication is that you needn’t become a renunciate to reach enlightenment. You can practice mindfulness while simultaneously obeying the urges of your senses. But where is the line between obeying the urges of your senses and operating on the unconscious bidding of your addictions? For example, if we were to take the Buddha’s words and apply them to every human urge we experience, …
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“We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs.” -Bill Clinton As I move through the process of inviting people into my upcoming program, I’m reaching out to friends and colleagues quite a bit more than usual. I’ve been asking them if they’ll help spread the word by emailing and posting to their lists, talking about my material on their shows, and using any medium at their disposal to let people know …
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