“I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” -Abraham Lincoln I was just performing a hypnosis show for a group of Orthodox Jewish kids at a summer camp in Pennsylvania. They dress so differently and have such different lives from mine that it was initially a little strange. It didn’t take long, though, to discover that these were just kids like any other. They’re enthusiastic, alive, inquisitive and delightful. Once I …
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“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” -Oprah Winfrey There’s a thin line, and we cross it all the time without realizing it. We start out passionate about our goals and dreams, and somewhere down the line find ourselves slaving away to accomplish them, devoid of the joy that comes from passion. From the outside, passion and attachment to outcomes looks the same. Even to yourself, they may …
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As I write this, I’m sitting in the waiting room of the pain clinic of our local hospital. I’m waiting for my friend, Barry, to get an epidural injection for chronic back pain. It’s early, and I’m still in semi-sleep mode. Still, he needs me, so I’m here. Let me think out loud with you for a few minutes. This isn’t a “planned message.” I don’t have a clear point; not that I know of… …
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“Discipline is freedom.” -Ram Dass There’s nothing more toxic and self-righteous than the arrogant cry of an immature person justifying an unconscious act with the words, “It’s a free country!” We hear that from angry teens all the time. The presumption is that freedom is about doing what you want when you want, without concern for consequences to you or anyone else. But is that really freedom? The freedom to live a happy and successful …
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“The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.” -Carlos Castaneda Every June, I perform hypnosis and magic shows for high school drug-free all-nighters. Driving there, I’m often exhausted and resistant. Yet when I hit the stage, I get a surge of happiness and energy that lasts for hours after the show. Where does energy come from? How can we …
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