When I left yet another 'good job' to go and live on the island, confusion reigned. 'Why would she do that? Where is she going to this time?' And through all of this I was just thinking with excitement, 'I'm going to live on an island!'

Most of us find it difficult to change things. If you look at ordinary life and ordinary people, you will discover that they also find it very difficult to change things. Some people haven’t changed since they left school. At eighty years old they are still the same as when they left school...

We all have intense desires that we experience as needs. I know that I have very real needs that go beyond basic survival. And I know that getting these needs met has a higher priority than getting my wants and desires satisfied.

When you catch yourself complaining about the weather, stop. Sim­ply say, “Really? I love this weather.” Usually that produces a shock effect. Remember that all kinds of weather are necessary to keep this earth healthy. So...

What does Buddhism mean by non-attachment? Many people think the idea of detachment, non-attachment, or non-clinging is very cold. This is because they confuse attachment with love. But attachment isn’t genuine love — it’s just self-love.

Some people have a Life Purpose that just affects a few, while others are spiritually contracted to help thousands of people. Just like in an orchestra, every player is equally important. The piccolo player and the first violinist are both crucial to the music's orchestration.

It is becoming clear to me that the way most of us have lived our lives has not been in harmony with the way the universe intended. It seems that we have somehow lost touch with the loving flow of life, our rhythm of being, our sense of peacefulness about ourselves and satisfaction with what we are and what we are here to do.

Just as you thought life couldn't get any weirder - it did! You don't have to be a super psychic to feel that the energy has accelerated with a strange new twist. Many are feeling a little dizzy or out of balance / out of body, while others are feeling just plain tired...

In European mythology, this specific process of self-discovery (meeting the shadow) is usually depicted as the hero literally descending into the underworld and meeting the dead. Whether it’s in The Odyssey or The Divine Comedy or the Harry Potter tales (in which Harry frequently visits past events), the first part of this process involves going into a netherworld that allows the traveler (and the reader) to think...

Do you ever wonder why challenges come into your life? Do you ever wish that your life could be smooth and simple? Do you ever want your relationship to just be easy? These are things that probably every person...

So much is at stake in our times. Whether we like it or not, and whether we accept it or not, the choices we make, individually and collectively, in the coming years will make an incredible amount of difference, perhaps...

2012 is here. Finally. After many years of anticipation, sensationalism, foreboding, titillation, and wild prophecies, we’ve reached the end of the Mayan calendar. The era of momentous...

We all have possessions and we want to keep them. The question is, do you own your possessions or do they own you? If your possessions bring you joy, they are serving their purpose. If you worry about them, you have missed the moon. No one possesses the moon, yet everyone does...

Here’s what I’ve learned so far from “Mother River”: Go with the flow! Most times the main current will bring you through tricky areas without any struggle on your part. But how often do we fight against the flow, not trusting the divine current to keep us safe. One of my favorite...

It’s easy to like some people and it’s not very easy to like others. They don’t smile back! So it has to go deeper. If we continue to judge people on the basis of appearances and behavior, the endeavor is hopeless. Instead we have to return to a very simple truth...

Once upon a time there was this young person who had such great hopes for an exciting life filled with adventures and love. Then one day she heard a voice inside her. It was as if someone was whispering to her a message that no one else could hear.

The idea that we create our own reality — that is, the concept of the mirror universe — often seems to ring true, but it also raises some troubling questions. Sometimes it’s easy to see this principle at work in our lives, but other times, especially when things aren’t going very well, it can be...

Rather than comparing ourselves to others or competing against others, author Keith Johnson suggests "Focus on becoming your personal best. Compete with yourself by becoming your best; then compare against only yourself." 

We're often told to live in the present, yet then we're told to set goals and plan for the future. Which is it? "...imagine you’re driving a car. As you look through the windshield you’re looking into the future. As you’re sitting in the driver’s seat you’re in the present. If you look..."

A number of years ago I went on an intense lecture tour that left me feeling exhausted. The last event of the trip was a full-day workshop, and as I pulled myself out of bed that morning to get ready for the seminar, I wondered how I would gather the energy to present a decent program. When I arrived at the venue, I...

On January 15, 2009, a jet taking off from New York City suddenly plummeted into the Hudson River. What would your thoughts, feelings, desires, regrets, and heartfelt prayers be if you, like these passengers, knew you perhaps only had two more minutes to live? ...

Finding peace in your lives and relationships, especially if you feel stressed with financial, health, or relationship challenges, can sometimes seem almost impossible. And yet finding that peace is essential. There is a story of a king who offered a prize to the artist who could paint the best picture of peace...

Each of us longs to express who we are, what we think and how we feel. But how often do we? From my perch I see more being repressed than expressed. Considering that repression can lead to depression, illness and even violence, what is stopping us from being true to ourselves and...