- Spiritual Growth and Farming
Spiritual growth and farming. “I am a farmer. This body of mine is my field. I sow good thoughts and actions, and in my body I reap the results.”
- Spiritual Growth and Self-Sculpting
Spiritual growth is a process a lot like the “chipping away” process a sculptor uses to chips away at a stone- removing bit by bit everything that is not true- not part of the sculpture.
- My Eight Word Prayer of Gratitude
A succinct little prayer or mantra of gratitude that packs a powerful punch. I find myself saying it in my head many times a day. There are just eight words but it has the power to completely transform how I view any situation I find myself in.
- How to Compare Yourself To Others
How to compare yourself to others. We all compare ourself to others- we might as well do it right and feel grateful instead of wrong and feel miserable or lacking.
- The Nature of Human Nature
The Nature of Human Nature. Learning to experience, and integrate our multiple natures is the very essence of the "human experience".
- Our Ego's Deepest Need- Appreciation
I believe that a lack of appreciation for the ego combined with a lack of leadership of the ego by the Spirit is the root of most of our suffering and unhappiness.
- What Really Causes Stress
I’m about to make a really bold claim. While the manifestations of stress are many, the causes of stress are one and therefore its cure is one!
- The Four Types of Stress Management
The Four Types of Stress Management. The first three are the most common. The fourth is what I am proposing as the right solution.
- Anxiety: A Form of Vanity?
It's easy to see how vanity applies to ambition- but let's come back to that other state of mind we all know: anxiety. Can anxiety be another form of vanity? I had never really considered this to be the case until I read the following passage from the Bhagavad Gita:
- The Charioteer Analogy
Think of yourself as the driver of a horse drawn chariot. You hold the reins to two very powerful horses. One horse is the Body horse- it represents the appetites and passions of the physical body- the 5 senses and their desire to be constantly stimulated. The other horse is the Mind horse- it represents your individual mind (or ego) and it's incessant desire to control outcomes and circumstances and to prove itself right.
- Spiritual GPS
Wouldn't it be great if we had a spiritual GPS system that would do the same thing for us spiritually- help us get from where we are where we want to be spiritually? I believe we do have such a thing and we come with it already pre-programmed with our final destination.
- Understanding Self-Esteem
Just like the health of the body is a consequence or effect of many inter-related causes, so it is with self-esteem. If we wish to increase our health, we can only do so by working on it indirectly- by working on our diet, our exercise, our mindset, our environment. So it is with self-esteem. If we wish to increase our self-esteem, we can only do so by working on it indirectly- by working on those things that contribute to it.
- What Healthy Self Esteem Looks Like
Can you see self-esteem? Yes, you can. Just as you can see whether a body is basically healthy or basically sick by looking at it for signs of health or sickness that manifest themselves in the physical form, so you can see whether a person’s self-esteem is basically healthy or basically sick by looking at the physical manifestations of self-esteem.
- Is Self Esteem A Birthright?
Some well meaning people in your life may have tried to teach you that self-esteem is a birthright, something we have only to claim by repeating affirmations or mantras. Others may believe that self-esteem is a gift that parents or others give children by telling them how much they are loved and affirming how great they are. These beliefs are based on half truths, and as such are non-productive.
- Are You Making Life Tougher?
While Life is supposed to be challenging, most of us manage to make it way more difficult than it needs to be. The following quote says it about as good as it can be said:
"Life is tough. But its a lot tougher when you're stupid."- John Wayne
- The First Step Principle
One of the lessons I've learned in life is that adding good to my life is all about starting- taking the first step. If I want to add something good to my life, I ask myself "What's the first step?" and then I take it.
