So, here’s a question: Can cultivating positive emotions help you succeed? I am going to answer this question shortly, but first I have a favor to ask. Please pause for a moment and think of something you saw or experienced recently that delighted you or gave you joy. Think about it for about thirty seconds… Continue reading Can Cultivating Positive Emotions Help You Succeed?
Do you live from the inside out or the outside in? Okay, to be honest, that is not an entirely fair question to ask you at the beginning of this post. I coined the phrases Living from the Inside Out and Living from the Outisde In. And I haven't even told you what they mean… Continue reading Do You Live from the Inside Out or Outside In?
Purpose is important. When we have a purpose, we feel like our life is meaningful, that we matter, and that we contribute something good to the world. Nevertheless, it can sometimes feel a little tricky to find our purpose. We don't necessarily receive a lot of instruction in life on how to find it, and… Continue reading How to Find Your Purpose
One of the greatest things we can do for ourselves and others is learn to let our light shine, rather than slave-driving ourselves. Let me explain. I want to remind you today that you have permission to make mistakes and fail. You also have permission to feel sad, to take naps, and to take a… Continue reading Letting Your Light Shine vs. Slave-Driving Yourself
I have been hanging and playing on monkey bars in my back yard almost every day for the last four months, and I am blogging about it each month. Let me tell you a secret: This is hard; I am still not very good at it; and sometimes I think I will never get anywhere.… Continue reading Month Three and Four of Monkey Bar Hanging: Let Me Tell You a Secret
Sometimes we feel like we have no purpose, and this is really painful. Human beings need purpose. We need to feel like we have something special that we share with the world. Given this need, it is understandable why we suffer painful feelings when we think we aren’t good at anything. For example, we may… Continue reading When We Feel Like We Have No Purpose
Recently, I have developed a new contemplative practice I call Butterfly Meditating. I have a wildflower garden in my back yard, and when it is in full bloom, it attracts a lot of butterflies. All of the photos in this post are taken by me at home or on a walk. I get really excited… Continue reading Butterfly Meditating: A Contemplative Practice
Last month, I started practicing monkey bar hanging for my daily practice for this year. (Last year I practiced deep breathing. You can read about that here.)* To be honest, the first part of the month was a wash. In the first month of my practice (May), I gained a lot of strength very quickly.… Continue reading Month Two of Monkey Bar Hanging
I have been building and walking labyrinths the last couple of weeks, and I love it. Spiral art, and I take labyrinths to be a type of spiral art, have long been a part of contemplative practice for both non-religious and religious people. I first started noticing spirals when I was researching art and culture… Continue reading Labyrinth Walking: A Contemplative Practice
One of the most loving and powerful things we can do for ourselves is develop consistent contemplative practices. The phrase contemplative practice may sounds religious or mystical to you. And it can be both of these things, but don't worry. Even if you are not religious and do not practice any faith, contemplative practices are… Continue reading Contemplative Practices: A Post for Everyone
