Spirituality and Religion

Why I am a Christian but Not a Christian Nationalist

I want to write about why I am a Christian but not a Christian nationalist. First, I want to beg pardon of all my non-Christian and non-religious readers. This blog post will certainly have a lot of Christianity and spirituality in it. I still hope you find something valuable in the post. So, let me… Continue reading Why I am a Christian but Not a Christian Nationalist

Handling Painful Emotions/Cultivating Positive Ones, The Power of Compassion

The Buddha on Our Thoughts, Anxiety, and Suffering

I think about suffering a lot. It may sound morbid to think about suffering frequently. But some sadness, painful emotions, and general suffering is a normal part of life. So, thinking about suffering and how to deal with it effectively is a survival skill. The Buddha certainly thought so. The Buddha was a prince who… Continue reading The Buddha on Our Thoughts, Anxiety, and Suffering

Handling Painful Emotions/Cultivating Positive Ones

Two Mistakes We Often Make with Our Emotions

This week I was thinking about two mistakes we often make with our emotions. I was thinking about this because I am teaching ethics this semester (as I usually do). And one of the points I regularly make to my students is that our emotions are not a suitable sole foundation for moral decision-making. "Expressions… Continue reading Two Mistakes We Often Make with Our Emotions

Handling Painful Emotions/Cultivating Positive Ones

Why We Often Feel Bad About Ourselves

We often feel bad about ourselves. As a result, we often engage in painful habits and thought patterns connected with these negative feelings. For example, how often do you find yourself doing some or all the following things? Worrying about other people’s approval. Comparing yourself to other people. Trying to accomplish amazing things to earn… Continue reading Why We Often Feel Bad About Ourselves

Strengthening Your Spirit

Can Cultivating Positive Emotions Help You Succeed?

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?

Spirituality and Religion

Spirituality: Why It’s for Everyone

Spirituality is for everyone. But we often don’t realize this because we hear very little about spirituality, or we get confusing messages about it. People define spirituality in different ways, but in this post, I define our spirituality as that part of us that that helps us connect with our higher self. We may conceive… Continue reading Spirituality: Why It’s for Everyone

Handling Painful Emotions/Cultivating Positive Ones

Existentialism, Cynicism, and World Anxiety

Lately, I have been thinking about existentialism, cynicism, and World Anxiety. If you are anything like me, you probably often feel World Anxiety. World Anxiety feels  differently to different people, but mine is the feeling that the word is both a beautiful and terrifying place. And it is the feeling that politics and the state… Continue reading Existentialism, Cynicism, and World Anxiety

Practicting Non-Dualism

Non-Dualism and a Love vs. Ego-Driven Life

I have been thinking a lot lately about a love vs. ego-driven life. In an Instagram post the other day, I wrote about loving goals vs. egocentric goals. So, it made me think of living a love-driven life rather than an ego-driven life. To explain the difference between a love-driven vs. an ego-driven life, I’m… Continue reading Non-Dualism and a Love vs. Ego-Driven Life

Strengthening Your Spirit

An Intention or Prayer for Understanding Connection

We long for connection, even though we don't always realize it. And that connection is connection with ourselves, with others, with nature, and with a Higher Wisdom. If it feels comfortable to you, you can think of this Higher Wisdom as the Divine. Or you can think of it as the highest expression of constructive… Continue reading An Intention or Prayer for Understanding Connection

Handling Painful Emotions/Cultivating Positive Ones

Why We Doubt We are Capable, Part 1

One of our most painful feelings occurs when we doubt that we are capable. We may doubt that we are capable of accomplishing a certain task or being a certain kind of person. Or we may just generally doubt that we can succeed at life. This is a widespread feeling that so many people suffer,… Continue reading Why We Doubt We are Capable, Part 1