I’ve been traveling in the Philippines and Indonesia for about twenty-five days, but it feels like much longer than that. As per usual, time curiously expands when familiarity and routine are exchanged for novelty and daily choose-your-own-adventure games. The distinction between weekdays and weekends, one week and the next week, ceases to exist, and in [...]
“I am soon to become an emperor-ha-ha-ha-ha! I am destined to be a lousy beggar – ha-ha-ha-ha! It’s all a game. Any part will suit me fine.” For thousands of years, Eastern sages have taught a method for reducing or eliminating suffering — in a word: non-resistance. The idea is this: As humans, we possess [...]
Around midsummer of this year, I was undergoing an inexplicable spell of irrational guilt. These types of episodes have come to me before, but they’re infrequent, thankfully. What happens is this: some tiny aspect of who I am or a deed I’ve done (or have failed to do) bubbles up into my consciousness, and for [...]
We all must breathe in order to live, but not many of us know how to really breathe. It’s a bit of a conundrum. Breathing is an automatic bodily process, so most people naturally believe it should be left alone to take care of itself. It seems counterintuitive and even ludicrous to think that something as [...]
We want everyone to like us, but we shouldn’t. As social creatures, we are concerned, often to a fault, with whether or not we are enjoyed, appreciated, and respected by those around us. We pander to the whims of others, hoping to please everyone (or at least find few enemies). We try to behave affably, [...]
Meditation is like a radiant, technicolor, winged steed soaring gloriously through the cosmos. Basically, it’s awesome-miraculous. Although my opening metaphor may be a bit grandiose, I used it to emphasize the most important point in this article: Meditation is a practice of extraordinary value that is literally accessible to everyone on the planet. Most people don’t [...]
Happiness. What a slippery concept. It’s what we’re all after, right? (At least that’s what I’m told.) But what is it? What do you imagine when you think of happiness? Perhaps you conjure up notions of a distant beach-side setting, endless relaxation, a gourmet meal, and fine wine flowing like the Thames. At the very [...]
If you don’t use Reddit, you should. Reddit.com is a magical place — a place to laugh, to gaze, to learn, to share, and to converse. For those who are unaware, Reddit is a social news and entertainment website where users (known as Redditors) submit content in the form of a link or text. Other [...]
When was the last time you went outdoors purely for enjoyment? If you’re like the majority of Americans, it’s probably been a coon’s age. “So what?” you might think. “I can watch Planet Earth on Blu-ray. It isn’t your business, anyway.” No, it certainly isn’t, but please don’t get defensive, friend. My intention here is [...]
Last week, I was crippled by pointless worry. Little stresses here and there snowballed into serious anxiety. I began imagining worst case scenarios about the future, my hectic schedule, and my relationship. I allowed myself to be consumed by needless fretting. Instead of being swept up in these negative thoughts, I should’ve focused on being [...]