Living the Inner Life

Never lose sight of the big picture. Re-state your mission statement. When the goal becomes more about the tasks and to-do lists, focusing more on the means than the end, it's easy to lose sight of what you're doing and more important - why you are doing it.

Shakespeare wrote: "Now is the Winter of our Discontent" and this episode explores the idea of Divine Discontent - that there is a soul stirring, a restlessness that occurs when we are not fully living our best life. The discontent is more of an indicator or signal that is telling us something, but we often try to numb these uncomfortable feelings. However, it is a Divine Discontent, and...

It is easy to be thankful and grateful for good things that come our way. But what about the negative things? How can we be thankful for pain or difficulty? For me, physical pain from being in a wheelchair is an indicator that it is time to shift my weight, sit in a different chair, or lie down for awhile. Otherwise, I might get a pressure sore, as is the case with many people with paralysis - the...

People say, facts don't care about feelings. Perhaps with scientific laws of physics, this may be true. But in the human experience, feelings can completely overpower the facts. Even if we know the facts, we can convince ourselves that something else is true. Especially with ourselves. We can tell ourselves a lie, and believe it, and have that rule our conduct regardless of the facts. We can a...

One of the greatest conflicts we ever have to face is the battle with ourselves. Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Man, and Man vs. God are the other three, but Man vs. Himself is within and not 'out there'. So, if you 'win' this conflict, do you also lose? How can you defeat yourself and yet be victorious? The solution lies in understanding this inner conflict and turning our inner adversar...

There are different ways to learn something or do just about anything. Some need a lot of instruction, while others learn best on their own. We have different body types and chemistry, so there isn't a one-size-fits-all when it comes to diet and nutrition. Same is true with spiritual growth. The various religions and spiritual practices all suggest the same goal - enlightenment - but their spe...

In the wake of A.I. and UFO Disclosure of "non-human intelligence", we are at a crossroad where we may want to look at not just who we are, but what we are. What does it mean to be a human being? We share many similarities with other earth creatures but we are somehow different. With the knowledge that we are no longer alone in the universe, how do we fit in? And with the advent of A.I.,...

The Greek Philosopher, Heraclitus, said: "You can't step in the same river twice." The water has changed - and more importantly - YOU have changed. But sometimes we approach new situations with old ways of thinking that no longer work. One definition of insanity is: trying the same thing, over and over, and expecting different results. And much of the time, we are playing these old t...

St. Paul said it was the Christ in YOU that is the hope of glory. Jesus said it was not him but the Father within him that doeth the works. Socrates had an inner advisor, or daemon, who guided his philosophic life. Throughout time and across cultures, the idea of a higher power - one that can guide and direct our lives - is a common theme. Animals rely on instinct, which is in a way, similar to th...

Natural fears are needed for survival. Our bodies respond to the threat by engaging the fight or flight response. False Evidence Appearing Real. Many fears that we have are really not that scary, but constantly thinking about them, feeling fearful, we make things harder than they need to be. Chronic fear (like chronic worry) can tax our systems and deplete our energy. Look to times when you've...

Well, it started out as a discussion on abundance and lack but turned into a metaphor for growing new ideas. An acorn is small, but when it is planted in the ground, it suddenly comes to life to fulfill its destiny of becoming a mighty oak tree. Ideas are the same. We need to plant them in the fertile sanctuary of the inner life. Just as the seed in the soil is protected from the elements and is s...

Intuition - what it is and what it is not. A lot of times, we get a hunch or idea from within and think it's our intuition. Often, it may just be a fear that says 'no' - and other times it may be wishful thinking or an impulse that says 'yes'. A true intuitive insight comes from deep within and is not influenced by any emotional state. But to know the difference, we must develo...

Listening is not waiting for the other person to stop talking, or rehearsing your response until it's your turn. Listening is an art form and requires a combination of passive, non-invasive hearing, and, an active and very present 'here and now' consciousness. Or is that Hear and now? Same with the inner life. We have to listen to our bodies, our heart, intuitive impulses and other sig...

Actually, we need a mature Ego. The ego is that part of ourselves that we feel is 'Me or I". But it's only part of our total Self. Ego will defend itself over bad decisions, justify emotions and behavior, and doesn't like to be called out. But the ego shouldn't be in control over everything - it plays a very important part, but it should not be driving the boat. Hamlet was an...

The fact that we all have a favorite food makes us all the same. We all have different ideas on what that food is, and on this level, we can greatly differ and disagree. This is the paradox that we face today. We are so caught up in our petty differences and personal identities that we lose sight of the basic, fundamental values that we all share. All the waves on the surface of the ocean seem ver...

St. Francis lived around the year 1200 and may or may not have written this prayer, but that's not important. The words have so much meaning and are quite relevant today in a world that needs to not only hear them - but to live these words as a personal philosophy of life. I will read through the entire prayer, then break it down, line by line. This is as much a practical set of instructions a...

Just as junk food is unhealthy for the body, junk ideas and poison thoughts can lead to poor mental, emotional and spiritual health. Feed your inner life with good thoughts, harmonious ideas, beautiful imagery and soulful stories. Try to limit the news pieces and social media posts that make you angry, disillusioned and defeated. Make sure the bulk of your inner diet is healthy and pure -- then, t...

Caregivers who unselfishly dedicate themselves to the service of others are the unsung heroes of society. Most are caring for a disabled child, elderly parent or other close person at home. Yet, caregivers often do not take care of themselves very well, nor do they accept and receive help that is offered to them. Like the air masks on a flight - you are supposed to put yours on first, before helpi...

We need a mirror to see our outer self. To look within, we also need a mirror - the mirror of the other. This reflection coming from another person is a strange one - distorted and exaggerated like a circus mirror - but if we can see through the glass, we can recognize a part of ourselves that needs too be looked at. This is an often overlooked part of 'psychological projection' - when we...

Cultivate an attitude of gratitude and you will see even the smallest positive parts of your life grow into more and more. If you focus instead on lack or what is wrong in your life, you will get more of that. The tiny mustard seed can grow into a whole field of plants or make a powerful spice. So too, with the inner life. If you only have one thing that is going right, or is good and positive, be...

Forgiveness is for the one who forgives. To forgive someone who did something harmful to you does not mean that you approve of what they did. Forgiveness releases you from the chains that bind you to the initial injury or insult. We can carry this around with us for years, re-living and feeling over and over that pain. In Buddhism, this is the second arrow - the first is the injury, the second is...

While the term 'discipline' may often refer to punishment, or self-discipline as being an unpleasant chore, actually the word comes from the same root as 'disciple'. This simply means that we are dedicated and enthusiastic about something. All of us have something we enjoy, spend time being involved with, learning about, and sharing with others. We can actually be disciples of thes...

Missing years and Dark Ages are found throughout history, just as there are blank spots and memory lapses in our own individual lives. This 'selective amnesia' can keep us from remembering traumatic events that might otherwise haunt us. Other times, there are memories that we want banished to the shadow. One of the greatest mysteries is that of our own purpose and nature as human beings, a...

Anger is something with which we are all familiar - in ourselves and in others. Manly P. Hall defined anger as "an intense emotion caused by real or imaginary injury or insult". The Dalai Lama suggests that anger can be a positive, motivational emotion for good, but when it turns to hatred, it becomes bad. Both these points are discussed in this talk, along with strategies for reducing t...

In our busy lives, we often wear many hats to do different things. Multi-tasking is an attempt to do several things at once, but can we really? If our attention is divided, we may only be semi-tasking, or doing things half a$$ed. Often, we cycle or flip from one task to the next, and then back again, but not simultaneously. The more we try to multi-task, the less presence and attention we have for...