What Really Matters: Everyday Spirituality

This week I'm continuing my mini-series on childhood trauma by talking specifically about shame, which many of us carry into adulthood. This episode includes: The difference between guilt and shame How shame has been used as a tool by parents, teachers, religious leaders, other adults in our lives, and even our peers How shame undermines our belief in ourselves to grow and change 3 dysfunction...

In this second episode on trauma we explore more tools for healing, whether we've experienced trauma in our own lifetimes or are carrying ancestral trauma. This episode includes: How ancestral trauma gets handed down from generation to generation Top down vs bottom up approaches to dealing with trauma Why everyone is carrying some type of trauma in the form of unhealed emotional wounds Our men...

In this episode I share some insights I've had recently from reading Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's book The Body Keeps the Score . This has been a powerful learning experience for me and I'm happy to share it with you because I now realize that we all have trauma from the past that we need to heal. I'll share more on this next week. This episode includes: The ACE Study and the implications of childhoo...

In this 100th episode of the podcast I talk about my experience with being still and silent last week as I dealt with a case of laryngitis. This led me to ponder the value of this podcast and to recognize our connectedness and how a podcast might help us recognize the energetic tapestry that we are all weaving together. This episode includes: Synchronicities that continue to inspire to create cont...

In this episode I talk about the resistance in some parts of our society to the idea of finding meaning in the difficulties of life. I share my own journey of discovering meaning in life and how I now perceive the tragedies that have happened in the past. This episode includes: What people from 17 different countries find meaningful in life (according to a survey) How we humans are wired to find m...

In this episode recorded on Valentine's Day I share some stories about love and how we can continue to find the light of love even in times of despair and hopelessness. This episode includes: How an anonymous gift can change everything. How we found love in a nursing home. The "many-splintered" nature of love. Self-compassion practice for opening to the light of love. The Lovingkindness Blessing....

In this episode I share some thoughts on how we can actually become wiser as we go through life and why we need to utilize our own life experiences to help us grow. This episode includes: The difference between knowledge and wisdom The "3 pillars" of wisdom Why external sources (like sacred scriptures) are not enough to help us grow in true wisdom The inward journey requires us to examine the pain...

In this episode I discuss my own longing for awe-inspiring experiences in my day-to-day life and what I've learned about AWE through my studies. This episode includes: The definition of awe What creates an experience of awe for us The 8 benefits of awe experiences The most common source of awe as shown in studies The daily A.W.E. practice that can remind you to be open to living in awe of the univ...

In this podcast I share some insights I got while reading Ann Neumann's book The Good Death. She tells a story about meeting with a disability advocate who is adamantly opposed to medical aid in dying and how they became friends over time by listening and understanding each other's perspective. Taking more than one perspective is part of our growth to higher consciousness and I share some steps to...

In this episode I talk about contrasting messages observed on social media: "You're going to die" vs "There is no death." It's important to look at the levels of consciousness from which these two seemingly opposite statements arise in order to see how they could both be true at the same time. This episode includes: How people on both sides of this discussion dislike my use of "end of life" What e...

In this episode I share some advice that was offered by a teacher of astrology for the coming year. She recommended that we each figure out what is most precious to us and remember to live by that and bring it to the world this year. For me, what is most precious is also "what really matters" and the "ultimate concern" of our lives. This episode includes: How I first discovered "what really matter...

Welcome to the first episode of 2023! Today I'm sharing a list of 10 strategies used by free climber Alex Honnold to overcome fear as he trained to do a solo free-climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 2017. Let's apply those strategies to our own lives as we figure out how to navigate the challenges of aging and facing our own mortality. This episode includes Alex's strategies: Des...

In this episode I take a look back at 2022 and share with you the practices I've utilized this year - some old and some new - that have made a big difference for me. Stop for a moment and reflect on this year for you - what have you done that has made a difference for you? This episode includes my top 10: Yoga stretches Mindfulness Journaling Breathing exercises Walking outdoors Strength training...

In this episode I dive deeper into the Inward Journey (or Arc) mentioned in last week's episode. This journey is essential for rising above the control of the ego in our lives and the narcissism it perpetuates. This episode includes: The Inward Journey is often catalyzed by crisis or things falling apart. Why you need to understand how ego operates and recognize its control over your behavior Why...

This episode begins with a quote from philosopher Alan Watts who says that belief is almost the opposite of faith. We'll take a deep dive into that comment and what it might mean, particularly for the 4 stages of consciousness that are predominant in our society right now. This episode includes: How Alan Watts differentiates belief and faith. A review of the 4 predominant stages of consciousness....

In this episode I'm sharing what I've learned about toxic positivity and how to avoid it in our own lives and in our work with other people. This episode includes: The definition of toxic positivity. Why it's harmful, especially to people going through a time of darkness. The vicious cycle of feeling guilty for experiencing painful emotions. What to say to someone who is hurting avoid toxically po...

In this episode I'm answering a listener's question who has faced a lot of disappointment and discouragement in trying to bring their gifts to the world. I'll share with you how I answered that question (which I have also asked a few times in my life) and what I think we need to do to cope with this kind of challenge. This episode includes: Why the timing may not be quite right yet for your gifts...

In this episode I'm looking at the quality of resilience and why we need to have more of it right now as we navigate life on planet Earth. With the help of a fun self-assessment from www.resiliencecenter.com we'll look at the factors that determine our resilience and some things we can do to improve it. This episode includes: What it means to be resilient. How to assess your own level of resilienc...

I'm recording this as we face another crucial election day here in the US and fear seems to be at an all-time all around me. We need to learn how to stay in a state of love and not be consumed by this fear so I'm sharing my thoughts on how to do that. This episode includes: How our brains are wired to perceive negative events and emotions 10X more strongly than positive. Why we have to have practi...

In this episode I'm finally getting around to looking at one of my core issues in life: procrastination (I'm a master at it.) This episode includes: Why we procrastinate. What I'm procrastinating on right now. The positive and negative aspects of procrastination. The downward spiral of procrastination and self-judgment. Studies show that procrastination and low self-compassion go hand-in-hand. How...

In this episode I'm sharing some thoughts on how to deal with our mistakes both in the past and the present. According to research we humans are not very good at accepting or learning from failure and this is something I want to deal with in my own life. This episode includes: People avoid learning from failure because it is too threatening to the ego. Reframe past failure into positive stories of...

Today I'm sharing with you a brief little story that focuses on this statement by Confucius: "Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it." I hope you'll find hidden beauty somewhere today and every day!

I've recently gotten in touch with my own inner feelings of envy, which I've repressed for a long time out of shame and self-judgement. But I do have those feelings at times and in this episode I'll talk about how I'm working through them along with old wounds that have led me to believe I'm not good enough. I've turned to the Greater Good Science Center for some of their recommendations to help m...

Today I'm sharing my own inner work on feelings of despair that have been present a lot during recent times because of all the struggle and pain in the world right now. But I've found some ways to rise above despair that I hope you'll find helpful too. This episode includes: Why it's important to find our own meaning during times of despair. My 6 favorite action steps that help me rise above despa...

You know how people always say "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst?" Let's talk about HOW to actually be prepared for the challenges that life can bring our way. If we devote some time every day to practicing for an unknown future, we can build our resilience and our ability to be ready for growth when difficulties offer us an opportunity. This episode includes: Rumi's The Guest House po...