What Really Matters: Everyday Spirituality

In this episode I'm addressing another of the most frequently Googled questions about life: Is Karma real? I explore how my lower egoic self views Karma (and really, really wants it to be real) and also an alternative view of Karma from a higher perspective. This episode includes: The meaning of Karma in Hinduism and Buddhism. Why the ego clings to the simplistic cause and effect idea of Karma. Ho...

In this episode I talk about the true meaning of integrity and why it may be harder to achieve than we realize. Yet integrity (or wholeness) is necessary if we really want to bring about change in the world. Why we need to look at our own Shadow if we want to act with greater integrity. How our own hidden issues can sabotage our attempts to behave with integrity. Why exploring the Shadow is necess...

Today I'm answering two more questions about life from those are most frequently searched on Google: What is knowledge? and What is wisdom? It's important to know the difference and to learn how to increase your wisdom throughout life, since our society seems to be lacking in genuine wisdom right now. This episode includes:  Knowledge expands and changes over time. We have to be careful of fa...

Today we'll talk about the importance of living in a state of love and how difficult that can be when we are inundated with fearful circumstances in our world. As we hear non-stop frightening reports about the war in Ukraine, climate change, political and social unrest, we naturally respond with anxiety and fear but if we can transcend the fear and live with love we have a chance to help make thin...

Today let's talk about uncertainty since it is surrounding us in the world right now. Not only are we still coping with the pandemic that has stressed us for 2 years but now there is war occurring in Ukraine and a potential threat of nuclear war that could affect all of us. These are challenging times and we need to know how to rise above them, since life is actually always uncertain--we just are...

In this episode I'm discussing another frequently searched for question about life: How can I be a better person? This is big and important and also something we can (and should) spend our entire lives working on. Here is a simple (but not easy) way of looking at some tasks to consider as you work toward being a better person. This nomenclature comes from Ken Wilber's Integral Theory but I've put...

In this episode I tackle one of the biggest and most common questions people Google-search about life: What is the meaning of life? This question seems far too huge to address in 30 minutes BUT I want to bring it down from the vastness of the unknowable universe to our experience of everyday life, moment-to-moment and breath-to-breath. This episode includes: Viktor Frankl's writing on Man's Search...

In this episode I talk about my own recent musings over whether or not I'm actually doing what I'm supposed to be doing and why that's a universal and unanswerable question! I had to remind myself of my own writings about Purpose and review how to stay focused on the "inner purpose" of life. This episode includes: The difference between inner and outer purpose. Why we need to focus on our inner pu...

As we begin our 3rd year of the COVID pandemic, many of us are undoubtedly feeling emotionally exhausted and lacking in empathy for other people who are suffering right now. But empathy is essential if we want to navigate our journeys here and keep growing spiritually. So we'll look at some tips for improving and expanding our ability to empathize with others who are experiencing difficulties. Thi...

In this episode I take a look at one of the most frequently searched questions about life according to Google: How to pray . Apparently searches regarding prayer have skyrocketed during the pandemic as people look for ways to deal with fear and uncertainty. I share how I view prayer as a non-religious person and my own personal practice plus some information on why prayer is a practice worth consi...

In this episode I consider the 3rd question of those that people most frequently Google about life: How do I forgive? This is an important that signals the timing is right for some healing and growth to occur if you feel motivated to forgive. Here are some things you should know as you start to work on forgiveness: Have a mindset that you are willing to move on from the past and no longer want to...

In this episode I'll discuss my current project to declutter my house and how it's forcing me to deal with the balance between holding on to things and letting go. This turns out to be an important issue spiritually. This episode includes: The ego is primarily interested in holding onto things (especially power and control). Spiritual growth involves training the ego to let go. But sometimes holdi...

Today I'm reflecting on another of the most common questions about life that people ask Google: How do I find love? While most people are probably searching for romantic love and wondering what is the best dating app to use, I'm talking about the much bigger picture of Divine, universal, creative love and some of the work I'm doing in my life to increase my ability to give and receive love (which...

In this episode I'll briefly share some ideas for non-material gifts you can "give" yourself to help make the holiday more meaningful and less hectic and exhausting. This is part of my own journey to get better at self-care so I'm sharing it with you as I try to learn how to do it myself. There won't be an episode next week because I'm taking the week off to enjoy the holidays (self-care!!) so I'l...

In this episode I talk about another pressing question we all deal with about life: how do we find happiness? I'm definitely not an expert on happiness but I have spent much of my life wishing I could be a happier person. So I'll share some poems and Rumi quotes with you and some stories of my own quest for happiness. Here are some of the things I've learned: Don't compare yourself to others. Trus...

In this episode I talk about the perennial question of life: Why do bad things happen (to ALL people - not just good people.) It's important that we talk about this because we need to develop a mindset that helps us when unwanted things do happen in our lives. This episode includes: The Parable of the Chinese Farmer and how some things that appear to be "bad" can actually turn out to be "good" in...

In this quick episode I share what I'm learning right now and how I'm planning ahead to have a healthy and low-stress holiday season this year (wish me luck!) But to do that I have to work on setting better boundaries and honoring my own needs, which is what I'm working on. I hope you have a healthy and happy holiday season too! Remember to plan ahead, set clear priorities, communicate your needs...

In this episode I share some quotes and poems about gratitude in honor of Thanksgiving Day in the US. If you live elsewhere I hope you'll also take a moment to be thankful and to commit to making gratitude a daily practice as part of your Shadow work. This episode includes: Why we need to give thanks even if we can't see anything positive around or within us. How the intentional practice of gratit...

In part 4 of the series on the Shadow I talk about the collective Shadow and why we need to work on our own internal pain before we can begin to heal the problems of the world that are external to us. Be sure to listen to the previous 3 episodes on Shadow if you haven't already done so! This episode includes: The collective Shadow is becoming more apparent now as evidenced by the increasing awaren...

In this episode we continue to look at Shadow and how we can begin to heal our own individual wounds and traumas that are hidden away from view. Remember that this is the most important work you can do if you want to grow spiritually and to increase your capacity for love. This episode includes Ken Wilber's 3-2-1 Process for working on the Shadow and I'll walk you through each step with an example...

In this episode I talk about some simple ways you can begin to get in touch with your own shadow issues so that you can heal and reintegrate them. This is an essential first step in doing shadow work because "you don't know what you don't know." These 4 suggestions will help you explore and analyze the ways your shadow reveals itself in your day-to-day life, which will be tremendously helpful as y...

In this episode I discuss the Shadow aspect of the ego or lower self and why the spiritual journey requires us to delve into all the pain and wounds that are stored there. Our Western society shuns the idea of the Shadow and rejects all failure, weakness and loss. But the "shadowlands" as Richard Rohr writes "are good and necessary teachers." So let's look within on our spiritual journey and begin...

In this episode I talk about the merging of my end-of-life studies with my spiritual practice and why the two are inextricably linked together. Through the writings of Carl Jung and Ken Wilber it is clear that there is a time in life for many of us when our focus turns inward, toward our spiritual growth rather than toward success in the external world. That shift often occurs suddenly when we bec...

In this episode I discuss what I call the "Garden" and "Galaxy" views of life and why we need to be able to take both perspectives right now. Life in our individual "garden" existence here on planet Earth is under threat right now and we are overwhelmed with stress and uncertainty because of the pandemic. The view from the Galaxy is needed to help us cope and contribute to positive change. This ep...

Today I'm sharing a tool I've used for many years to help me stay in alignment with my values and my higher wisdom. These 4 pieces of advice come from teacher Angeles Arrien and her Four-Fold Way - I have paraphrased them over the years and this is how I think of them. I'll talk about each one and then give an example of how to use this tool in any situation such as helping a loved one who is grie...