- By Kent Nerburn
We Americans are caught in a web of our own creation. We celebrate the individual; we praise self-reliance. We have built our entire economic system on competition and striving, where we set ourselves one against the other... Is this truly the vision of who we want to be and what we wish to pass along to our children?
Although propaganda is as ancient as civilization itself, it has taken on a new force with the ubiquitous power of modern technology. This enhanced form of reality manipulation is used to influence us regarding the most trivial to the most momentous situations, and these persuasive techniques have far-reaching effects on the human condition.
Reports of a study linking different kinds of alcoholic drinks with different mood states were making the rounds recently.
- By M.J. Ryan
I once read a quote by Hugh Downs that said, “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” We only have to compare two people in the exact same circumstances—one happy, one not—to know just how true...
Our culture is obsessed with happiness, but what if there's a more fulfilling path?
Certain cognitive training via the computer may reduce the risk of dementia among older adults, researchers report. “…we found that those who received more training also gained a greater protective benefit…”
All of us have a genius within us. For Steven Spielberg, it was in film. All of us can experience the benefits of a purposeful life, yet few make it their life purpose to find the genius within themselves. This purpose includes...
- By Eric Maisel
Things do not make us happy — and even if they could, living for happiness is not our objective. Living with purpose makes a person happier than trying to be happy!
The longevity and genius of shamanism is that, in part, it is not hidebound to methodology. As such, shamanism is always metamorphosing as it evolves in response to the current, always-changing circumstances of the world (like the weather!).
Sadness is a natural reaction to hurts and losses. When not expressed constructively, it silently eats at your heart until joy has to pack its bags and move out.
Throughout the ages, our great spiritual and philosophical masters have taught us that if there is a certain effect you desire, there are certain causes that must be initiated to manifest that desire. If you wish an apple tree, you must plant an apple seed.
‘So…what do you say?’ Everett Collection Whether it’s getting your partner to do more housework or making your colleagues back your latest idea, we all end up spending a considerable amount of time trying to persuade or even manipulate others.
The power to bring about change is in our hands. That's because the most important thing that each of us needs is each other. Many of our problems have grown out of our alienation -- our inattention to each other as individuals. And that is something we have the power to change. One by one, person by person, we...
Suicide is one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S.There are many factors known to affect an individual’s risk for suicide. For example, people who are older, male, white, divorced, low-income, isolated or who abuse substances are all at higher risk. Psychiatric illness, mood disorders and lack of social support are also...
There is a deeper dimension to happiness that transcends mere joy and zest for life. A dimension that sustains and inspires us through the best of times as well as in the periods when happiness feels like a distant memory. That dimension is meaning. Meaning supercharges our joy when life is good and keeps us moving forward when life is painful and difficult.
- By Alan Cohen
How much should you tell other people about what is really important to you? Should you broadcast your dreams to everyone in hopes that others will honor your intentions and support you? Or would you be wiser to keep your visions to yourself and avoid debilitating criticism?
Getting a good night of sleep can seem like the most effortless and natural thing in the world, but when we can’t fall asleep it can quickly feel elusive and frustrating.
We routinely work together with other people. Often, we try to achieve shared goals in groups, whether as a team of firefighters or in a scientific collaboration.
- By Hilary Smith
At the time I was diagnosed with bipolar, I had so little awareness of my body or stress levels that I literally had to be sobbing before I realized I was sad, or be awake for three nights running before I realized I was stressed and anxious. Learning to “hear” my body and mind has been a revelation for me, and a crucial part of my stability.
As a psychiatrist, I find that one of the hardest parts of my job is telling parents and their children that they are not to blame for their illness. Children with emotional and behavioral problems continue to suffer considerable stigma.
- By Janet Conner
This is a time of big questions: What changes will living my soul’s purpose make in my life? Do I know all my gifts? How will expressing my gifts help me live a life I love? Who will help me do all this?
Our ongoing commitment to an era of peace on Earth is essential to enable the divine blueprint of the new Earth to begin activation. It is vital that you understand what you are here to contribute and how to do this.
Ethical discipline is really a way of protecting yourself so that your efforts in spiritual practice can flourish without getting stomped to smithereens every other day, or every other year. The guidelines are fairly simple. There are ten that are enormously helpful in a general way. Bear in mind that they are all a protection for your own well-being, in solitude or in community...