Shining Light into the Darkness
Where there is doubt, faith Existential doubts about whether there is God or whether we’re loveable or capable or worthy cause untold suffering. Since childhood, I’ve been graced with the gift of faith in God. It was faith in myself that was my struggle; not in everything but in enough to give me compassion for …
Where there is hatred, let me sow love Hatred is such a strong word. We can easily identify hatred out there but rarely do we sense it in here, in our own hearts. Yet hatred doesn’t spring forth whole in its easily identifiable ugly ways. It begins as small frustrations, angers, and resentments that are held, …
Every Christmas season since the tragic events of 2001, I have been praying a Novena for Peace and most years I’ve invited others to join me in the belief that a personal and communal commitment to peace will bring it about. While I have not yet seen peace break out throughout the world, I have …
A novena is nine days of intentional thought (otherwise known as prayer) focused on a particular thing—in this case peace. Why should you participate? Because perception creates reality. When You Change the Way You Look at Things, the Things You Look At Change Religious traditions of all sorts have known for centuries that focused thought …
The yearly feeding frenzy of holiday shoppers has begun. While post-Thanksgiving shoppers ventured forth with tasers in hand and hearts full of greed and aggression, my mood turned pensive. Is this really what life is all about? What compels someone to leave their table of blessing to find (and sometimes fight with others to get) more …
Living to 100 is only great if you’re healthy enough to enjoy it. While good genes and a healthy diet help, they’re not the best indicator of who will live well into old age. How we age depends less on our genetics and more on our cultural expectations, according to Mario Martinez, PhD, the creator …
When I was small, I was a part of a boisterous extended family in which shouting was the norm. Being an introvert by nature (and a person with acute hearing), the noise at family gatherings was a challenge for me to manage. I was even more challenged when anger crept into the shouting. When the …
Mastering the balance between accepting life as it is and realizing that our thoughts create our reality is a life-long endeavor. Many modern-day gurus and life coaches of all stripes are quick to tell us that everything we experience we create. I’m not disputing that the essence of what they say is true, but I believe life …
Brene Brown is my she-ro; she has ventured deeply into the “swampland of the soul,” looked at shame straight in the eye and dared to tell us what she saw. Brown is part of a long line of women who have taught and inspired me with her knowledge and her courage. She wakes us out of our …
For so many years, I have been dogged by the fear that I wouldn’t live up to my potential. Since high school, I have framed it as “singing my song.” It comes from my belief that all of us have a unique “being-ness,” a unique gift that we were given to develop and share with …