Create a better world through curiosity, not judgment — A friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook recently, mocking people with different beliefs than his. I was disappointed but not surprised. This happens when you believe you are right — to support your position further, others who differ with you have to be wrong. And it’s much easier…

The everyday martial art of talking to someone who disagrees with you — Words are powerful. Once we put them out there, we can’t take them back. Expressions like “I didn’t mean to say that” or “I was only kidding” come too late. So why do couples get into needless arguments? Jeffery S. Smith, MD, writes in Psychology Today: The cause of arguments…

More contentment in life comes from less resistance. — Here’s a quote credited to Buddha. “All human unhappiness comes from not facing reality squarely, exactly as it is.” It’s one of the most potent sentences I’ve ever read. Who knows if Buddha actually said it or not. What matters to me is it strikes a huge chord of truth…

Why it matters and how knowing can help you mentally, physically, and spiritually — I was on the golf course recently, and suddenly, it hit me. The clouds parted, revealing the brilliant truth —my inconsistency wasn't because of poor technique, lack of practice, or physical limitations. Nope. My inconsistency was because of the noise in my head — the chatter, the instructions — Remember…

10 daily practices to help create more peace, wholeness, and freedom in your life. — This article began while I was cooking dinner and listening to Dion Dimucci sing with a heart full of wisdom that he honed from over fifty years of being a rock icon. "It's better to be clean than clever," he suggested. The poetry and imagery moved me. Dion wrote and…

We think we're in control until we're not. — I lay on the table in my surgical gown, legs wide apart, watching the male nurse happily shave me. Was I nervous? Oh yeah. My daughter was born about a year prior, in 1988, four years after I left the ashram where I lived as a monk and followed an…

The keys to a vibrant life are the choices you make. — I turned 72 a few weeks ago, and life is pretty darn good. Knock on wood. It hasn’t always been this way. Like many people, I’ve had my ups and downs. I’ve been divorced twice and fired from a big corporate job amid one of those challenging life events. Not…

Musings from a funeral. The time to fully enjoy your life is now. — He was always a fit and healthy guy. Not an ounce of fat on him. He rode his bike, hiked, and worked hard as a carpenter for most of his life. That was my uncle-in-law, Chris. He was seventy years old and lived alone in an old stone three-bedroom home…

I paid him to grow my followers on LinkedIn. What a disaster. — I was preparing my book proposal in April 2022. My writing/publishing consultant suggested I grow my LinkedIn followers to demonstrate to potential publishers a substantial following. Sounded reasonable to me. She and another person recommended a digital marketing guy. So Jon James, CEO and founder of Ignited Results in Reno…