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THE INEVITABILITY OF INTENTION   #1:  It’s Not What You Choose, It’s How You Choose It In most criminal justice systems, there’s a vast difference between the crime of murder and the crime of involuntary manslaughter. Murder, of course, is committed with intent, while manslaughter lacks intention. Being convicted of one and not the other…

THE ENGINE OF BELIEF   #1:  Our Belief Inventory Of all the self-help clichés, the ones that espouse the benefits of “believing in yourself” are perhaps the most tiresome and overused. Despite that, it’s hard to discount what science tells us about the concept of belief. The Placebo Effect is a phenomenon in medicine when…

THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF HOSTILITY #1:  See the Hostile Connection In the interest of focus for this particular episode, we’re addressing hostility in the context of interpersonal relationships… not literal warfare. We’ll engage a spiritual philosophy perspective on war in a later episode. But for now, let’s talk about interpersonal hostility in its 4 basic…

THE GIFT OF PAIN #1: What Pain Has to Offer Pain is not an experience commonly associated with the word, “gift.” But many people would agree that life itself is a gift. And because some pain is an unavoidable part of life, they come as a package deal. Beyond its basic survival function which makes…

  THE OPPORTUNITY OF FEAR #1:  Fear Sponsors Anxiety Since the dawn of humanity itself, we have all wrangled with a mysterious, invisible force called fear. But contrary to what most people believe, fear is one of humanity’s greatest opportunities. The majority of us desire a life of peace, prosperity, and happiness. But when we…

  LOVE THYSELF   #1: Self-Respect: There is No Substitute. On a 100-point scale, how much do you love and respect yourself? If your answer is 70%, then you have a 30% gap you will have to fill with love and respect from others. The problem is that other people’s love and respect can never…

  THE DISTORTION OF SADNESS   #1:  Sadness Isn’t a “Thing” The first thing to know about sadness is that it isn’t tangible… it’s not a “thing.” Sadness is a state of mind based on your interpretation of life. When you feel sad, who you really are isn’t sad. It’s your limited perspective that’s sad.…

  NAVIGATING BY INTUITION #1:  Be Present       We’ve all had the frustrating experience of having to decide between right and right… two alternatives, both of which we can make solid, logical cases for choosing. Faced with having to decide, our mind typically becomes a two-faced, devil’s advocate that talks us into – and out…

HUMILITY IS KING   #1:  Have Modesty with Confidence Humility is a trademark characteristic of spiritual maturity. It comes across as a modest yet confident disposition that has nothing to prove. It’s also an antidote to humiliation. When you feel humiliated, what hurts is your ego, but your ego is not who you really are.…

  THE PRISON OF GUILT #1:  Regret is Good      Regret is a useful tool that encourages us to forensically examine our mistakes. When we embrace regret, our mistakes can’t define us. Instead, our willingness to learn and grow from our mistakes is what defines us. Guilt, on the other hand, is a useless emotion…