Living in the present or the here and now has been an extremely popular axiom from nearly every spiritual tradition. Said this way, the present is a noun, a measure of time that we are better off living in. However, since each moment is so easily eclipsed by the next, it leaves us with some…
Read MoreThe above quote by the 19th century Danish Philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, was a reaction to his own times, likely, unaware of how prophetic the statement was. We are all aware of the popularity of a myriad of sedative substances, including alcohol, street drugs and pharmaceuticals. We may not have realized how fashionable it is to…
Read MoreSome Insight Into Integrity Describing someone as having integrity typically suggests that person exemplifies a life of decency and righteousness. The emotional component to our descriptions of someone as upright might simply be that we approve of that person’s actions. It may be helpful to deepen our understanding of integrity beyond a declaration of what…
Read MoreMoney competes quite well with sex for the position of the number one no-talk topic in our society. Friends, relatives and significant others typically do not speak openly about money. We can begin to understand the taboo attributed to money-talk by asking several relevant questions. What is money? What emotions does having a relationship with…
Read MoreSearching for a simple formula to offer our lives guidance often leaves us wondering aimlessly, unable to lean into true north. We live in a culture that tells us it is unnecessary to understand the complexity of our life experience. Receiving guidance from a concept like acceptance either works for us or it doesn’t, as…
Read MoreThose of us interested in meaningfully supporting our personal growth seem to be increasingly aware of the importance of vulnerability. What exactly should the role of vulnerability be in our emotional and spiritual lives? How does it become so challenging to feel vulnerable, even in the absence of any danger? How can we become more…
Read MoreFor Aristotle, Philia was the most virtuous of the loves. Unlike Agape, which offers loving kindness simply because a person partakes in the human condition, Philia honors the uniqueness of the beloved in deep friendship. It is the love that comes to us because our uniqueness is cherished. However, we may have placed Philia in…
Read MoreWe may have wandered away from an ancient definition of the word ‘Happy’, which is ‘good fortune’ or ‘good luck’. We can easily see that the ancients attributed the occurrence of happiness to the gods. To suggest happiness can be pursued by us yanks the power and responsibility out of the hands of the gods…
Read MoreAn ancient meaning of the word procrastination is belonging to tomorrow. When we describe others or ourselves as procrastinating, we typically are making a disparaging remark. We do not as a rule advocate for procrastination. However, there may be times when some action or decision is better belonging to tomorrow. We can define some discerning guidelines for deciding about…
Read MoreThe role of father became marginalized as men moved their work from the farm to the factory. An availability and presence faded from the fields and the rap-around porches, as fathers picked up lunch pails in place of shovels and plows. As a man’s emotional involvement in the home diminished, more and more parental responsibilities…
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