Good Clean Reads

“Some people think that meditation takes time away from physical accomplishments. Taken to extremes, of course, that’s true.  Most people however, find the meditation creates more time than it takes.”  -Peter McWilliams

If any single behavior has transformed my life over the last year of the positivity quest, it has been my increased devotion to meditation. I have tried many different techniques,...

“The purpose of life is not to be happy – but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.”  ~Leo Rosten

The Axeman pageant was sold out last night; I think for the first time ever. It was the pageant that many people thought couldn’t possibly go on after the loss of two of its star players who were washed into the sea. This is the tragedy...

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”  ~Dalai Lama

The ultimate test of my ability to be positive is with one of the most negative people in my life: my father. I have kept my distance from this relationship for most of my life because the reflection has been generally too much to bear. Seeing in him what I can’t bear in myself only...

“Bodhicitta is like yeast that never looses potency. Anytime we add the moisture of warmth and compassion it will automatically expand. If we keep it in the freezer however, nothing happens.” -Pema Chodron

I try to think of the word and mind place of the Bodhichitta when things break down in me. They are the moments when our capacity to care or love is compromised by some old broken part of...

“The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”  ~Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiveness is a misunderstood emotional place. We often think of it as something we offer to someone else, but actually the deepest experience is a state we find in ourselves. I have had a long and difficult relationship with my father. His manner is harsh and crude. His outlook is dark and his voice is...

“Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what he loves.”  -Blaise Pascal

The only way to gain clarity about your direction is to follow the path as it is presented to you. I am not sure you can decide anything through mere thoughtful reflection. It is the life experience of the questions that teach most. When you are full...

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”  ~Edward Stanley

If ever there were a part of the body that is underrated for the power and stability they bring to every aspect of life, it would be the hammock of musculature in the pelvis known as the pelvic floor. This group of muscles, ligaments and tendons is the literal foundation...