We are mostly habitual beings. Webster defines habit as an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. Our system is wired to automate our daily routine behaviors, like driving a car, taking a shower, washing dishes, etc., so that our minds free up the “thinking “ parts of our brain for more creative purposes. While this is very adaptive and generally benefits us greatly, it is also an impediment to developing new habits.  read more »

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The vastness of it all, the billions of people, the myriad of stories, the pain, suffering, wars, crime, family breakdowns, disease, poverty, natural disasters, the list goes on and on. Is it any wonder that we feel disconnected, afraid and overwhelmed much of the time? There is struggle and death all around us.

Ever since I was a young girl, I was aware of how overwhelming and isolating living in our world can be. At sixteen years of age, after transcending my own existential crisis, I vowed to use my life to help alleviate the suffering I felt within me and all around me. Wanting to learn as much as I could about the human condition, I chose to go into social work. My education and subsequent internships provided me with a deeper understanding of human nature, and many of its manifestations. But there was no greater teacher than you.  read more »

The following text is an unedited, stream of consciousness account of my personal process to reveal the nature of the anxiety and fear that lives inside me. It was written with the intent to shed light on this universal experience in the hope of helping individuals better understand what lives in all of us, and how to free ourselves from its grip.

It begins at the pit of the stomach, and then it spreads to the rest of the body. There is a sense of restlessness, agitation, and an inability to concentrate. At times, it would actually paralyze me. I felt a strong desire to flee it somehow, a desire to stop the discomfort. Yet it won’t leave me. In the past I would have found ways to distract myself, call someone, listen to music, eat something, watch TV, anything to keep me from feeling this disturbing energy living inside of me. Sometimes, I would actually stop and listen to it. I would go inside and attempt to get to the source of these experiences. Other times, just redirecting my attention to them would alleviate their intensity. Most of the time though, they would get more severe and cause me to flee again. However, I discovered that avoiding, or distracting myself from them clearly did not diminish or make them disappear, on the contrary, the faster I ran, the stronger they got. The pain became so unbearable that I could no longer avoid the simple truth; there is no place to run. It finally dawned on me-these feelings are mine. They live in me. They are part of me. Running away from them only meant running away from myself.  read more »