Before a prescription can inspire action, the diagnosis must inspire conviction
Before a prescription can inspire action the diagnosis must inspire conviction When we are in a position of guiding others, we sometimes find that people [...]
To be responsible means to stop blaming the outer trigger for the inner trouble
To be responsible means to stop blaming the outer trigger for the inner trouble Suppose we feel tempted by someone who wears revealing clothes. Or [...]
Self-pity makes feel-bad seem feel-good
Self-pity makes feel-bad seem feel-good Suppose we are in physical pain. We will naturally do whatever we can to free ourselves from that pain as [...]
The mind often recasts antipathy as inability – what it doesn’t want to do, it presents as if it can’t do
The mind often recasts antipathy as inability - what it doesn’t want to do it presents as if it can’t do Suppose a child doesn’t [...]
Resilience comes when we accept what is unchangeable, but don’t accept that everything is unchangeable
Resilience comes when we accept what is unchangeable but don't accept that everything is unchangeable What makes some people resilient and some people weak? It’s [...]
Just as bigotry can blind emotionally, ideology can blind intellectually
Just as bigotry can blind emotionally ideology can blind intellectually In today’s social justice ethos, if someone makes a racist or sexist statement, they are [...]
Seek God’s help for doing his will, or you will need his help to get out of the trouble you get into because of not doing his will
Seek God's help for doing his will or you will need his help to get out of the trouble you get into because of not [...]
The night after a quake, the stars still shine in the sky – don’t let the misery of your life blind you to the beauty of life
The night after a quake the stars still shine in the sky - don't let the misery of your life blind you to the beauty [...]
We have to risk going too far to know how far we can go
We have to risk going too far to know how far we can go Suppose we are seeking something that requires effort and involves risk. [...]
To savor what is most sweet, we often need to shed the most sweat
To savor what is most sweet we often need to shed the most sweat If we want to eat food, we need to earn it. [...]
Appreciating others’ achievement fosters extrinsic self-worth, appreciating their commitment fosters intrinsic self-worth
Appreciating others’ achievement fosters extrinsic self-worth appreciating their commitment fosters intrinsic self-worth Suppose we are guiding someone, as when we are parents guiding our children. [...]
Problems are like burdens whose weight increases with the attention we give them
Problems are like burdens whose weight increases with the attention we give them Suppose we have to carry a huge bag. We may struggle to [...]
Let your practices make you a spiritual fruit, not a religious nut
Let your practices make you a spiritual fruit not a religious nut Religious nuts are those people who in the name of religion become fanatical, [...]
Resenting reversals locks us in ignorance, accepting reversals opens the door to transcendence
Resenting reversals locks us in ignorance accepting reversals opens the door to transcendence When things start going wrong, we often feel resentful: ‘Why is this [...]
Look for the good in all situations, even in situations that don’t look good
Look for the good in all situations even in situations that don’t look good Whenever life subjects us to terrible situations, we often obsess over [...]
Even if we can’t change what we live with, we can change what we live for
Even if we can’t change what we live with we can change what we live for Suppose we are stuck with a slow, noisy, messy [...]
With God, everyone is accepted, but everything isn’t acceptable
With God everyone is accepted but everything isn’t acceptable Some people ask, “If God is all-loving, why does he prescribe so many do’s and don’ts? [...]
Learn to wonder and ponder, not wander and pander
Learn to wonder and ponder not wander and pander Babies tend to wander and pander. They wander wherever they can without considering where they are [...]
When we limit our challenges, we can challenge our limits
When we limit our challenges we can challenge our limits Suppose an army is fighting a multifront war against a formidable enemy. For the army [...]
The mind is a perpetual procrastinator – it postpones our resolutions to someday, then some decade and then some lifetime
The mind is a perpetual procrastinator – it postpones our resolutions to someday then some decade and then some lifetime Suppose we wanted to go [...]
Complaining is no one’s birthright – and it has made no one’s birth right
Complaining is no one’s birthright – and it has made no one’s birth right Some people are chronic complainers. They self-righteously justify their negativity, irritability [...]