Wake Up Call - Insights & Musings to Stir Your Soul

“Why are you here?” Oprah and Paulo Coelho have an answer.

September 20, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

There’s a new podcast out called “Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations,” that recently released a conversation between two of the leading spirituality figures of our time: Oprah, the famous inspirational talk-show host, and Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, the biggest selling spirituality book since, well, I don’t know when. Over the course of an hour discussion, Oprah asks Coelho about some of the spiritual principles and passages found in The Alchemist, and then often adds her own interpretation. Their thoughts… Read more

The Simple Prompt That Can Help You Stay Mindful All Day

September 13, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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We all want to live a mindful life, being fully in the present, totally tuned in to our surroundings every moment of every day. But we also know that saying it is one thing, doing it another. As I’ve written before, a big reason for our lack of mindfulness can be attributed to the frantic pace of our daily lives—as well as our endemic addiction to smartphones, with the small screen in the palm of our hands stealing our attention… Read more

A Definition of God: For the Spiritual but Not Religious

September 7, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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All my life I’ve experienced a sense of wonder that has to do with something that’s out there but also touches a place within me. It feels as if I’m part of something bigger. Can you relate to this sentiment? The words above are from the American philosopher Jacob Needleman and strike at something that a lot of us in the “spiritual but not religious” community feel deep within us. It’s the seeming knowledge that something greater than us exists,… Read more

Being Humble Doesn’t Make You Weak. It Makes You a Better Person

August 30, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more ‘manhood’ to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind. The passage above is from the late Alex Karras who was anything but weak. Karras played with the NFL’s Detroit Lions for 12 years and was a four-time All Pro lineman. He later… Read more

The Greatest Gift You Can Give Someone Today (and Every Day)

August 24, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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I’m sure you’ve witnessed this scene recently. You’re out to dinner and glance at the table next to you—only to see that the entire family has their heads buried in their phones. Mom, Dad, teenage daughter, even preteen son. What does this picture say about our current way of life? If you’re like me, you ban smartphones and any related-Internet devices from the dinner table. A Wake Up Call reader recently told me that her and her husband go a… Read more

The Magical Prayer That Was Proven to Make Marriages Stronger

August 17, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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A 20-year study was recently completed at Florida State University on the positive effects of prayer—and the results were startling. Read more

The Lazy Person’s Guide to Mindfulness.

August 10, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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Are you busy? In today’s modern world, it seems we all are. We cram our lives with so much busyness that we, in effect, become spiritually lazy. We don’t allot the time, or have the will power, to engage in a regular spiritual practice—including the recommended two daily meditation sessions that can lead to greater mindfulness (the ability to focus our attention on the present moment). There may be an easier way to be mindful and it comes from Google…. Read more

The Connection Between Ghosts, UFOs and God

August 3, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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People who are not religious are twice as likely to believe in ghosts and UFOs as those who are religious. Read more

Sage Advice From the 14th Dalai Lama: Don’t Be a Jerk

July 27, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. Read more

A “Friend” Dies at 49 and Leaves Me Asking 3 Questions

July 19, 2017 By Tom Rapsas

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I’m not on Facebook much, but a few days ago I stumbled upon a startling post on my feed. It was from a “friend”, a woman named Jolie, who was announcing her own death and memorial service. Upon closer inspection, I realized Jolie had given the keys to her account to someone else—and actually had passed away at the age of 49. Like a lot of Facebook friends, I didn’t really know her, though we had been friends since 2012…. Read more