Can faith help us in a time of crisis? If we believe in a God, will our prayers and petitions lead us to the best possible outcome, for ourselves, our families and for our society? Faith is a curious thing. It may be that you either have the faith gene within you or you don’t. The author David Foster Wallace once gave a now fabled commencement speech titled This is Water. As part of that speech, Foster Wallace told the tale... Read more
Tom Shadyac was once a big-time Hollywood director, the man behind the films that launched Jim Carrey to fame, including the Ace Ventura series. He also directed The Nutty Professor with Eddie Murphy and the blockbuster Evan Almighty. Then, after banking tens of millions of dollars, he comes to a growing realization: His life is way off track. As much as he thinks of himself as a spiritual guy, his life has lost its focus. He has placed his own... Read more
This story appears in the new book Wake Up Call: Daily Insights for the Spiritually Curious. As you grow older, do you really begin to figure it all out? Do you start to realize what your purpose was here on Earth and what you need to do before your departure from this life? After years of reading about and talking to elders, I think the answer is mixed. In short, some people just don’t figure it out—but the flip side... Read more
If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, it will be enough. ~Meister Eckhart What are you thankful for? Chances are, if you stop what you’re doing right now, you can come up with a bunch of reasons to give thanks. Think about everything, from the people you love, to the roof over your head, to the phone or computer you’re reading this on. No matter what’s wrong in your life right now, you must admit that there... Read more
Pick up the classic Chinese philosophy book titled Tao Te Ching and its logic may escape you. That’s how I felt when I read it years ago, puzzled by lines like “when nothing is done, nothing is left undone.” But taking a closer look today, it’s beginning to make more sense. The Tao Te Ching is comprised of aphorisms (or sayings) that detail the principles of a philosophy called the Tao. Added together, these sayings have been alternately defined as... Read more
The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. ~Eden Phillpotts What if there was magic in the world that was just out of your view? What if by honing your instincts, by taking the time to look at life a little more closely, it revealed itself? The magic I’m talking about here has nothing to do with sleight of hand or pulling a bunny out of a hat. It’s about the magical realization... Read more
How do you start your day upon waking up? After you hit the alarm, do you immediately reach for your phone and start scrolling through email or social media posts? Or do you ease into your day, making sure your head is clear and you’re spiritually centered before facing the world? Tim Ferriss, the author and podcaster, is a big proponent of a regular morning practice and has found that if he can do five specific activities each morning, he... Read more
I heard the voice of God in 1993. At least, I believe it was God. I had just completed a 6-mile run in a local park, the weather was overcast and misty. As I walked slowly to cool off, everything around me went quiet. A voice came into my head, one I swear to you was not my own. It instructed me to take a series of steps that would lead me to move half-way across the country and reconnect... Read more
Whether it’s a son or daughter, niece or nephew, granddaughter or grandson, we all want to pass along the life lessons we’ve learned to the important people in our lives. Yet, as we all know, it can often be hard to find the appropriate time to share our well-earned wisdom. I have a daughter who is a junior in college and I’ve come to realize that the best way to communicate is often not through the grand gesture or big... Read more
Whenever I feel myself getting stressed and overburdened by the demands of work and/or life, I often come to a sudden realization: I haven’t been meditating lately. It’s weird how this very simple act—and meditation is simple—has the almost magical effect of calming you down and making you better prepared for the day ahead. It’s a way to get your chattering “monkey-mind” under control, so you’re not captive to your brain incessantly jumping from thought to thought to thought. Meditation... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In