“Let us be silent, and we may hear the whispers of the Gods.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson What do devotees of the Bhagavad Gita, Evangelical Christians and this humble Patheos Spirituality columnist have in common? We all believe in the power of a direct and personal relationship with God. For me, this personal relationship means that I start most mornings with a specific ritual. After rolling (or some days, hobbling) out of bed, I flick on the coffeemaker and begin stretching,... Read more
When it came to meditation, I was always kind of a dummy. It seemed easy enough, but I just didn’t get why I needed to do it. After all, I cleared my head each morning with a brisk four-mile run. Did I really need to meditate, too? Still, as I read stories about the meditation practices of Sting and perused the filmmaker David Lynch’s book on meditation and consciousness, Catching the Big Fish, I couldn’t help but wonder–was I missing something? So I tried... Read more
Several months ago I wrote about the one prayer to say if you’re saying only one. I call it the prayer of thanks. And it’s so important, I’m now writing about it again with some fresh, new insights to offer. The fact is as much as we may obsess about what’s not right in our lives, most of us have a lot to be thankful for. And by expressing gratitude for all the good things in our life, something magical... Read more
He is the wisest who seeks God. He is the most successful who has found God. ~Yogananda, The Law of Success It measures a little over 5 inches by 3 ½ inches and is only 39 pages long. You can comfortably read it in about an hour. Yet it’s jam-packed with wisdom and a true Wake Up Call for anyone who has wondered off the spiritual path. It’s The Law of Success, Using the Power of Spirit to Create Health,... Read more
How do you walk through life? Are you sure-footed with a specific destination in mind? Or do you meander, unsure of your direction or where you’re headed? Several months ago, I wrote about finding your path in life, or what’s also known as “finding your calling“. I thought this quote by David Spangler did a great job of summing up what a calling meant: We all possess a gift or talent that we are attracted to and enjoy doing…this gift... Read more
I’m not a regular church-goer, more of a Christmas and every-third-Easter kind of guy. I prefer connecting with God in the solace of my own home and see spirituality as more of a solo venture. But on this particular Thursday, I’m breaking the rules. I decide I need to break away from an especially insane day at the office—I work in a fast-paced New York City advertising agency—and find a quiet place for contemplation. I think I know just the... Read more
Arctic air. Sleet and snow. Black ice. Commuting nightmares. It has been one brutal winter in most of the United States and I, for one, have had enough. This year, like most, when the calendar hit January 2, I was officially ready for summer. But after one of the coldest months on record, even the promise of spring seems far away. I suppose I could be one of the millions who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It’s what some call... Read more
Chris Lemig was one messed up dude. He had gone 23 years without having a single sober day, overindulging in all manners of booze and drugs. He had hurt friends, family, anyone who ever got close to him. Wracked by guilt, confused about his sexual identity and without hope, he hated himself. And then, just when he had hit rock bottom, Lemig was saved…by the Buddha. Funny how when you hear stories about people being saved from addiction, it’s often... Read more
The really smart marketer Seth Godin got met thinking about mentors the other day. While I’ve always believed the spiritual path is best navigated as a solo journey, and have railed against “gurus” in the past, the word “mentor” evokes a different image for me. I picture a wise sage who, when needed, dispenses valuable advice and counsel, ensuring that the spiritual journeyer stays on course. But how do we go about finding our own spiritual mentor? According to Godin,... Read more
Earlier this year, I wrote a column titled “You’ll Dig These 6 Life Tips from The Dude” here on these Patheos pages. It featured the wisdom of the actor Jeff Bridges as told in his book The Dude and the Zen Master. The Dude is a role Bridges once played in the movie The Big Lebowski. And while he may have received an Academy Award as Best Actor for Crazy Heart, it was his performance as the chillaxed Dude that... Read more
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