One of my favorite quotes is, “We are not humans having a spiritual experience; we are spirits having a human experience.” From this view, we are just visitors on Planet Earth, here to learn life lessons so that we may progress as spirits. In order to survive in this earthly environment, we’ve each borrowed a “spacesuit” that we call a body. …
Ready for Love
A few weeks ago, I got a fabulous invitation to spend the winter holidays in Sicily with an Italian hottie I met there last fall. As I was mulling over his offer, I got a very direct gut answer: “No. It’s time to meet the One.” Although it’s tempting to run off to Italy and play, I’m very clear: No …
Happiness on Hold
“Please hold. A happiness representative will be with you shortly.” Why do so many of us put our happiness on hold? How many times have I heard friends and relatives who hate their jobs say, “It’s only for another 2 more years, 5 more years, 10 more years…?” So many people I’ve talked to who are in relationships that aren’t …
Choosing Joy
“Che brutto giorno!” (“What an ugly day!”) the woman scowled, dragging on her cigarette as she looked out at the pouring rain, flooding the streets into rivers. Rosario and I felt otherwise. Laughing as we splashed through the puddles, we jumped from doorstep to doorstep, stopping to make out and embrace under each dry alcove. We arrived back to …
Lighten Up!
Why are we so intense in our culture? Why do we tend to work so hard and take ourselves and life so seriously? What happened to our carefree days of childhood, when we would spend all day playing, laughing, and eating? Perhaps school squashed the lightness out of us, perhaps our families did, or perhaps both. How do we regain it …
How to Be Happy When Your Life is Crappy
How to be happy is no easy question, nor is there a short answer. Great philosophers and spiritual teachers have spent centuries tackling the quest for human happiness. Letting go of struggle and negativity and freeing yourself to joyously love and be loved is a lifelong journey. Meanwhile, there are a few basic check-points on the road map to happiness that …