This week we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US, which is based, like many other holidays, on a distorted story. For one, the first so-called thanksgiving meal was with the Spaniards about 50 years earlier. Also, there’s nothing celebratory about the Pilgrims coming to impose a religious theocracy over the native Americans, and there’s no real [...]
I once heard a psychologist giving a lecture say something like, “without relationships no growth is possible.” Of course, having met saints who spent years in isolation seeking and achieving enlightenment, this sounded a bit too conventional for me. I myself chose to disconnect from the world for 3 years in an attempt to understand the meaning of my life,…
I don’t know if you remember how your mental processes shifted from the self-centered viewpoint of childhood into the constant focus on others when you became a teenager. It’s not that you didn’t pay attention to those around you as a child, you most certainly did, but you were still in the process of shaping your perception to integrate and…
The famous Greek maxim Know Thyself was inscribed on the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, which was the main cultural and religious hub for the Hellenic culture. But what does it mean, to know yourself? If you assume that you know who you are because who you are is what you think and feel, then what’s the…
Do you remember those fairy tales where the hero has a mission that entails going through a dangerous forest, and they leave bread crumbs on their path to be able to find their way back? Well, you may not be aware of this, but you do something similar as you grow up, except that as an adult you forget to…
You’re probably most familiar with Perrault’s version of Cinderella, but did you know that in Grimm’s tale she goes to three balls during a week-long celebration held for the prince to find a bride? Each night she wears a new gorgeous gown and shoes gifted by a magic white bird at her mother’s grave. She then dashes away because she…
Have you been feeling this push and pull of energy since the beginning of the year? It’s like we’re split between following up with projects and wanting to do nothing—between taking bold action and passively giving it all up. This is the feminine and masculine seeking integration, which is something we’ll continue to experience for quite a few years. But…
We all want a meaningful life, right? A life with purpose. And yet, most of us get confused about what that really means. Is it creating a happy family life, building a successful career, enjoying public recognition, or living a spiritual life? It’s not surprising that we get puzzled about this, for we lose track of who we are and…
Do you see yourself as a visionary? I believe that we are all visionaries in our own right, because we are each given a unique perspective from where to stand, as well as the inherent creative power to manifest our inner vision. So how come only a few individuals out there are considered visionaries while most people struggle to create…