“Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.” - Gordon B. Hinckley   I found myself here in India during wintertime. To borrow from a familiar song, “Baby, it’s cold outside!” And yet, what I’ve noticed is how deeply I celebrate the mornings when I awaken to sunshine. I call them my “sunny-side-up” days. Those are the days when hope feels warmer, when brightness lifts the heart, and when there is an unmistakable desire to step outside and greet the world. A

“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot ― it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” ― Maya Angelou   There was a time in my life when I wanted nothing more than to erase parts of my past. I replayed moments in my mind, wishing I could delete choices, rewrite conversations, undo what felt like mistakes along the way. It was during one of tho

“Learn the art of observing everything, not the art of absorbing everything.”  Unknown   Everything is energy in motion. This truth has been whispered by mystics for centuries and confirmed by scientists in more recent times. We easily recognize energy in what we call “living” beings—people, animals, plants—because their movement, breath, and expression are visible. Yet even what appears solid and still carries an energetic signature. A rock, a table, a chair, a home—all are

"Dream big and dare to fail."   Norman Vaughan   Today, I met a cat. Actually, I met three cats—but it was the most timid one who captured my heart. He wanted the treat. I could see it in his eyes. He edged closer, stretched just enough to take it, and then—skedaddle, as we say in the South. A few minutes later, he circled the chair where I sat. Curious. Hopeful. Cautious. No amount of coaxing could convince him it was safe to come closer. As I watched him, something stirred

“Remember, you are not your thoughts or emotions. You are the eternal soul, pure and divine.” Sai Baba   There are moments when the mind becomes loud and the emotions feel overwhelming—when thoughts rush in like uninvited guests and feelings tug at the heart until we forget who we truly are. In those moments, it is easy to believe that we are the worry, the sadness, the fear, or even the excitement. Yet this gentle reminder from Sai Baba calls us back home to a deeper truth.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." —Anne Lamott   These days, it has become increasingly difficult to find a table in a restaurant where people are truly together. Often, they sit side by side, yet worlds apart—eyes downcast, fingers scrolling, conversations replaced by glowing screens. The irony is striking: we are more connected than ever, yet so deeply disconnected from the moment, from one another, and from ourselves. I

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” — Rumi   There are moments on the spiritual path when the pull of the earthly world feels especially strong. When our focus drifts from Spirit, gravity seems to take over—drawing us into heavier emotions, old patterns, and familiar disappointments. I was reminded of this truth today when I felt my own energy slipping downward after a series of experiences that tugged at my hea

“Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbon.” —Ann Ruth Schabacker   There is something sacred about waking up to a brand-new day. Each morning arrives wrapped like a present, quietly waiting for our attention. Every day holds the same number of hours, the same minutes ticking faithfully forward, yet how differently those hours are lived. As I glance at the calendar, I’m aware of how quickly this new year is already unfolding. Days can slip by unnoticed if we are not

"The rose and the thorn, and sorrow and gladness are linked together." ~ Saadi   There is a quiet teaching woven into every rose. Its fragrance invites us closer, while its thorns remind us to approach with reverence. Beauty and pain, joy and sorrow, are not opposites—they are companions on the same sacred stem. The angels have been whispering to me that this is the Year of Compassion, and as I sit with that message, I find myself contemplating what compassion truly means in

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” — Anatole France   Today, my heart felt especially full as I shared a class on communicating with our beloved animal companions. As the stories flowed and the love was spoken aloud, I was reminded of a sacred truth: animals do not come into our lives by chance. They are divinely placed, arriving precisely when our souls are ready to remember a deeper kind of love. They slip quietly into our days and soo