“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” – William Shakespeare What a wonderful ideal, right? If we humans truly understood the power behind this simple recipe, perhaps we would exist in a world of harmony. It sounds simple enough. But how many times have I followed a recipe exactly and the meal or cake did not turn out as expected? I can have all the right ingredients, measure everything carefully, follow every instruction, and still something goes awry. Maybe I took it

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” —Paulo Coelho There is something magical about having a dream. A dream gives us something to reach toward. It awakens possibility within us and whispers that perhaps there is more waiting just beyond what we can presently see. Sometimes it is not even the fulfillment of the dream that excites us most—it is knowing that fulfillment is possible. Yet dreams can also test us. One of the biggest ki

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced .”-Soren Kierkegaard How much of our lives do we spend trying to fix ourselves? We convince ourselves that when we become more successful, more spiritual, more patient, more loving, or more accomplished, then we will finally be enough. We search for the next book, the next class, the next healing, believing that somewhere just beyond our reach is the version of ourselves that deserves happiness. But what

“I may not be a millionaire in my bank account, but I’m a millionaire when it comes to doing what I enjoy.” – 2001 Canada’s Walk of Fame Inductee Walter Ostanek When most people think about wealth, they immediately picture money. We are taught from a young age that success is measured by the size of our paycheck, the house we own, or the car we drive. Yet some of the happiest people in the world possess very little materially, while some who have accumulated vast fortunes s

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson When we give in to anger, we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to allow peace to win. Anger is a natural human emotion. It can alert us that something feels unfair, that a boundary has been crossed, or that a wound within us is asking to be healed. The problem isn't that we become angry. The problem comes when we choose to stay there. Emerson's quote is a beautiful reminder

"The information you consume each day is the soil from which your future thoughts grow." — James Clear We pay a great deal of attention to what we put into our physical bodies. We read labels, consider ingredients, talk about nutrition, and try to make choices that will give us energy and help our bodies function at their best. Yet how often do we give that same consideration to what we are feeding our minds? What you read, watch, listen to, and engage with every day become

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Let’s sit with these words for a moment. Feel how gently they release you from the weight of today. You did what you could. That is enough. Whatever stumbled or went sideways, you are invi

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." — Lao Tzu One of the greatest challenges we face as human beings is letting go—not only of our possessions or circumstances, but of the identity we have created around ourselves. We spend years collecting labels: successful, unsuccessful, parent, child, teacher, victim, survivor, achiever, spiritual seeker. Some labels lift us up while others quietly imprison us. Before long, we begin believing that these temporary rol

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life." Omar Khayyam How often do we postpone our happiness? We tell ourselves that we will be happy when we have more money, when our health improves, when the children are grown, when we retire, or when life finally slows down. Before we know it, years have passed while we have been waiting for permission to enjoy the very life we were given. The truth is that life is not found in yesterday or tomorrow. It exists only in thi

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths." — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Sometimes a soul comes into the world to make a big difference. Sometimes, one comes here to make a huge difference. We are saying goodbye to one such being who has blessed our planet in such a way that many across America and other countries are filled with sadness. I met George Franklin