“Observe the peculiar pleasure you derive from being unhappy. Observe the compulsion to talk or think about it.” -Eckhart Tolle Have you noticed? We want to be free of pain, but there is a part of us that which takes a peculiar pleasure from reveling in suffering. I had two decades of depression and anxiety [...]

The Struggle Two Zen monks were walking through the woods. Suddenly, one Zen monk turned to the other and slapped him. “Ouch! Why did you do that!” cried the slapped monk. The first said, “I’m Zen monk, I can get away with shit like that.” It is so very simple. And the ego loves to [...]

One the most important things Eckhart Tolle has said is rarely mentioned. He said the test of being is a very simple question: Do I feel lighter and more joyful? Ask yourself: Do I feel lighter, more natural, more joyful, more compassionate, more connected, more open, more playful? Am I coming out of the world [...]

Awakening humbles me. A strange thing about awakening is frequently we feel we are very conscious, but then life throws something at us and we react in the same conditioned way we always did. It’s a humbling experience, and that’s the point of it. A year ago I had severe and debilitating anxiety. It was [...]