We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle    The human brain is hardwired to seek pleasure and avoid pain; the brain signals us for imminent danger, a safeguard for survival. But can we bypass this default? The path of least resistance may sometimes be appropriate; my GPS certainly thinks so, yet we grow when we do hard things. Like in…

Even the greatest was once a beginner. Don’t be afraid to take that first step. — Muhammad Ali We come into this world as blank slates; everything is unknown. We learn by exploration; like sponges, we absorb the stimuli and data in this new reality. Not yet corrupted by the fear of doing wrong, we venture forward, eager to understand. Have you ever watched a baby exploring, putting whatever is…

And this too shall pass. ~unknown Everything in life is temporary: our highs and lows, successes and failures. We judge what gives us pleasure is better than what gives us disappointment and falsely think the good will last forever, so we are caught off guard when it doesn’t. Living in the present is a struggle for most. We fixate on the past or the future, passing by what is now.…

The quieter you become, the more you can hear. ~ Ram Dass The slower you go, the more you see. ~ Zen saying Perhaps Paul Simon had it right when, in 1966, he wrote; Slow down, you move too fast, you got to make the morning last. With our busy schedules, we have legitimate reasons to feel the need to go go go. Many feel pressure to accomplish, to be productive,…

A coincidence will remain a coincidence until its significance is known. ― Angie Corbett-Kuiper Navigating life can be tricky. However, we are given clues on how to be a conscious and successful person, often through innocuous sayings bantered around, usually without much faith. I grew up thinking that the universe always provides exactly what we need when it is needed. As I pursued that thinking, I realized we are given guideposts if…

I know, I know, I know, but I keep forgetting.  ~Unknown Life always presents options for our growth. Whether or not we heed them is up to us. When confronted with a situation that perplexes us, we have a choice. Any choices we make will be perfect, presenting a lesson to be learned, so we can never make a wrong choice; however, some choices align with our growth. How do…

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. ~ Helen Keller We are not given a manual on how to be human. Instead, we learn what is right and wrong based on social and cultural norms, doing our best to decipher how it applies to the world around us. Some have had great parenting or role models, and others have not. Many were raised with…

When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have. Stephen Hawking Are you on a self-help journey, reading illuminating books, or taking course after course with enlightened teachers, and all you want to do is share these gems of wisdom with your loved ones and friends, but to no avail? They’re happy for you; they say, that’s great info, or I’ll check it out. Yet, you…