God is an interesting word. Perhaps more than any other word in any language, it stands out as potentially involving a greater number of meanings and emotional responses than all others. For some the word invokes hope, love and peace and for others it is a reference to non-sense, superstition, mental weakness and for some others, the word elicits fear, anger and even hatred. The ways we understand God inherently give rise to the meaning of God! For spiritual and religious people, it is this personal understanding of God that ... Read More
Imagine what you might do if you learned that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains. Just assume for a moment that somehow you discovered this old statement to be based on your belief--your belief in yourself--and that simply believing you could be successful at your goal, whatever it might be, would somehow make that goal attainable. What would you do to cultivate the power of self-belief? Read More
A recent study carried out by researchers, Victoria Talwar of McGill University and Kang Lee at the University of Toronto, demonstrated the value of praising a character’s honesty as a more effective tool to get young children to tell the truth, than a story that emphasizes the punishment or repercussions to lying. Quoting the University Herald: “As parents of young children, we wanted to know how effective the stories actually are in promoting honesty. Is it ‘in one ear, out the other,’ or do children listen and take the messages to heart?” ... Read More
A few years ago I wrote a piece that has been rather widely circulated and, based on some of the comments I have seen, not too well understood. The piece is titled, “The Four Views.” Please allow me to share it with you before making any further comments. This then is the story: Once a wise master had four students who exceeded all others in ability. One day the five gathered, and the master spoke to the first student, “Tell me what you see when you look into the world.” ... Read More
What could you achieve if you finally got out of your own way? Most people are totally unaware that they are sometimes controlled by internal mechanisms that are designed to protect, but that actually function to sabotage certain goals in their lives. The fact is, all of us possess self-destructive elements that can manifest at any time and in a variety of ways. This not-so-silent enemy within usually remains in stealth mode despite its repeated pattern of interference with our own self-declared desires. Psychologists define self-destructive patterns this way: Behavior ... Read More
