We should teach true intelligence, not facts and ideas. — With kids and their parents preparing for another school year, now’s a good time to dive into that age-old topic: What the heck should education be all about? Most debates go straight to whether the focus should be on science, math, and engineering (knowledge deemed “useful” in today’s working world)…

Watch, don’t fight. — The ego has been central to trekking the spiritual path for thousands of years. Look no further than two of the most revered spiritual texts ever written. The Bhagavad Gita suggests meditation to help control the mind, just a different word for the ego. And chapter 10 of the Tao…

It’s about Nonresistance. — This is going to be a short article. Why? Because expounding too much on this spiritual gem by Eckhart Tolle risks muddling its essence. It came to me in an email from Eckharttolle.com back in 2019 as part of his weekly ‘present moment reminder’ series. By the way, I’ve kept…

The key is to start looking in, not out. — “Hey, how’re you doing?” “Not great. I’m having one of those days.” “What happened?” “Oh, Janice lit into me because I forgot to pay the cable bill. Then I go downstairs and Audrey’s in mid-meltdown because Bobby hid her favorite stuffed animal. And things just went downhill from there…” Most…

Surprise, surprise, it has to do with the present moment. — Life throws curveballs at us on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Sometimes life has little to do with it and it’s us throwing those curveballs at ourselves. Whichever it is, stress comes our way most every day (how about that for a song lyric?) in ways both big and small. …

It’s called witness consciousness. — Most people I know are overwhelmed. Every day. What does that look like? They constantly rush. And sigh. And say they’re tired. They stress over their kids, their financial security, their relationships and their work situations, to name a few of the big ones. Of their life in general, I…

It’s about being okay either way. — We make decisions every day. Some small. What should I have for lunch? Some big. Should I marry this guy? It’s my experience that most people have a hard time with decisions, especially the big ones. They agonize. And the reason is obvious, though people don’t necessarily think of it…

So easy and so effective. — I was having trouble coming up with an article idea yesterday so I did what I often do when stymied. I went for a walk. I walk on a beautiful path that overlooks the Back Bay here in Newport Beach. I love watching the myriad species of birds flying around. …

Shawn Gallagher (1962–2022) — Shawn Gallagher was my oldest friend. We lost him on Monday when he died from complications of leukemia. He’d had some pains in his legs the preceding weeks and went to the doctor about a week ago. They immediately sent him to the hospital where he died only two days…