A healthy amount of fear is good. It prevents us from taking a selfie too close to the edge of a cliff. But when fear goes beyond protecting us from danger, that's when fear becomes dangerous. When it morphs into protecting us from the slightest discomfort, then fear can become our prison. Fear is an insidious monster that can take over our entire lives if we're not careful. It can…
Nearly all of human behaviour is conditioned, sometimes by society, sometimes by our families, and sometimes by our own unique experiences. These behaviors are conditioned through rewards and punishments. How a behavior makes us feel determines whether we continue that behavior. And while a lot of conditioning is well-intentioned, sometimes, especially when there's been trauma, we learn to internalize stress even though we are perfectly safe. But, we can unlearn…
Difficult people. We have all dealt with them, we will all surely deal with them again, and chances are very good that we've even been that person from time to time. So, how can we better deal with people who push our buttons? How can we prevent our own buttons from getting pushed? Luckily, the answer is the same for both. An interaction between difficult people is a battle of…
When we operate from our ego, we have a very small, narrow perspective. Looking at things from a broader perspective, from other people's perspective, or even from the universal perspective, a much greater wisdom can arise within us.Only through meditation and mindfulness can we truly see things from the broadest perspective possible. We don't make ourselves the victim because we don't frame circumstances as "happening to us." We don't compare…
Mastering your emotions is much like mastering a foreign language. At first, you will feel you are not making any progress. For some time, it will take a great deal of sustained effort to translate basic sentences in your head. But eventually, it it will seep into your subconscious and you will realize you are fluent. And every day you practice, your skill will grow and grow. In today's podcast,…
Q: Dear Todd, I have noticed that I am most often in the moment when I working in my garden or when I am drawing. How can I extend this? TODD ANSWERS: You bring up the wonderful distinction between meditative activities and meditation. While meditative activities force us to be present while doing that thing, meditation is the practice of training our mind to always be present. Join 10,000 Mental…
Q 1: Dear Todd, how do I accept that life has no meaning? Don't we have to have a purpose in life?Q 2: Dear Todd, I find myself depressed because of the realization that is no true meaning or purpose to our lives. Everything is neutral until we assign it meaning. Therefore everything is pointless, without purpose, including suffering and pain, including love and joy. Can you help me reframe…
There are many people who have unpleasant experiences when they first try meditation. This is not uncommon. It's only natural that when we've lived our whole lives busy and always doing things, the first few times where we put away all distractions and turn our attention inwards can be unpleasant. There may be repressed emotions and negative thoughts for us to confront. This episode explores the causes of these negative experiences,…
Don’t all the best humans have a feeling of inadequacy when going out on a date? Ain’t that a thing? The most thoughtful people are so often too introspective and self-critical. It’s easy to get fixated on insecurities, especially because of the ubiquitous media’s idealization of what the ‘perfect’ life looks like, but it’s important to remember you are absolutely perfect as you are.Whenever you are overthinking about yourself, try…
What is the root causes of experiencing negative situations in our lives? How can we remove those causes? What can we do when the inevitable unfortunate circumstances of our life do happen? How can we face those most challenging times? And what can we do to prevent them altogether? I answer these questions and more in today's podcast. Please enjoy other episodes where I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual…
“I thought my biggest fear was growing old and dying in prison. In truth, my biggest fear was growing old and not knowing myself.”
- Rick Smith, Albama inmate
Path to Peace - A newsletter not just for your mental health but also for your spiritual health.
