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…
The seeds of this moment were planted in the past. What we do now will blossom in the future. If we are always attentive to the present moment, we will always tend our garden well. Whether we make mistakes or not, with presence we will always remain confident that we can correct course, make a change, adapt to new circumstances, and learn from our experience. Path to Peace with Todd…
1. The key to becoming spiritual isn't that we do anything, it’s the opposite — we have to undo everything. 2. We are not merely a tiny, insignificant part of this universe, not just some mistake, or random chance, we are the universe. 3. When you're blessed, you pass it on to someone else because you know you are only blessed because someone helped show you the way. This is…
We will all feel all of the human emotions throughout our lives. That's part of life. But when we let ourselves get swept away by those emotions, then we can act unmindfully and in ways that can hurt our reputation and relationships. When our emotions carry us away, we lose ourselves and we feel the emotions with great intensity as if they are happening to us. When we are present,…
“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.
