Why do we suffer a tragic event long after it's over? Why are our joyous celebrations so short-lived? And why do minor inconveniences and annoyances have the power to ruin our whole day? It's all because of the conditioned voice in our head. For most of us, that voice is the unconscious, unintentional result of our upbringing and experiences in life. But, we all have the ability to recondition our…
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”On trial for corrupting the minds of his students, for which he was sentenced to death, Socrates defended himself by saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”While many scholars may see this phrase as evidence that he meant we should sit around lost in thought, I believe Socrates was pointing to something much deeper. To examine, we must observe. To observe, we must…
Q: Dear Todd, how to exhaust your ego?TODD ANSWERS: I gotta say, trying to exhaust the ego sounds... exhausting. I think the way to quiet the ego isn’t to battle against it, as the internal conflict will disturb our inner peace. Instead, I like to play with my ego, not work against it. If it’s behaving like an immature child, it’s still MY immature child, so I’m going to love…
Without knowing hardly anything about Buddhism, Todd Perelmuter decided to jump in with both feet by going to live at a Buddhist monastery as a monk in the Himalayan mountains in India.After months of living in complete silence, without technology or a phone, and even without books except for Buddhist texts, Todd discovered a wisdom and philosophy that would totally change his life as it had for countless Buddhists for…
There was a Buddhist mandala that was hanging on the wall at the first Buddhist monastery I lived at. I was captivated by the details and craftsmanship. Really, the whole monastery had this level of detail and beauty. It was quite exquisite. Mandalas are symbolic representations of the universe, designed to transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones. They can be an object of meditation for Buddhists to focus on, either…
Breakups are emotionally challenging, and in today's digital age, the omnipresence of social media can complicate the healing process. The constant stream of updates, photos, and status changes can create a heartbreak loop, impeding the journey toward emotional recovery. Q: Dear Todd, how to not check my ex's social media and break my heart over and over again?TODD ANSWERS: These phones of ours really make enjoying life difficult. Even though we…
Right now in the U.S., half of all employees are considering quitting their job. That's a lot of people unhappy with their work. The question is, will quitting this job and finding a new job make them happier? Or, will they be as miserable or more miserable at their next job? To find out, Todd goes through a few questions we each need to ask ourselves before making any huge…
Overcoming the Failure Life TrapQ: I am currently struggling with a terrible sense of fear around the point at which I find myself in life right now… I have always been my harshest judge but that was what drove me on… now it is tearing me down. I am struggling to find the motivation or meaning in anything… I have read the books, done the classes, had the therapy, listened…
Q: Dear Todd, I am chaos, and I create it in everything I do and I want to stop it. I feel like a phony when I let my emotions take over.TODD ANSWERS: Don't be afraid of being a phony when your genuine emotions take over. Clearly you are trying to communicate something that is important to you. The more we practice not losing ourselves to these emotions (mindfulness), the…
Q: Dear Todd, I suffer from severe anxiety. I meditate regularly and I can relax and get into some deep states but when I finish up, I just go back to that state of hypervigilance. Have you got any advice?TODD ANSWERS: So often our anxiety gives us anxiety. The best thing we can do besides practicing meditation is to turn our anxiety into curiosity, really examining it when it starts…
“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.
