Q: Dear Todd, so when we feel fear or experience suffering is that always the ego? Or is it an unhealed part of ourselves? Or both? TODD ANSWERS: Both and neither. These feelings of fear are merely evolutionary traits we have developed to stay far away from tigers and the edges of cliffs. Suffering is what tells us not to put our hands in the fire. But today, it is…
Maybe predators smell fear. Maybe it's sensed. Or maybe there is some quantum mechanics going on. But for whatever reason, when people see themselves as victims, they're more likely to become victimized. This has been demonstrated by people walking down the street. They are more likely to be attacked or robbed if they think they might be. In contrast, people who exude a calm confidence don't get bothered as much.…
Most of us have a voice in our head that constantly searches for something to obsess about. It scavenges and scavenges endlessly. There is just no seeming endpoint for this thought-chaser. No matter what happens, our mind will try to label, judge and analyze it forever and ever. Why won't our minds just do what they're told?!This inner voice disrupts our inner peace and usually creates problems where none existed…
Today, Todd talks about whether or not we can meditate while focusing on nothing. The thing is, being unfocused is just our normal state of mind. We typically go about our days just responding to whatever we perceive and whatever thought pops into our head. We are a slave to our impulses. Learning to focus, by practicing focus, is taking control of our mind. It's using your intentions to guide…
Sometimes, when we first start meditating, sadness and other extreme emotions may feel like they're being stirred up. But, these emotions aren't created by meditation, they are revealed by meditation. Most of our lives are spent distracted. We're always so busy doing, we don't pay any real attention to our inner world.In this episode, Todd goes into why these emotions come up in meditation, how we can process what comes…
We've all been there. We think things are going to go one way, and then life throws us a curveball. We try to plan, control and predict every little thing, but this universe has bigger plans than our little ideas.We will all have moments in our lives that we wish went differently. The question is, will we learn from it? Will we be open to the possibilities that this new…
After quitting his high-paying advertising job, giving away all his belongings, moving out of his New York City apartment and buying a one-way ticket to India, he finally arrives in spiritual capital of the world.Hear what he finds, what he does, and how he got fleeced twice in two days. See how everything he had been searching for miraculously presented itself to him. Learn the lessons that India taught him…
Q: Dear Todd, how did you manage to come back to the city and "normal" life after your extended traveling time? TODD ANSWERS: I would love to say some big wise thing like, “I recognized that all things must change.” While that is true, honestly after nine years of being in so many places and living out of a tiny suitcase, living in hostels and homestays, and constantly a wanderer,…
This is one of the most important and common questions I receive. The more in touch we become with our inner peace, the more jarring the outside world can become. As we begin the journey inward, we can become even more sensitive than we already were. So what can we do to not be so sensitive? How can we take control of our own mental state and not have it…
With so many apps and gurus out there today, the number of types of meditations have exploded. There are ancient ones and brand new untested ones. So how do we know which ones are the best, which ones are a waste of time, and which ones may even have negative effects?In this episode, I go into depth about the two most common types of meditation, mantra and breath meditation. Breath…
“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.
