Last week I talked about how to do a spiritual health check-up. This week, let’s talk about how to go from spiritual health to spiritual wealth.We all have spiritual wealth already, but it gets obscured by incessant thinking, traumatic events, and a chaotic and negative mind. So here is how we can expand our consciousness, raise our awareness, and prolong our presence.It’s first important to realize that from awareness and…
All loving relationships start with knowing. All problems stem from a lack of understanding. If we are to love ourselves, love others as ourselves, and eliminate internal and external conflict, we must know ourselves.The wisdom that arises from understanding who we truly are cannot be told to us. Just as we cannot develop a good relationship with another person by simply reading about relationships, we cannot develop a good relationship…
When we say that humans are social creatures, it doesn’t just mean that we like to gather and communicate. It means that through the many selves, a society emerges. Without society, we would have no language, and thus no thoughts. So while there is a great deal we can learn about ourselves when we close our eyes and turn our attention inward, it is also important to understand that we…
What is happiness? Is it getting what we want? Is it chemicals in our brain that can be altered with substances? Is it positive thoughts and emotions? Or, is it something more?As humans, we have two modes of being: going and resting. Often, even when we are physically resting, our mind is going. When we are going, we are chasing after what we want and we are running away from…
Q: Dear Todd, what if a person treats everyone else well with kindness and compassion with the exclusion of oneself, that is, that person only feels hatred towards me? How can one not take it personally then? I'd like to think it's a projection of how they feel about themselves but it's apparent they're okay and happy when with others just not me. And it's not because of something I…
If grief is love unexpressed, then express that love to yourself so the healing can take place. When we relinquish our attempt to control or suppress our grief and simply allow it to exist, we grant it the freedom to unfold naturally. Understanding impermanence on a deep level, and being aware of it rids the mind of any ability to experience loss, grief, sorrow, and detachment. Only the nonmaterial, empty…
We are not just spiritual beings. We also have a responsibility to these physical bodies to make sure they are safe and well taken care of. It is very difficult to be spiritual when our physical needs are not met. This is why we must all work to ensure that people everywhere have access to affordable medicine, shelter, safety, clothing; and clean food, water and air. This survival mode is…
All resenting stems from resisting. Resentment comes from resisting another person's actions, behaviors and habits. Instead of allowing the person to be, we silently resist who they are. That silent resistance turns into spoken or unspoken anger, distance and mutual hardship. The absolute best thing we can do when feeling resentment is to go from resisting to enlisting. Instead of feeling like we must either fight or silently suffer, we…
Spirituality is a word that has about 8 billion definitions. So what the heck is it? How does it relate to religion? Can you have one without the other? Are they mutually exclusive or do we need both to reach our ultimate potential? In this podcast, I explore the history of religion spirituality. I talk about their impact they've had on people and on society as a whole. And I…
Q: Dear Todd, I was a minimalist when I was using cannabis every day, and later drinking and smoking cigarettes every day. I felt satisfied with those escapes plus daily meditation and exercise. Then I stopped drinking and within a year started collecting toys. It's an addiction replacement. I get a high from making the purchases, but honestly, having the toys gives me little to no joy. Once in a…
“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.
