"Our unique perspectives, principles, and practices can create a rich and colorful menagerie of devoted living.” At the center of our identity - as individuals, communities and even as a species - is our system of belief. Whatever we believe, we can allow our convictions vis-à-vis religion and spirituality to either divide us or unite us, as human history has continually proven. In the 1960s, the anti-establishment movements challenged our social norms, economics, and p

Most of us are taught to “look before you leap,” to assess all available facts and consider possible consequences before making decisions or taking action. The frenetic pace of our lives today, however, does not always afford us the time to carefully review every pertinent detail. In fact, the less time we have, the more vulnerable we are to a decision-making flaw that neuroscientist refer to as availability bias – a mental shortcut the brain takes based on our own limited an

The ancient Greek philosophers identified eight types of love, from the passion of Eros to the selflessness of Agape love. Nowhere in their work is there any mention of “tough love”. Tough love is a contemporary concept first introduced to us in 1968 when Bill Milliken, an at-risk youth advocate, published a book by that name. It has since evolved into two distinct and often radical strategies: the procedure of intervention used in psychotherapy, and the practice of self-resp

Cooler temperatures and turning leaves mark the beginning of autumn. Although trees may soon be bare, there are plenty of spiritual fruits to be harvested in the fall. "Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers, we more than gain in fruits." - Samuel Butler Abundance For many cultures, autumn harvest is considered the most important and abundant time of the year. Bounties of fruits, vegetables, and grains are coming into season, providing sustenan

When we dare to tread the darkness that uncertainties fear, we realize the beauty, power, and perfection of our true selves. When days grow short, or life gets tough, we seek ways to dispel the darkness with light. We equate light with the positive – hope, growth, abundance, life. And conversely, dark is attributed to the negative – despair, vice, scarcity, death. Light good, dark bad. Because of these broad-stroke judgments, we can miss the miracles the Universe prov