happiness

A few days ago, the weather turned warm—for January in Ohio, anyway. The eight inches of snow that had blanketed the ground melted away, and we seized the moment. We cleaned up the yard, scrubbed the bird baths, and picked up fallen tree limbs. A lovely spring-like gift in the middle of winter. Of course, [...]

Once you understand that things are thoughts made manifest, it’s time to take the next crucial step: move things back to thoughts. But not human thoughts—the Infinite’s thoughts. The Journey from Thought to Thing Let’s begin with this foundational truth: things are thoughts made visible. How we perceive the world literally shapes the world we [...]

The Fallen Branch Bridge All trees have stories. They stand as perfect symbols of life’s continuous cycle—from seed to sapling to towering presence, breathing life into our planet and then returning to earth to nurture new beginnings. But this particular maple’s story taught me something profound about transformation and the power of small steps. The [...]

A World Renewed Begins With You. Start now. Have you ever wondered why we spend countless hours arguing with what isn’t working instead of simply resetting what we believe? Since we ultimately see what we believe, wouldn’t this approach make more sense? The answer lies in our conditioning. Breaking Free From Old Programming From our [...]

What’s one problem you can solve today? For years, every few months, when I opened my curtains, the curtain rod would separate and fall down. Until one day, I said to myself, “There must be a solution to this.” And, of course, there was. I took clear packing tape and wrapped it around where the [...]

My sister and I always felt connected through our friends and family apps on our phones. Sometimes, we’d text each other about where we could see each other. “How is Spain?” I’d ask. Or she’d say, “Welcome home,” after I returned from a trip. So the day her husband finally turned off her phone and [...]

And yet, I will be. I wonder what would happen if we all saw the past as not something to be lived over and over again, but as a past story we once read. What if we could let go of the hurts, disappointments, mistakes, idiotic things, or even the amazing things we did when [...]

It’s Always The Last Time Sometimes we know when it will be the last time. Most often, we don’t. Sometimes we wish it was the last time, but we can’t seem to stick to that agreement to let go. The truth is, it’s always the last time. We will never be exactly the same person [...]

Let go, celebrate life, and allow joy. I didn’t notice how hard my year had been until I started on the final edit of my book, Follow Me Here. It all started last May, my favorite month of the year. Behind the scenes of everyday life, I would discover what grief feels like. It began [...]

I’m nearing the end of the first draft of my next book, and the surprise I expected just happened. It always does. Although I plan out the story by knowing the beginning, expected ending (which may or may not happen that way), and the plot points along the way, I let the story unfold. This [...]

There’s a last time for everything. Sometimes, but not always, we get to choose when that will be.

While working in my office one morning, I glanced out the window at the solar water fountain in the birdbath and realized I was just like that fountain. Have ever watched one? When the sun is out, it shoots water out into the air a foot high. The water sparkles and shines in the sun [...]

In the 1970s, I lived in Venice, California. Even then, it was a weird and strange place, some of which I loved, and some of which I didn’t. We lived only a block from the beach in a courtyard, which meant all the houses faced a common sidewalk. We knew our neighbors. Some of us [...]

I have renewed respect for anyone who has cleaned out a parent’s home. And a renewed determination to try to make it easier for my children when the time comes. Recently, we moved our mom to a personal care room. It’s lovely, she’s happy, but it is the size of a hotel room. She lived [...]

Many years ago, my mentor told me that a bird flying into the sun becomes invisible to its predators. She was reminding me to hide in the light while pursuing freedom, creativity, and enlightenment. Now I get it. And it’s all because I have learned that to have really clean floors, I need to sweep [...]

The radio and then TV show This Is Your Life was designed to show people that they had many people who cared about them, had a bright future, and had made a difference in people’s lives. Intentional or not. But it did something else. It showed how seldom life turns out how we thought it [...]

I know habits and preconceived perceptions can make us blind to the obvious. However, I thought that I usually have a good grip on paying attention. I enjoy exploring ways to be more effective and finding easier ways to do things that need to be done. So it both surprised and dismayed me that I [...]

Sometimes we—thinking we are human—make things so complicated. And really, it’s not. I believe if we could all put into place a few basic principles, then solutions would be found that would unravel all the issues we face. Of course, we’d have to do it together. We’d have to agree. And often, that seems impossible. [...]

Have you spoken to a tree lately? If not, perhaps take a moment and have a chat with one. It doesn’t matter the size or shape. Just find a tree and have a talk. If you hear nothing. Imagine that you do. It opens the door to your inner ear and it will have spoken [...]

We are not designed to live in ruts, but we do. In some ways, this is a good thing. We don’t have to think too hard about how to get through our day. But when our thinking, and therefore our lives, takes place within deep ruts, and we don’t realize it—it’s a dangerous thing. Living [...]

One day, the magnificent multi-trunked tree in our backyard gave us a warning. We came home from our early morning shopping, and one of its massive trunks had fallen. It chose to fall quietly when no one was home so the sound it made would not frighten anyone. It hurt nothing. Not a single branch [...]

One morning, while writing my next book, I looked up and saw a man jogging down our road. Years of teaching dance kicked in, and I said to him—in my thoughts only—”Lead with your pelvis, not your head.” Laughing at myself for still having that habit of correcting movement, I thought back to when I [...]

Time doesn’t change us. It just unfolds us. — Max Frisch Even though there is no time, past, present, or future, it’s how we experience life—as an unfolding, a transformation. We can either view transformation as something to fight against or embrace it. And it’s easier, in the long run, to embrace it, to think [...]

When I was in elementary school, I saw the woman who would one day become my dance teacher perform the Red Slippers. At that moment, I fell in love and knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a dancer. But one of my friends told me she taught ballet – she didn’t [...]