InnerSelf.com

Understand that emotions aren't problems to fix but signals that guide us to effective solutions. Explore how to interpret emotional signals as useful navigational tools for life's challenges....

Propaganda’s influence often overshadows education, shaping beliefs and biases in lasting ways. This article delves into the power of propaganda, drawing lessons from history’s masters like...

Mud play offers more than just messy fun—it strengthens kids' immune systems. Exposure to microbes found in dirt helps children develop resilience, reduce allergy risk, and even promotes mental...

Explore the concept of the Huntress archetype as a source of inner strength and guidance. Unleash your empowered vision to navigate life's challenges and embrace your most authentic self. Discover...

This Halloween, make sure your kids enjoy a fun and safe night with essential Halloween child safety tips. From reflective gear for visibility to trick-or-treating safety tips and choosing...

Medieval people held vivid beliefs in supernatural creatures, including elves, fairies, and revenants. These beings shaped medieval society's understanding of miracles, abductions, and unexplained...

Explore the transformative power of self-healing soul powers in overcoming serious illnesses. Learn how positive emotions, unwavering belief, and a deep spiritual connection can lead to miraculous...

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A person making eye contact with their dog, reflecting a deep emotional and neural connection.

How Gazing at Your Dog Connects Your Brains

Jacqueline Boyd, Nottingham Trent University
Research reveals that eye contact with your dog forms a human-dog brain connection through a phenomenon called neural coupling. This…

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Alan Cohen

Sadly, the Covid pandemic has been a rough ride for lots of people. At some point, the ride will be over, and we will be on to the next phase, hopefully gleaning lessons from the experience that will...

Sadly, the Covid pandemic has been a rough ride for lots of people. At some point, the ride will be over, and we will be on to the next phase, hopefully gleaning lessons from the experience that will...

People who are enthusiastic about a goal find ways to achieve it and they do not need to be goaded or manipulated. People not enthusiastic about a goal will not go there no matter what tricks you try...

People who are enthusiastic about a goal find ways to achieve it and they do not need to be goaded or manipulated. People not enthusiastic about a goal will not go there no matter what tricks you try...

I have been rethinking selfishness, the ego, and self-centeredness. In some schools of thought these are dirty words, nasty attributes to be subdued, transmuted, and overcome. But maybe they're not so...

I was famished. I had not eaten for many hours . I began to feel anxious about not being able to get anything to eat until the next day. Somehow, I reasoned, I would be taken care of; even if I had to...

Many of us have become so steeped in what is wrong with ourselves in relationship that dysfunction becomes our accepted norm. We are so expert in why we can't commit; or keep attracting abusive partne...

A friend of mine declared, "I used to think I was a perfectionist. I found the tiniest flaws in everything. Then I realized I was not a perfectionist at all; I was an imperfectionist! If I was a perfe...

As the pandemic recedes, we are all looking forward to reclaiming something like the life we once knew. But could one of the purposes of the pandemic be to direct us to a life better than the one we k...

As the pandemic recedes, we are all looking forward to reclaiming something like the life we once knew. But could one of the purposes of the pandemic be to direct us to a life better than the one we k...

Considering the challenges facing humanity, one might wonder if it’s time to put less emphasis on activity and more emphasis on awakening. Less what and more why . The form of life is the chalice thro...

If you or I had met Joe during his risqué comedy stint, we might have judged him as a crude or sordid character. Yet we would have had no idea that this phase was not an end in itself, but a preparato...

It is not so important how much we give; it is how we give that counts. If you have a lot, but offer a little, you have given little. If you have a little, but give it all, you have given much. Our ac...

Perhaps early in life you adopted a thought about yourself that defined you as small, ugly, incapable, or unlovable. Most of us did. And perhaps you went on to live as if that identity was true. And p...

Many of us settle for meager rations in life while we are entitled to enjoy a great banquet. One of the areas we tend to starve ourselves in is relationships.

It is easy to be seduced by the idea that how things turn out is more important than what happens in the process. The real question is not "How did it turn out?" The question is, "What happened to you...

What if someone close to you turned out to be a hero to millions? The seeds of greatness can sprout anywhere, through anyone. Every great person, from Galileo to St. Francis to Martin Luther King Jr.,...

As we set out on the great adventure called 2021, many of us have lots of questions about what the year will bring. Yet behind all of these questions is one that will more fundamentally determine our...

We have heard that "ignorance is bliss," and we usually judge and criticize ignorant people. Yet there is a form of ignorance that serves us well, and that is ignorance of limiting beliefs. A Calvin a...

The beginning of a new year offers a poignant opportunity to set the priorities that will carry us through the year. We succeed or fail based on what we hold dear. Choose meaningless priorities, and y...

We always have many choices before us. If we believe we must grovel, plead, or struggle to manifest our dreams, these choices can seem overwhelming, even frightening. But if we realize that every choi...

While watching the documentary film Stephen Jobs, Hippy Billionaire , I was tickled to learn that as a young adult Jobs was significantly influenced by Baba Ram Dass and his book Be Here Now . I also...

Carrying the weight of the world is overbearing. While Atlas is often romanticized, his job sucks. If you accept his role, your life will suck. If you assume responsibility for everyone and everything...

Andrea has been married four times, and divorced three. "I don't see myself as a four-time loser; I consider myself a four-time learner. Although those marriages didn't endure, I gained valuable lesso...

While having dinner with a well-known author and lecturer, our conversation drifted to money. "I have enough money," he told me casually. I don't need any more money." I know people with more money th...

Sitting on an airplane in flight, I was listening to an inspiring audio seminar on my iPod. Then the in-flight movie came on. Since I was in a bulkhead seat and the projection screen was just a few fe...

People who have found their true calling report that they are having so much fun, they feel like they should be paying people to let them do it. Their gifts go far beyond the obvious service they perf...

Consider a challenge you may now perceive - a financial struggle, relationship issue, or health problem. If you regard these matters as troubles or you feel smaller than them, that is what they will b...

One of my favorite hiking trails on Maui leads to a magnificent hidden waterfall far off the beaten path. The path to the waterfall begins as an offshoot of a main trail in a county park. County offic...

The thing about sequels is that they rarely measure up to the original. Like movies, there are two ways to live a life: hiding out in history, or dancing on the cutting edge. History is safe, but reek...

Many of us spend a great deal of our life rushing to get places. In the process we do clumsy things, get embroiled in impatience and irritation, and sometimes cause accidents. In our haste to get some...

Many of us are tempted to change jobs, houses, or spouses, and sometimes that works. Yet it’s not unusual that when you get to your new situation you find it to be simply a repeat of the old one. In m...

When Dee and I grew a family of dogs, we decided to feed them meat. That was a big decision for us, since we had never had meat in the house. But we love our “kids,” and we want them to be happy. Why...

When the pandemic began, I wondered “What good could possibly come of this?” Now some answers are obvious. For one, we are present with our families at a new depth.

Painful experiences are steppingstones to right direction. Rather than considering them curses or crosses to bear, regard them as wake-up calls or course corrections. While you may have gone through a...

We have been taught that external conditions determine our state of mind; favorable conditions make us well and happy, and unfavorable conditions damage or depress us. Yet it is the other way around:...

How much is a kind word worth? How deeply can a touch heal? How important are your little interactions with your family, friends, and clients? Never underestimate the power of a kind word or thought....

After many years of coaching and leading seminars, I have discovered two areas that most people ask about most frequently: prosperity and relationships. Most people are looking for their love mate, or...

We experience repetitious patterns in relationship, work, or health; different actors are showing up to play out the same role. Eventually we recognize that it cannot be an accident that the same type...

One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the messiah?" "No", answered Buddha. "Then are you a teacher?" "No, I am not a teacher." "Then what are you?" "I am awake", Buddha replied. The goal of Buddh...

From an early age we were taught to focus on differences, label everything, rank people and objects in order of desirability, and reject everyone and everything that does not get us what we want. What...

Are you so sure your mistakes are just mistakes? Or could they be building blocks to a success beyond any you imagined? Everything is part of something bigger, and mistakes are no exception. Every min...

You can pray for something specific and get it. Or you can pray for a quality of life, and get that. Praying for specifics is risky, for you are dictating a form. Praying for essence guarantees reward...

God manifests divinity by way of people. We are the windows through which heaven shines into the world. The Beatles, talented as they were, did not give themselves their talent. It was seeded within t...

If you are losing energy in the form of joy, health, money, or love, you have a leak in your system. There is no malevolent parasite that has invaded your world and is undermining you. Your leak is on...

Two different people live in your mind: One is an engineer calculating odds and risks according to known science. The other is the voice of passion, intention, and spirit, prone to take leaps of faith...

As individuals, nations, and a planet, we have forgotten where we have come from, who we are, and where we are going. An honest look at the troubles we have created for ourselves reveals that we have...

Jewish theologian Martin Buber said, “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” The ego’s destinations are always material. The spirit’s destinations run deeper. We beli...

A Course in Miracles tells us that at any moment we are capable of starting over; we can create a new beginning by selectively forgetting what we don't wish to carry into now. We are not bound by our...

What goes on in the external world cannot change who we are or affect our true nature. No matter what happens to our body, personality, relationships, career, finances, or worldly politics, external e...

When one of my coaching clients complained to her doctor that she was depressed, he diagnosed her as having a personality disorder and referred her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist told her she did...

The dynamic behind Puppy Pregnancy Syndrome illustrates what A Course in Miracles describes as “magic,” the belief that material things outside of us can hurt us or heal us. The Course takes a firm st...

You don’t have to create adverse circumstances to find a reason to do what you wish to do or avoid what you do not wish to do. Just be honest. If you have a difficult decision before you, ask yourself...

When we need to know a truth, we tend to look outside ourselves for answers, and the last place we look is in our own heart. Meanwhile, all that we could ever need to know abides at the core of our be...

Anything that is worth doing, is worth doing with a whole heart. And mind. And body. I saw a romantic greeting card which showed a couple kissing in the front seat of a car. The message said, "If you...

When I ask clients who face a difficult situation, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” they usually have a well-prepared list of possible dark outcomes. When I ask, “What’s the best thing that...

Beyond all of the material gifts we share, the greatest gift we can offer each other is the truth of who we really are. While true love invites us to come out and stand naked in the sun, fearful "love...

Notice the strong correlation between our expectations and our experience? Everything that happens to us is related to our beliefs about who we are, what we deserve, and what the universe is capable o...

Many spiritual paths and religions teach you to draw energy from your mentor, guru, or savior. If you absorb positive healing energy, you will be healed. Yet eventually you must consider whether or no...

Have you ever noticed that when you are impatient, frazzled, and upset, things go worse, and when you are relaxed, patient, and trusting, things go better. Thinking and acting with faith changes the r...

A survey of top Hollywood movie studio CEO’s asked, “What do you fear most?” The most common answer was, “I am afraid that people will find out I don’t really know what I am doing.” Meanwhile these ex...

A Course in Miracles urges us to remember, “A happy outcome to all things is sure.” What a powerful affirmation to hold in mind when things seem to be going wrong! We all struggle with some relationsh...

We live from our heart or we do not live at all. Here is a benchmark by which you can assess the quality of your actions and make important decisions: What is your intention? If you truly seek to serv...

As we enter the New Year, we all hope this year will be better than the last one, and new and wonderful things will come to us. We seek to improve our worldly situations and become better people. But...

A man came to a guru and challenged him, "I will give you an orange if you can show me where God is." The guru thought for a moment, then answered, "I will give you two oranges if you can show me wher...

Can you recognize your innocence when others are trying to convince you that you are guilty? None of us have truly sinned. Yes, we have made plenty of mistakes, but none of us has done anything that w...

As you and I enter the new year, we find ourselves on a journey over a vast uncharted sea. Will we ever reach the prosperity, rewarding relationships, health, clarity, and inner peace we have been pro...

One of the key lessons in my Life Coach Training Program is the technique of reframing, taking a situation that seems daunting and finding another way to look at it that is empowering.

Do you believe that the universe operates at random, or is there a higher intelligence that orchestrates encounters, events, and a stream of destiny? After observing many uncanny synchronicities, I ha...

When composer George Gershwin was developing his career, he contacted his esteemed role model Maurice Ravel and asked if Ravel would take him on as a student. Ravel, familiar with Gershwin’s work, rej...

Sometimes the opportunity we have been waiting for is trying to crawl into our lap. If, however, we have a preconceived notion about how it should be, or if our attention is elsewhere, or if we are in...

My friend Mark has been a physician for over 40 years. Recently he told me a story that helped me understand what real healing is.

I invite you to extend your circle of authentic conversations to include not just lovers, but people you encounter in situations that appear to be routine, boring, or mundane. A master teacher told me...

While driving home one day, I noticed that someone had posted some cardboard signs along the roadside, leading guests to a party on my street. At every important choice point, there was a sign. It occ...

I saw a man wearing a t-shirt that declared, "Baseball is life. All else is details." Like this fellow, each of us chooses something that brings us life, and all else becomes details. I encourage you...

We have all given our power away to something -- many things -- and our lives have sucked for it. We have bestowed undue power to lovers, money, bosses, addictive substances, fame, etc. You give your...

In high school I looked up to my classmate Rick Brown, the quintessential cool guy. He was the good-looking captain of the football team and president of the student council. He had a cheerleader home...

It was one of those days when the world was supposed to come to an end. The planets had achieved the crucial alignment, the ancient prophecies were being fulfilled, and psychics confirmed this would b...

I saw a bumper sticker proclaiming, "Don’t follow me -- I’m following my bliss." Good advice! How much more creative and successful would your life be if you remained true to your own inner guidance r...

While checking out at a grocery store I noticed that a cashier had an unusual tattoo on her forearm. “What is that tattoo?” I asked Ciani. She smiled. “It’s a copy of the EKG of my grandmother’s last...

Many advertisements tell us that we are stupid or broken and need intelligence or fixing. How wonderful it feels -- and how powerfully it works -- to regard ourselves and each other as innately wise a...

February is the month of Valentines, when our thoughts turn to love. Usually we give Valentines gifts and affection to romantic partners. This month I would like to shift our focus to expressions of l...

Do you feel like you are wasting time and energy spinning your wheels with little or no results? Do you wonder why some people just keep winning while others can’t get onto the boards? Would you like...

An elementary schoolteacher asked her students to describe in a sentence, “What is love?” The teacher received many humorous and touching answers, yet the one that moved her the most was: “Love is wha...

How much should you tell other people about what is really important to you? Should you broadcast your dreams to everyone in hopes that others will honor your intentions and support you? Or would you...

Our minds are powerful indeed, powerful enough to connect with God through a wad of chewing gum. Everything is potentially sacred or profane, depending on how we think about it. As Shakespeare said, "...

When an event sobers us, it dashes cold water on our face to extricate us from the drunkenness of the meaningless activities we often engage in. We are awakened from the addictive behaviors we use to...

The way we have been taught to make decisions, through intellect and emotion, is ultimately not our answer. If we can’t trust our thoughts and feelings, then, what can we trust? Are we bereft of guida...

Perhaps you have questioned or judged yourself for being too sensitive or not feeling at home in the mainstream. When I ask my seminar audiences, “How many of you believe or have been told that you’re...

The spiritual teacher Bashar defines abundance as “the ability to do what you need to do when you need to do it.” This definition says nothing about a particular amount of money in your bank account o...

Everything you do is either taking you somewhere or it is taking you nowhere. If there is any value in going nowhere, it is to bring you to the realization of the somewhere you would rather be.

Every morning after we walk our dogs, two of them chase each other around the living room coffee table. It’s quite entertaining to watch these exuberant spirits tease each other, bark, and run around...

With the advent of the Internet and Facebook, I’ve had lots of people from my past find me and reach out to connect. Some from as far back as elementary school, high school, and college. Some of these...

Synchronicity, indicating “a meaningful coincidence,” is a term coined by psychologist Carl Jung after he conducted a psychotherapy session with a woman who reported she had had a dream of a golden sc...

Every February, in honor of Valentine’s day, I explore loving relationships. Many of us have faced challenges in relationships, and we struggle with how to create truly rewarding connections. We searc...

A real estate agent sent me a copy of the glamorous magazine, Luxury Homes. One home in particular caught my eye—not for the house, but for its tag line: In this elegant estate, all of your needs will...

What seems to be a dead end sign is an arrow pointing you in another direction. The universe is saying, “This is not it. There is a better direction for you. Go that way and you will find what you are...

When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray and meditate until they hear the song of the child. They recog...

Truly creative people are more interested in the process of creating than its side effects. They do not create in order to get something else. The joy of creating is reward enough in itself. Awards an...

The business and relationship situations in your life do not have a life or reality of their own. They are reflections of your psyche, the images you hold about yourself projected onto the screen of t...

When you use fear, guilt, threat, or punishment to control someone who bothers you, you add to the dark mess. Teaching others that they are guilty, small, stupid, or owing are forms of psychological t...

I saw a documentary that introduced Jawara women who wear the bones of their dead husbands around their necks. In some cases, the widow totes the man’s skull. In our culture many of us also wear the s...

" You are at your very best when things are worst.” In celebration of the release of my new book The Grace Factor , I would like to cite some acts of grace that ultimately affected many people...

We all seek to express our truth. We all must express our truth. There are two ways to express your truth: directly or indirectly. If you do not express your truth directly, it will come out in odd, a...

We all want to be enjoy the bliss of true relationship—and rightfully so. Love is our natural state. Our soul recognizes that the world we walk daily is definitely not the kingdom of heaven and we lon...

If you want to produce a great scene in your life, whether it’s a movie, a marriage, a business, or spiritual mastery, you may have to walk through many takes to get there. But when you do, what a sce...

Nearly every religion, family, and belief system plays on guilt to keep its adherents in line. Yet there are ways to escape from the prison of guilt. Here are the top seven, along with practical appli...

We were trained to believe that we are empty or broken, and if we can just get someone to give us what we are missing, we would be happy. Then we must control our supposed source of good so that perso...

I would like to suggest that the holidays don’t really matter and there is nothing you really need to do about them. Such a suggestion, of course, reads like heresy.

December marks the beginning of whale season in Hawaii. Around this time majestic humpback whales appear in Hawaiian waters, having traversed 3,000 miles of deep blue sea from offshore Alaska. The wha...

Soul nourishment brings true value of life. You can wander from your soul’s path, but you cannot lose it. Even the apparent detours are a part of the journey to your true destination. What seems to be...

A coaching client reported that years ago when she became pregnant, her doctors told her that the baby would not survive. She and her husband prayed fervently for the child’s well-being, and the baby...

The reasons for our choices prevail at a level below our conscious mind. Every living thing does what it believes will bring it the greatest reward. The rub, in human terms, is that quite often the re...

Could it finally be time in the evolution of humanity to revisit our belief in the value of suffering? Many religions and belief systems accept suffering as an inescapable reality, and even glorify it...

A fellow set out to find a particular saint who lived in a remote village. The shopkeeper told him he would find the saint under a certain tree, teaching disciples. Excited, the seeker made his way to...

A website or any new profession, relationship, or step ahead in life is an excellent projective test for where your consciousness lives at the moment. Since life is more about what’s going on inside y...

How much more meaningful would our moments with loved ones be if we treated them as if this might be our last time together? We would not squabble over petty issues. We would remember what’s important...

When you feel disappointed or hurt, it’s tempting to get on a soapbox of ego. Yet if we can trust that somehow the tide of events is moving in our favor, we are often led to higher ground.

You don’t need to manufacture success alone. You are in partnership with the Intelligence and Love that guides the entire Universe. Great events are not random. They are a part of a divine design.

Grand theft identity began soon after you arrived on earth. Parents, teachers, siblings, clergy, and authority figures told you that you are inept, insignificant, ugly, unworthy, and sinful, and that...

In the Book of Genesis we are told that “a deep sleep fell over Adam,” but nowhere in the Bible does it say that he woke up. We are all Adam, still immersed in the dream of limitation. We have become...

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions which, according to many surveys, don’t last very long. Many are gone by the end of January, and most are gone by July. Most resolutions have to do with losing w...

I realized how skewed was my interpretation of Brenda. I was focusing on one aspect of her that brought me pain to consider. Mark, on the other hand, had focused on an aspect of Brenda that brought hi...

The news was beyond depressing. It was ridiculous . It was unbelievable. Finally, after the closing sortie of auto accidents and snarled traffic, the broadcaster announced, “. . .and now for a great n...

If your family interactions are tattering your soul, you cannot afford to indulge them. You may need to step away for now. Hopefully at some point you can reconnect on higher ground. For now, you must...

The world is filled with all manner of subject matter and intention. You have the power to understand what is of value to you and screen out everything that doesn’t match your intention. A significant...

We generally think of security as protecting our body and possessions from people who might violate them. Yet when we live in fear or a constant need to protect ourselves, we violate our spirit—a far...

I realized that one small act can change not just your life, but the lives of many whom you touch. Never underestimate the power of any act of courage or kindness. When you live in alignment with your...

I used to complain about the news, which is so often negative. Then I heard Michael Beckwith mention that he considers the news to be his prayer list. Hmmm. Is the news something to worry about, or is...

Might we all have moments in our life when we are in the midst of genius without recognizing it? The seeds of greatness lie latent in many places we do not expect them, to sprout and flower at a time...

Every belief system gives way to a greater one. Even science, which seems “solid,” is constantly casting aside old notions in favor of new ones. This does not make the system, the people who represent...

Santa Claus is not a person, but he is a principle, a dynamic, a universal idea that goes far beyond a person. Santa Claus represents a benevolent universe that knows our needs and can and will delive...

I had a nasty neighbor who regularly picked fights over all kinds of issues. People drove too fast past her rural home; her neighbors partied too loud; vandals were supposedly stealing from her water...

The flip side of the Law of Attraction is the Law of Repulsion. Actually there is no repulsion; either things match and they stay stuck together or they do not. Repulsion is more accurately an absence...

For many years I have attended and taught manifestation workshops — how to get stuff. As I observe my own life and the lives of people who have manifested lots of stuff, I notice that we eventually be...

"My son is three years old. The doctor says he's too short for his age." I wondered how that statement affected the child. Would this be the beginning of a lifetime of perceived inadequacy? Would he f...

We can become so used to dysfunctional relationships that when we are finally presented with a healthy one, it seems foreign. Yet what is normal is often not natural. Our natural state is soul fulfill...

One of the ways to recognize your talent and passion is to consider what other people have criticized you for. I had heard, “What you thought was wrong with you may be what’s right with you,” but the...

The parable teaches that talents are valuable only if you use them. If you “hide your light under a basket,” if you ignore or deny your talents, the world misses the blessing you were born to bring to...

The funny thing about love is that the more you try to organize it, the less like love it becomes. As spiritual master Meher Baba noted, "Love and coercion can never go together. Love has to spring sp...

The end of this year might be a good time to decide which stories you want to leave behind and which you would like to take into the new year and amplify. Some stories are worth telling and others are...

It's tempting to want to fix others and tell them how to live. But you have no idea how someone else should live. It's hard enough to figure out how you should live — so how could you even begin to kn...

When I began to teach classes on spiritual principles, I devoted time at the end of each class to pray for students and their loved ones. One woman asked the group to pray for the continued health of...

You can tell what you are looking for by what you are finding. If you are finding love, joy, connection, creativity, and celebration, that is what you are looking for. If you are finding separation, u...

We must be clear on our vision of who we are, the goals we hold most sacred, and what we deserve. When you seek to attain any goal, Abraham suggests that you focus on two questions: “ Why do I want th...

2012 is here. Finally. After many years of anticipation, sensationalism, foreboding, titillation, and wild prophecies, we’ve reached the end of the Mayan calendar. The era of momentous...

We all have possessions and we want to keep them. The question is, do you own your possessions or do they own you? If your possessions bring you joy, they are serving their purpose. If you worry about...

A number of years ago I went on an intense lecture tour that left me feeling exhausted. The last event of the trip was a full-day workshop, and as I pulled myself out of bed that morning to get ready...

Are you worrying about how something important to you will turn out? I know the answer. You’ve got to believe me. I see so many people stuck, confused, or fearful about what will come next. Eventually...

If you read the small print on contracts, no one is liable for " Acts of God " -- disasters beyond human control, like storms, floods, lightning. I find it fascinating that in such contracts God takes...

by Alan Cohen. Ho’oponopo teaches that if we intend to make changes in the outer world, we must first restore balance and clarity in our own mind and heart. So Dr. Hew Len regularly took each patient...

Clever ingenious creatures that we are, we can attain anything we set our mind to. Before you set your mind to anything, however, make sure it is something you want. Many people in our culture are cla...

by Alan Cohen. A coaching client told me about a friend of hers who was freaking out because “the economy is never going to recover.” I suggested to her that her friend was suffering not from economic...

by Alan Cohen. I was surprised to receive a Facebook friend invitation from Eric Butterworth, a respected author and minister who introduced me to the new thought movement many years ago. The astoundi...

by Alan Cohen. I recently made a pilgrimage to the ancient Mayan temples at Chichen Itza and Tulum in Mexico. At one pyramid our tour guide informed us that the Mayans regularly offered human sacrific...

What would you be doing differently if you did not have to prove yourself to anyone? Your enemies are not your dysfunctional parents, childhood sexual abuser, or punitive parochial school teacher; you...

In the charming French resort town of Nice, an American woman named Joan was shopping in the open-air market one morning when she saw a man who resembled the renowned artist Pablo Picasso. With trepid...

Veronica declares, "I confess... I confess that I find more ecstasy in passion than in prayer. Such passion is prayer." For those of us who have been taught that prayer or spirituality requires denyin...

by Alan Cohen. Most of us have at some time thought or said, "I will never love again." In the wake of emotional pain, it is natural to want to protect yourself. And in many situations it's a good ide...

Most people have some physical symptom that signals them that they are starting to run down their batteries. A sore throat, headache, or hemorrhoid flare-up is the universe's way of alerting you that...

Many years ago my mentor told me, Take whatcha got and make whatcha want . We all want to change our lives for the better. The question is, how? There are two ways you can change your life...

Most people's pictures of reality are fear-based and limiting, and do not serve us. Yet we take them home and replicate them in our own lives, to the point that we believe they're our own. Then we won...

The Daily Inspiration is a short message to help set the tone for the day. It is linked to a longer article for additional insights and inspiration.

If you or I had met Joe during his risqué comedy stint, we might have judged him as a crude or sordid character. Yet we would have had no idea that this phase was not an end in itself, but a preparato...

Many of us settle for meager rations in life while we are entitled to enjoy a great banquet. One of the areas we tend to starve ourselves in is relationships.

As Dee and I took our bulkhead seats on our flight home to Hawaii, we noticed a young newlywed couple seeking their seats in the row across the aisle from us. They were on their honeymoon. When they r...

A young Japanese man named Shui was riding on a crowded train when a belligerent drunk made his way through the train car and began to rough up passengers. Shui had studied martial arts for many years...

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