I was the corporate head of human resources for many years, and I learned something about people and conflict, and I learned about the challenge of listening as well. 

How do you listen to what you don't believe is true?

I know this week—especially this week—we’re supposed to talk about gratitude, but I’m feeling rebellious! I want to give us a day off, a holiday from being positive. Instead, I suggest we have a day of complaining and give voice to every limiting story we can stomach!

Can we stop blaming? Blaming is an unhealthy game we play to avoid losing. And blame will not deliver us to the promised land of fulfillment.

Fulfillment starts with accountability and makes blame unnecessary. I take the case that ​​

​In the '70s, I was a leader in an organization in Los Angeles that taught spiritual awareness worldwide. I also played tennis, went to UCLA to get my degree, and was raising two kids. I experienced tragedy in that decade where my mother, father, and brother all passed away. I didn't know how I was going to survive emotionally, ​but I knew it

I've been thinking about the question of fulfillment as I hear about how many of us find fulfillment outside of ourselves; we find fulfillment in work, in being with family or going for a run, fulfillment in the food we prepare, or in the moments of doing what we love to do. 

​Letting go without giving up can also be thought about as cultivating an attitude of non-attachment. But, how do you cultivate a healthy attitude of non-attachment?

Attachment is easy to recognize when you watch someone dig in their heels. Think about an image of a little kid 

First off, stress is real, and a little stress is normal. We all have deadlines, projects to complete, meals to cook, children to educate, job interviews, money to make, and a commitment to staying healthy. ​​But do you find that sometimes you add stress to a situation or conversation? Pressure builds when you're aggravated, 

​What floats across your mind when you put your head on your pillow? Daily conversations about the coronavirus, quarantine, politics, and when/if we're going to get back to some normalcy? And will we ever break through to new ways of thinking kindly about each other? ​As I lay down for the night, I remind myself of my 

The purpose of a curious mind is an openness to learn. The purpose of a defensive mind is resisting attack. And although defensiveness can be a natural response, it's not always the best response.

​Curiosity shows interest, and interest will 

​My daily practice is to visualize people and send love their way. I start with family and friends, and then in the stillness of the moment, I send love to the world, and I feel a deep connection with all. Then unexpectedly, the people who have betrayed my trust or betrayed my friends' trust prowl through my mind. Now what?

If I asked you, "Are you coachable?" you would probably answer, "Yes, I am coachable!" 

That's how I would respond. However, I noticed when I asked someone for coaching recently that I wasn't comfortable listening to critical feedback. I had to go through a litany of barriers 

​Ten years ago, I was writing about gratitude and citing statistics from psychologists and sociologists that people with high levels of gratitude sleep better, handle transitions more effectively, and are more resilient in stressful situations. Gratitude is not a new idea. Even as far back as 54 B.C. Cicero, the philosopher and statesman, 

Winston Churchill told us that life is just one damn thing after another.
 
The good news is that he also gave us the antidote: success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
 
Therein lies a secret for happiness.
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Every once in a while, I read something that rings an inner bell, and I can feel a surge of strength. I had two such encounters recently that both came in the form of advertisements! I didn’t have to use the products to know the wisdom in both statements. ​

If someone took your picture doing what you love to do, would they capture your bliss?

It is blissful to write these moments of insight to enlighten my own practice and to share them with you. ​ Writing reveals my thoughts more than any other