Since stepping away from Christianity, I have found it challenging to reframe certain words and concepts that once shaped my understanding of life—redemption, forgiveness, sin, morality, healing, prayer, love, death, and God. These are profound words, laden with meaning and history, yet I’ve embarked on the process of

Tonight, the cosmos takes center stage with February’s Full Moon in Leo—a celestial event brimming with fiery energy, bold self-expression, and transformative potential. Known as the Snow Moon, a name rooted in the snowy landscapes of February in the Northern Hemisphere, this lunation invites us to step into

The gold is always in the shadows. — Carl Jung The weight of growing up in a Christian family and serving in church leadership left an indelible mark on my spiritual journey. For years, I carried the burden of religious expectations, only to later realize the profound impact it had on

Incredible words from Shana VanBogart — Things nobody tells sensitive powerhouses: ⚡️Your “overthinking” is actually pattern recognition ⚡️Your “overwhelm” is sophisticated data processing ⚡️Your “too much” is actually high-definition awareness ⚡️Your “too sensitive” is advanced emotional intelligence Stop dimming your light. Start wielding your power. You’re not broken. You’re

In the delicate dance between control and surrender, I've found myself caught in an eternal waltz. With my Virgo Moon casting analytical shadows and my Rising Aries' flame igniting my horizon, I've long tried to choreograph every step of life's dance with precision.

My mom crossed over on October 16, 2024. In honor of her, I’m posting my eulogy for her which I gave at her memorial service on November 16, 2024. One of the most difficult things for me during Mom’s journey with Alzheimer’s is not just that she

This may sound counterintuitive, but the whole point of doing inner work is to slowly turn your focus away from yourself and out into the world. There are at least two problems with the current ethos of mental health. First, mental health is still too much of a stigma. Second,

It’s real, but it seems so strange, right? Why on earth would we fear success? I find it helpful to consider the subconscious mind as the part of you that wants to keep you safe above all else. The best way for it to keep you safe is to

In James Carse’s seminal work, Finite and Infinite Games,” he describes many differences between playing two types of games. In finite games, there are winners and losers, beginnings and endings, punishments and rewards. This is true of any board game, but it’s also true in a larger sense,

I love how different cultures and languages all have a different word or phrase for one’s life purpose: 生き甲斐 (ikigai), raison d'être, dharma, personal legend, etc. While the words have different meanings, they are all moving toward the same idea. A reason to exist, to be. So,

There is a reason why we don’t like to do difficult things — they’re frightening. Why are they so scary? Because we don’t know what will happen and, as human beings, we subconsciously recognize this as danger. So, it’s not weird that you don’t like to

The ego in each of us loves to be right. In fact, the ego believes it must be right. So, whatever stories we tell ourselves, the ego will always seek to validate them. For example, if I believe that (a) there is such a thing as human ugliness and (b)

Why in the world are we here? Surely, not to live in pain and fear? Why on earth are you there, when you're everywhere? Come and get your share! Well, we all shine on Like the moon and the stars and the sun Yeah, we all shine on

An often quick (but not always easy) way to create change in your life is to practice telling yourself the truth. In any given situation where you feel anxious, afraid, panicked, or stuck, ask yourself the following questions: 1. Am I physically safe? 99.9% of the time, the answer

I’ve been in professional service for most of my adult life, helping people with their emotional and psychological inner work. This kind of service puts one directly in the line of fire. Many people have the expectation that the service provider is there to guarantee results. Of course, these

Human beings, like all living creatures, must change. If we don’t, we stagnate and decay. This leads to death — which leads to change! The point is, one way or another the Universe is going to make sure you change. It sounds personal. Maybe it is. But even if it

What is real? What is true? One way to think about this question is to ask another question. What is true for everyone, at all times and all places?  The answer to that question is the answer to the first. While we may not understand what gravity is exactly, we

At the beginning of working with me, some of my clients are a little skeptical that hypnosis will work on them. Even more so, they doubt whether they can change whatever it is they came in to change. I do a little demonstration that quickly shows them how just shifting

Resistance is not your friend. It is your enemy. Whatever contribution you seek to make in this world. Whatever change you desire to make happen in your life. Resistance will seek to destroy your efforts. Resistance will seek to destroy you. It’s nothing personal. It’s the job of

There is no such thing as writer’s block. — Stephen King --- Some of us procrastinate more than others, but we all do it. As a hypnotherapist, I’m interested in the subconscious reasons why a person feels scared or paralyzed to grow. Whatever the subconscious mind believes is gained

The nature of time still eludes scientists. To the extent that we use it to measure the sequence of events in succession (past, present, and future) helps us in innumerable ways. But the map is not the territory. Whatever time is, it’s not the same thing as how we

When we trap ourselves into believing that the stories we tell ourselves are true, we allow an attitude and ethos of seriousness to take over. Pretty soon everything is equally important and grave. This is no way to live and usually causes suffering, both emotional and physical. And it can

If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. — Joseph Campbell --- Part of the trap of believing the stories

Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream. It is not dying. — John Lennon --- The modern world embraces meditation for all of its physical, mental, and emotional health benefits. It’s an exciting time to be alive for this reason alone. But is there a deeper purpose and goal

79 years. This is the average life span of those living in the United States. A hundred years ago the average was 54 years. We’ve made incredible progress. 79 years is a long time.  Except it isn’t. You and I are here and gone in the blink of