Blog Posts on
Well-Being

When the Wave Comes: A Surfer's Wisdom from the Water
My eldest son returned home for the holidays and I found myself awed by how his years of surfing continue to shape not just his character but his entire worldview. Beyond the obvious thrills — the triumph of catching the perfect wave, the pure freedom of being connected only to one’s board and the humbling feeling...

Through the Shadows: Finding and Sharing your Light
As those of us in the Northern Hemisphere enter December, we face some of our shortest days of the year. While early sunsets can bring challenging shifts to our daily routines, it’s fascinating how humans across cultures and time have responded to this darkness with light...

This Moment Matters in a Distracted World
It’s easy to feel disheartened. We’re living in undeniably complex and polarizing times, where it feels like the world’s weight is bearing down on our shoulders. Yet amidst the current turmoil, a subtle truth remains — this moment matters and how we show up for it shapes everything...

Then & Now: Choosing Virtues Over Division
The other day, I found myself reflecting on a timeless truth — the power of virtuous living to uplift mankind. This isn’t a new revelation. Throughout history, wisdom traditions, philosophers and sages have emphasized the transformative power of compassion, friendship, love and ethical living....

Beyond The Juggle: Rethinking The Balancing Act
I realized recently that my entire adult life has felt like a constant juggling act. Family commitments, work deadlines, personal goals and numerous other responsibilities vie for my attention, often leaving me feeling overwhelmed and even discouraged despite my best efforts....

The Redwood Mindset: Cultivating Balance in Messy Times
Imagine standing in a redwood forest. At first, all you notice is the absence of noise — no traffic, no chatter, no digital pings. This is silence. But as you remain still, something shifts. You begin to feel your heart settle, you hear the whisper of the wind through the branches and the soft crunch of leaves underfoot....

The Flourishing Pantry: Taste, Blend, Let Go to Grow
Have you ever read a blog or article about mindfulness or personal growth and thought, “This doesn’t relate to me at all”? Or perhaps you’ve felt a twinge of irritation because the perspective expressed runs contrary to your own beliefs and experiences. If so, you’re not alone....

Wisdom Flows Both Ways
It’s often not until a jarring realization, like an existential reckoning in midlife, that we come to understand the vital importance of human connection and deep friendships. The hard truth is that you can have it all, like a successful career, fame, status and abundant material life...

Small Caring Moments: Compassion as a Default
I can mostly attribute my early awareness of the importance of a caring heart and compassionate mindset to my parents. Our home was filled with love and affection and my parents' actions in the community and the way they treated others...

The Art of One Breath When We Get Too Caught up
Did you know that the average person has over 60,000 thoughts a day? What’s even more intriguing is that 90% of these thoughts are repetitive, according to Dr. Fred Luskin at Stanford University...

Clearing the Path for Change
Are feelings of apprehension and reluctance your inevitable companions when contemplating change? Personally, the mere thought of change often leaves me feeling immobilized. Whether I’m thrown a curve ball or faced with a difficult situation...

The Small Lights Revolution: Cultivating Well-Being in Everyday Moments
As I step into the second month of my New Year’s intention, I find myself more dedicated than ever to the pursuit of focusing on simpler, more joyful moments that often pass unnoticed in the whirlwind of my daily routine...

Unity in Diversity: What Binds Us Together in 2024
Over the holidays, I found myself reflecting on the forces that have pulled our world apart lately. If I’m being honest, I carry a heavy burden and despair for our planet. On one hand, I worry that the world’s seams are unraveling...

Transform Your World With Kindness
The other evening, I dined with a few friends and our conversation took an unexpected turn. We found ourselves engrossed in a discussion about our world marred by turmoil – a topic that has been dominating headlines and stirring intense emotions and uncertainty...

The Other Way Forward
October 7, 2023 will always be indelibly etched as one of the darkest moments in my life, when I tried desperately to understand how the deliberate and savage barbarism of Israeli citizens by Hamas could be part of our humanity...

Step Back to Go Forward: The Power of Asking Questions
Curiosity spurred by questions about life has always been a lifelong passion for me. By now, I fully acknowledge that life is a complex journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, and it’s not about control...

Facing Times of Transition
When September rolls around, my thoughts invariably drift toward the millions of parents and guardians preparing for a monumental shift in their lives. They’re holding back tears as their little ones enter their very first...

Diving Deeper into the Ocean of Self
A few nights ago, I had an awesome dinner with my eldest son to celebrate his big birthday. It turned into a really epic evening as he spilled some serious life wisdom he’d picked up while leveling up into a new decade...

Let's Talk Mental Health
As I reflect on the changes in my life, I am struck by the profound impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on global mental health. The staggering data paints a grim picture: an alarming 615 million individuals worldwide are currently living with a mental health condition...

Celebrating the Power of Chosen Connections
As we navigate a world shaped by the aftermath of COVID-19, the value of chosen connections becomes increasingly important. Let’s understand what a chosen family means. It goes beyond the traditional idea that family consists of a mother, a father and siblings...

Being Mindful of Being Kind-Full
Despite the unpredictability and divisiveness that often permeate our world, there is a constant force that can unite us – the power of kindness. If we want to break down the barriers that separate us and create a sense of solidarity and shared humanity...

Want More Self-Awareness? Start by Noticing
Noticing is one of the foundations of mindfulness. It is the very practice that puts us in touch with our personal realities. When we are noticing the mindful way, we see with fresh eyes and become aware of the wide spectrum of feelings and...

Finding Inner Strength in Difficult Times
I have experienced firsthand that one’s greatest challenge can also be one’s biggest gift. In 1985, I was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) following the birth of my second son. At the time, it was hard to fathom that the body I had...

Love at the Center
One thing I know for sure is that while everyone has a definition of love—whether it’s a noun or a verb—it has the capacity to spark a sense of inner peace and a feeling of being in harmony with the people, animals and environment around us...

Finding Your Path: The Mindful Way
Lately, I’ve been thinking that the only way to really succeed in starting something new is to write down one’s true intention as clearly and as detailed as possible...

Watering the Seeds of Mindfulness
One of life’s greatest challenges is to live in our ever-changing world with a sense of clarity in our minds and calmness in our bodies. We cannot control or change the way our lives have been disrupted by the pandemic, technology, racism, war and…

Seeing with Fresh Perspective
My worldview around curiosity changed many decades ago when I listened to Canada’s former first lady, Margaret Trudeau, share her philosophy that we need to see the world through our children’s eyes. She said unless we experience...

Being Mindful of Others Improves Your Well-Being
We all have an inherent capacity to care and connect with the world that surrounds us. It requires us to pay attention with intention. It means valuing our common humanity, appreciating our differences, and acknowledging them from a place of humbleness...