We all know feeling grateful is a good idea, but I thought it might be worth exploring the idea a little more deeply this week.

It’s been a long time since we have devoted a letter to humor, but the moment has come! Whence some of my favorite spiritual jokes...

It's pretty clear that if you are reading this newsletter, you are interested in self-improvement, are trying to be a better person, and want to improve your connection with Spirit. This can create a bit of a challenging situation that I wanted to write about this week.

It is a part of human nature to see the world as we would like it to be, rather than the way it actually is. This is why we often make the same type of mistake so many times (reincarnation, anyone?) Eventually we get it right after repeated attempts. So why does it take so long?

A spiritual counselor once shared with me, “95% of my counseling is trying to convince people they are worthy enough to be accepted on their particular spiritual path.” This is unfortunately natural and common, but is a wrong idea that hampers us in ways we are not even aware of.

There are so many stories about AI, I thought to write about it a little.

This is a story I heard many years ago that I have shared here in the past, but it is just too good not to share again…

I had a very interesting experience that has recently come back to mind...

The unexamined answer is: “having the ability to do what you want.” But is that really freedom?

I wanted to take a bit of a deeper look into the notion of reincarnation.

For those of you old enough to remember that song title, that's what we will be writing about today. It's about the human tendency to look for love and joy outside ourselves.

Perhaps you have seen one of those old movies about a hard-working scientist. He suddenly shouts “Eureka—I found it!” with great joy. It’s a well-known cliche, but there is a bit of a flaw in the depiction.

Now there's an encouraging title, eh? Actually, it rather is when understood...

The phrase "Say yes! to life" is one I try hard to live by. We spend so much time resisting reality, arguing in our heads, resenting circumstances, and wishing things were different.

I am part of a spiritual community. Different ideas would sometimes captivate those living there en masse. Some years ago it seemed as if everyone was asking "What's my dharma?"

This phrase of Yogananda's is extremely interesting and can help us understand some important spiritual principles.

It is often said that service to others brings joy. Is that true, and why might that be? Glad you asked! :-)

Human nature is what it is. We have our natural tendencies, but if we work at it, we can do better than that. It can be thought of as similar to working out. We have the body we are born with, but through effort and training we can greatly improve on it.

I had a very interesting experience last week, and as often happens, it got me to think a bit more deeply about what I had just seen…

Well, tricky fellow that I am, I will say "both." But perhaps more of an explanation is needed, as there is much confusion about both the notion of ego and about the oft heard (and correct) idea that it needs to be overcome.

A friend of mine said this to an atheist years ago, and I have always appreciated it. We all have images of God/Spirit/The Divine. It's just how the human mind works. Besides, it's a lot easier to feel devotion for something we can relate to, than feel the heart swell open when contemplating The Cosmic Ground of Being. I am somehow more moved when I look into Yogananda's eyes! :-)

The pain in our lives is caused by our misperceptions. The mind naturally goes to extremes when we hear things like this, but let's stay in the realm of the infinitely more common for now. The “Do you mean to tell me...?!” questions can come later while we first deal with realistic things that affect us every minute of every day.

A friend of mine said something quite interesting recently, that I thought was worth exploring. Talking about our Guides helping us make spiritual progress, she said, "If they take it from you, you still want it."

Most spiritual traditions make it quite clear that Spirit/God/The Divine knows better than we do what is best for us. That is why it pays to ask for Divine Guidance. But if that is the case, why bother to pray? Are we letting Spirit know something that is not already known? And if not, what’s the point of the attempted communication?

It has often been said that humility is a mark of spirituality, and this is so. But “humility” may need to be examined a bit to really understand what that means.

I thought to share some thoughts about the true meaning behind Easter according to deeper mystical teachings. After all, it's not just about hidden eggs, bunnies, and chocolate. (It's better than that. I promise...!)

A friend shared that she had a willful six-year-old son. One morning he was quite anxious for the day to get started, but when he awoke he realized it was still the middle of the night. Not to let such a small impediment stop him, he went to the top of the stairs and yelled for the whole world to hear, “I want it to be day!!” Suffice it to say, the rotation of the earth did not accelerate to meet his demand.

I wanted to share a few thoughts this week about self-protection. It is of course a natural instinct. Every living creature does what it needs to do to stay alive, and people are no exception. But there is a confusion over what we ought to be trying to protect. Life is one thing, but…

The mind is a tool, and like any tool can be used well or poorly. "Don't be so intellectual!" is the counterpoint to "Don't be so emotional!" But neither the heart nor the mind should be misused or rejected.

I was recently singing a chant with the words, "I am determined no more to want to play,” at a spiritual gathering and thought, “Boy, if a new person is here, they might not get what that means.” Then I thought, “Hey wait a minute! Do I fully get what that means?” As I thought about it, I realized my next email to my East West friends was formulating… :-)