A New Beginning Reflection Questions by John Cali
- Do you think New Year’s resolutions have helped or hindered you?
- What can you resolve to do that would bring you more joy and help you live more fully in the present moment?
We usually talk about peace on earth at this season. However we celebrate the season — Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Epiphany, or another way — many of our thoughts turn to peace.
John Cali
For many years at Christmastime Spirit and I have talked about peace on earth. And we’re doing it again this year, but with a slightly different slant.
Nearly everyone wants world peace. Of course, there are many different, often conflicting, ideas of how to achieve that goal. The path to peace sometimes turns into a warpath.… Read more
Are you doing what you love? Or are you just making a living instead of making a life?
John Cali
I have a good friend of many years who travels almost constantly all over the world doing her work. Her name is not a household word, but she’s internationally famous in her own niche.
She has a beautiful home in a place many would love to live. But she spends most of her time on airplanes and in other countries. She loves what she’s doing.… Read more
I had a short, but strange and curious dream several nights ago. It was very vivid, and I knew it held an important message. As our dreams often do.
In the dream Spirit gave me a gift, an unusual gift. It was a small multi-colored ball. Small enough to easily hold in the palm of your hand, or carry around in your pocket or purse. It had a pattern similar to the ball used in American soccer games. Or, for those of you in Europe, I believe you call those games “football.”… Read more
In two days the USA will celebrate its annual Thanksgiving holiday. For most Americans it’s an important celebration, and the prelude to the December holiday season.
Thanksgiving, as the name indicates, is about giving thanks for all the blessings we have in our lives. Leaders, political and religious, urge us to be grateful for the good we enjoy, usually things such as our health, homes, families, friends, jobs, etc.… Read more
If you grew up the way I did you know our elders were forever pressuring us to work hard if we wanted to succeed in life. We always had to be DOING something.
We live in an action-oriented society today. Even during our so-called “leisure” time, we have to be doing something productive. We work hard at relaxing. After all, working hard is the only way we’ll ever achieve anything worthwhile.
Right?
I used to think so. But no longer.… Read more
The other day I read a short article by Dr. Andy Weil titled What’s Wrong with Antidepressants?
His answer: Plenty.
As I read the article, it reminded me of something we’d written a couple years ago about depression. The stimulus for our article was also something Dr. Weil had written on the subject.
I know many folks among my family and friends suffering from depression. Some of it only occasional, some of it chronic and severe, all of it disturbing or worse.… Read more
Last week in the grocery store I couldn’t help overhearing a loud discussion two women were having about politics. I guess this is true in other places also, but folks here in Wyoming love to discuss politics. Or, more accurately, argue about politics.
Anyway, one woman was describing to the other a heated political argument she’d recently had with someone. She said she ended the argument by hurling out what I guess she intended to be an insult: “You liberals are all alike!”… Read more
I recently talked to my brother Paul about some computer problems he’d been having this past month. So I volunteered to help him. I’m no technical guru, but I am pretty handy with the basic stuff.
Last weekend I went over to Paul’s house. We sat down at his computer and I asked him to show me exactly what had been going wrong.
We sat there for more than half an hour trying to re-create the problems, one-by-one. Bizarre though it was, all the problems had totally vanished.… Read more
Quite a few folks Spirit and I have talked with lately are having a hard time accepting all the changes in their lives. Many of them are seeing so many profound, sometimes scary, changes on the planet today — and in their own personal and spiritual lives. This includes me. Might you also be one of these?
When I was younger I absolutely hated change. The status quo, even though it may not have been my ideal, was better than facing the uncertainty of change.… Read more
A few weeks ago on the internet I came across an article about how hard it is to be happy in today’s world. Intrigued by the topic, I printed it out and read it later that day.
The author, clearly an articulate, accomplished, and spiritually aware writer, proceeded to lay out the reasons he thought happiness was an elusive goal for humans.
He argued that just because we think we deserve to be happy, it doesn’t mean we will be happy.… Read more
How can you live your life with greater abundance and joy by adopting the way of the warrior?… Read more