Ever wonder if your friends are really friends? Or if your enemies are really enemies? I have.

John Cali

Over the years, I’ve met many wonderful people through my work with Spirit. Many of you are as close to me as my own family. Someone (I don’t remember who) once said something like this: members of the same family are not always born under the same roof. How true.

I’ve been richly blessed to have had the support and love of so many of you for so long.… Read more

Do you ever wonder what’s “real” and what isn’t? I sometimes do. How do we tell the difference?

John Cali

Many years ago when I was in college, part of our required curriculum was philosophy. Four years of it! It often practically put me to sleep. But there were parts of it I found fascinating. One of those was Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

I’m sure most of you have heard of Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher. His teacher was another Greek philosopher, Socrates, who, many of you will remember, was put to death for his teachings.… Read more

Do you feel pressured for time — you know, that thing we humans often complain we don’t have enough of? Dealing with time is particularly stressful for many people during this holiday season.

John Cali

For whatever reason, I often find inspiration for these newsletters at the local post office. Don’t ask me why — I have no idea. But I hear the most interesting conversations from the people in my little mountain town while they’re visiting the post office. I’m not eavesdropping — it’s just such a small place, you can’t help overhearing the folks around you.… Read more

Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately needed help, but it never occurred to you to ask for it? I was, very recently. It was a great wake-up call.

John Cali

Several Saturday mornings ago, I awoke to a cold, grey November dawn. The day was full of the promise of snow.

I shivered as I rolled out of bed. I looked at my thermostat and realized my furnace had quit working during the night. I said to myself, “Great!”… Read more

Have you ever felt you were the target of negative energies? Energies coming, perhaps, from someone who doesn’t like you or have your highest good in mind. What can you do about it?

John Cali

I received a letter from one of our readers this past week. She was asking my opinion of a difficult situation she was dealing with — people she perceived as sending her negative energy. Here’s an excerpt from her letter, followed by my response.

I would value your input as to the method I have developed when negative energies are aimed at me.… Read more

Have you ever been completely captivated by a beautiful setting — maybe a blood-red sunset on the seashore, freshly scented air after a soft summer rain, or a moonlit morning in the mountains?

John Cali

This past Sunday morning I awakened just before dawn. The nearly full moon was hovering over the rugged Absaroka Mountains to the west. On the eastern horizon the sun, an orange-gold globe, was peeping over the foothills, bathing the summits of the western mountains in an otherworldly glow.… Read more

Has anyone ever criticized you or judged you simply because you’re on a spiritual path different from theirs? This happens to me occasionally with my family, and others too. I just ignore them and go on my happy way. How about you?

John Cali

The other day I was talking to Charlie, a close friend I’ve known most of my life. Somehow our conversation drifted to religion.

Charlie had gone through much turmoil and trauma in his personal and spiritual lives the past 15 years or so.… Read more

Do you ever wonder what your life is all about — why you are here, and who you really are? Many people today are feeling lost and confused. There’s too much going on in their lives, and in the world around and beyond them.

John Cali

A couple days ago, there was an article in the Washington Post about motherhood in America. It said American mothers’ biggest wish was for more peace in their lives. Not more money, not more time, not a sexy body, etc.… Read more

Most of us, at one time or another, have had the experience of sailing through our daily lives easily and effortlessly. And then suddenly, everything goes to hell. And we wonder what hit us. Sound familiar?

John Cali

A few mornings ago, I was out for my daily run in the foothills south of my town. When I started it was a pleasantly warm, early fall morning. The rugged mountains all around were bathed in autumn’s golden light. The intoxicating aroma of sagebrush filled the air.… Read more

Okay, I admit it — I’ve chosen yet another wacky title for our newsletter. But I promise it will make sense. It’s all about change — something Spirit and I talk about often. And something many of us dread.

John Cali

This past summer, I spent some time out on the prairie of northern Montana. As with much of the American West, it’s a bone-dry, arid area. Not much water, save for a few almost-dried-up streams or those running at a fraction of their normal flow.… Read more

In this week’s newsletter article, John and Spirit do a follow-up to last week’s article. Most of us are taught from infancy to always be doing. And yet the most masterful manifestors don’t do much at all. They simply allow what they’ve asked for to manifest in their lives — and it happens easily and effortlessly.

John Cali

Alan Cohen is a favorite author of mine. He’s one of those rare teachers who speaks fully from his heart and can uplift and inspire us with just a few words.… Read more

John Cali

My dear friend, Helen Halton, sent us a letter in response to several of our recent newsletters. Here are some excerpts from her letter, followed by Spirit’s response.

I am in a great re-examination of all my beliefs. It is a very unsettling and interesting experience!

I am also in a quandary about activism — what do I let BE, and what do I react to? Do I go out and march for Peace? Or do I stay home and create Peace in my heart?… Read more

John Cali

When I was growing up, we kids were urged to always prepare for “rainy days.” In other words, expect the worst. I’m sure many of you grew up with that same perspective.

Many years later, when I was finally getting serious about my spiritual path, I remember reading or hearing someone say “If you prepare for a rainy day, you’re sure to get one.” You’ve probably heard that one too.

All this reminds me of something the famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, once said: The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.… Read more

John Cali

This is the fourth article in our series about food. This week we’re continuing with the issue of obesity and being overweight.

We didn’t receive nearly the amount of feedback on last week’s article as the two preceding weeks. I’m not sure why — perhaps the issue of obesity is a sensitive one for many folks. At any rate, this will be the final article in this series. Next week we’ll move on to a new topic.

To briefly repeat what I said last week, obesity and overweight are a major problem for most of the American public.… Read more

John Cali

This is the third article in our series about food. This week we’re going to discuss the issue of obesity, or being overweight. This is a major problem for most of the American public. According to studies I’ve read, roughly two-thirds of Americans are overweight. So this is obviously an issue not only for some of our readers, but for most Americans. And, I’m sure, for people in other countries too.

You may want to review last week’s newsletter before you read this one, and also the previous week’s.… Read more

John Cali

We talked about food in last week’s newsletter. Because this is such a fascinating, and also troublesome, subject for many folks, we’re doing a follow-up to our first article.

As you may recall, last week, Spirit and I were responding to several emails sent by one of our readers. We included some fairly lengthy excerpts from her letters. I don’t normally like to make these newsletters that long, but the subject matter seemed to justify it.

You may want to review last week’s newsletter before you read this one.… Read more

John Cali

Although we’ve never talked about this subject publicly (at least as far as I can recall), it’s come up many times in personal readings over the years. Obviously it’s an important issue for many folks.

This whole thing about food has fascinated me since I was a little kid. I grew up in a large family of Sicilian immigrants. For us, food was fun. It was festive. It was a cause for celebration.

We never thought about food as either friend or foe.… Read more

John Cali

Last week’s newsletter, you may recall, was about pain. In response to that newsletter, I received a wonderful email from a dear friend. She’s given me permission to use her letter, including her contact information, for anyone who wishes to follow up with her.

No further introduction is needed, as her letter eloquently speaks for itself. Here it is:

Dear John,

“Pain” is a familiar subject to me — has been for the past several years. Mine became so severe that my life was no longer worth living, and so I tried to “end it all” on January 22nd.… Read more

John Cali

I can almost hear some of you groaning and rolling your eyeballs, thinking “Well, Cali’s gone and done it again, coming up with another crazy newsletter article title.”

What on earth do running shoes have to do with your spiritual path? Well, as with most (maybe not all) of my wacky titles, this one will eventually make sense.

Several months ago, my feet started hurting whenever I jogged. But since I love running so much, I just put up with the pain.… Read more

John Cali

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a relative about an upcoming family wedding. We were discussing gifts for the bride and groom. After the conversation was over, I realized how much of our discussion revolved around the number of dollars we thought appropriate to spend on gifts.

I don’t see anything wrong with thinking about money or numbers — after all, they’re a necessary part of our physical world. It’s pretty hard to avoid them. Nor would we want to.… Read more

John Cali

I know that sounds like yet another strange title coming from my somewhat weirdly unconventional mind. But bear with me, and it will make sense.

The other day I was talking to a family member. He was concerned about retirement and growing older. He said, “Johnny, do you have any plans for the time when you’ll need to go to a nursing home? After all, you’re alone and don’t have anyone to take care of you.”

I replied “I have no plans to ever go to a nursing home, nor do I plan to allow my body to deteriorate as I get older.… Read more

John Cali

Those of you in my generation will remember that wonderful writer and news journalist, Charles Kuralt. He literally covered the world in a career spanning several decades.

Charles was a keen observer of world events and, more importantly, of human nature. He reported on and wrote about the entire spectrum of human experience, from the horrors of war to the ordinary everyday pleasures of life.

There was a common thread running through almost everything Charles reported and wrote about — the power and beauty of the human spirit.… Read more

John Cali

Recently we’ve had a fair number of people coming to us because they’re feeling stuck in their lives. They often point to something or someone from the past as the cause. It could be a past lifetime, or the past of this lifetime. Two common threads running through all this are wounded relationships and forgiveness (or the lack of it).

A friend wrote a few weeks ago about some challenges in her life. I was struck by one thing she said — a therapist told her she was unconsciously harboring hateful feelings toward a certain family member.… Read more