You can learn self-confidence through positive affirmations. You can intentionally tell yourself that you are smart, wise, attractive, and anything else that contradicts habitual fears, insecurities, and negative self-opinions. Thinking good things to counteract bad thoughts is a good strategy and a part of a healthy mindfulness practice. Although effective, sending a good thought after…
Read MoreTo control anger you have to pay attention to anger. It is a hard emotion to control because when it arises it takes over your mind, cutting off your reasoning ability and pushing you into angry action. Angry action is generally destructive action, so a big part of controlling anger is controlling what we do…
Read MoreYou can never trust a happy person who says, “choose to be happy”. You certainly can’t trust an unhappy person who says, “choose to be happy”. We all know that if we were asked to check a ballot to choose our next emotion, we would universally check the box next to happy over misery. It…
Read MoreBuddhist teachings begin with the Four Noble Truths: There is suffering There is a cause of suffering There is a cure for suffering There is a method to that cure Suffering here isn’t just any suffering. It is more like the general suffering we endure as a part of being human. It is like the…
Read MoreA friend of mine, who lives in a Brooklyn apartment, used to wake up in the middle of the night because of a noisy upstairs neighbor. When the neighbor moved out, he still woke up in the night. It turns out it was his thoughts that were waking him up. Even if it was the…
Read MoreWe are creatures of habit. Young children, who have no sense of time, find great comfort in their routines. As older people, our routines become much more complicated. Instead of finding comfort in the simple routine of going to bed after brushing our teeth, our routines become much more intricate. Our routines must include doing…
Read MoreIf you are feeling stressed by this pandemic and want to ease your anxiety while practicing compassion for the world, please use this guided meditation. This is an exercise in loving-kindness and compassion which can help you acknowledge and approach your distress, then meet it with compassion. It starts with feeling compassion for yourself and…
Read MoreRegular meditation changes how you think. It changes the structure of your brain. It changes how you relate to yourself and others. Beginning immediately, and then cumulatively, over time, meditation alters your mind. To witness the immediate effects of meditation, take ten, ten-second breaths. Adjust your posture, so that your back is straight and head…
Read MoreThe idea of nirvana, enlightenment, an end to suffering is very attractive. It seems like a rare and special thing. It is like a transcendence from how things seem to how they are. It may take many lifetimes to recognize nirvana, but we may only get one lifetime. However that works, the time to recognize…
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