December 21, 2024

In anticipation of what's to come, we entertain thoughts, visualizations, and feelings. This is a normal psychological process. For example, if we are excited about a high school reunion, we may anticipate or "pre-live" it by picturing the event's setting, people, and activities. This is referred to as imaginal anticipation, which is not only a process of visualizing; it includes having thoughts and feelings. By anticipating a wonderful event, we experience it in all three centers, even before it happens. 

December 20, 2024

The root word of "imagine" is the Latin word imāginārī, which means "to fancy" or "to picture mentally." It's a derivative of "imago," which means image or likeness. 

To Imagine something is to picture it in our mind's eye. We can picture people, objects, ideas, activities, circumstances, and everything. Our mind not only creates still pictures (stills) but also creates entire imaginal movies. Our minds are well-trained to use images because our subconscious uses them every night to dream. 

December 19, 2024

Many of us have bucket lists. Some of us may think we live life to the fullest only when our bucket list is completely checked off. However, a finished bucket list or periodically checking off its items doesn’t guarantee a fulfilled life. Most of us have daily routines that are not made up of bucket list items. Yet our daily life is where we live the most. Why shouldn’t our daily lives be lived in fullness regardless if all our dreams have not come true?

December 18, 2024

To live your life to its fullest, we follow our heart and listen to our soul. That sounds like simple advice but it’s not so easy to implement. Following our heart means understanding the Heart Center of Intelligence and discerning the impressions it gives us.

December 17, 2024

We are in charge of whether we live our lives to the fullest. So, if we are frustrated with our lives as they are, we can do things to reach our fullness. But first, we must be aware of what our soul tells us it needs to be fulfilled. This means listening to our soul. All during our lives, our soul speaks to us, but because of distractions and misplaced priorities, we can ignore its requests. But during a shock point or anytime we become aware of our mortality, it is even more vital that we listen to our soul.

December 16, 2024

When it comes to the soul, we are amazingly the same. The basic soul needs are universal, even though the way people live their outer lives is very different from one another. Siddhartha Mukherjee is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer (2011). An oncologist, he chronicled the many things people want to say to others when they are terminally ill. Four of these requests were the most prominent in everyone he met during their transition.

December 15, 2024

The secret of living life to its fullness is not a “one size fits all” proposition. What brings life to its fullness for one person may be very different for someone else. We see this all around us. There are the golfers, the geeks, the nature enthusiasts, the family-oriented, the gardeners, the sportspeople, the travelers, the chefs, the teachers, the builders, the movers and shakers, the artists, and a myriad of other “Fullnesses.” But these are simply the top layers of the things that satisfy us.

December 15, 2024

The secret of living life to its fullness is not a “one size fits all” proposition. What brings life to its fullness for one person may be very different for someone else. We see this all around us. There are the golfers, the geeks, the nature enthusiasts, the family-oriented, the gardeners, the sportspeople, the travelers, the chefs, the teachers, the builders, the movers and shakers, the artists, and a myriad of other “Fullnesses.” But these are simply the top layers of the things that satisfy us.

December 14, 2024

For those who try to live a spiritually conscious life, living to our fullest means having a heart of love. A heart of love not only gives love but receives it. Overflowing Love reduces our pain, heals our sorrow, lowers our level of fear, and instills hope. Even in the most trying times, if we conduct ourselves in love, we face the challenge before us with confidence. Love is the greatest power. It provides courage and inoculates us against fear, anger, shame, and all the passions by connecting us to the Power within us.

December 13, 2024

We can get so distracted by the day's concerns that we lose sight of what's going right, what's lovely, and the beautiful all around us. In other words, we tend to focus on solving immediate problems or addressing the concerns of the moment, so we forget to notice the tremendous gifts right before our eyes. It can take a shock point or another sort of wake-up call to help us remember all the things going right and all the beauty in our lives. Then in gratitude, our senses embrace it.

December 12, 2024

Today, we reflect on the paths of least resistance of the three centers that compose the Mind Center of Intelligence; Ego Types Eight, Nine, and One.

December 11, 2024

Today, we reflect on the paths of least resistance of the three centers that compose the Mind Center of Intelligence; Ego Types Five, Six, and Seven.

December 10, 2024

On the Enneagram, when we take the path of least resistance, we are on the road to disintegration. A conscious, healthy life requires effort, consideration of others, and realization of our context on all levels. But the unhealthy ego is dominated by the desire to complete its narrative, fend off its fears, and grant its desires. The unhealthy characteristics at the stress point seem to be the best way to meet that agenda. But they are not. 

December 9, 2024

In his best-selling book, Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson explains the ongoing plight of persons of color, the poor, and the disadvantaged. He vividly tells true stories of innocent black people who were convicted of crimes they never committed. Also, Stevenson describes his work life in the South when he, too, was accosted by and mistreated by law enforcement officers simply because of his color. 

December 8, 2024

Making a conscious choice is sometimes very personal. When someone hurts our feelings or attacks us emotionally, we can naturally get defensive. Regardless of how spiritually conscious we may be, when we are hit, our first impulse is to return the blow.  

December 7, 2024

Sometimes, I reflect on people who made conscious decisions that cost them dearly—for example, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai. As we know, Dr. King paid with his life, and Malala Yousafzai paid with an assassin’s bullet in her face. Countless others made conscious stands and, in so doing, risked their lives and the safety of their families. What drives them to do that? Wouldn’t it have been far easier if they had gone with the path of least resistance and never put their lives in jeopardy? 

December 6, 2024

Rivers and lakes do not flow just anywhere; they take the path which offers the least resistance to their waters’ weight and force. As we know, this phenomenon is why rivers meander and have tributaries and why lakes have various shapes.

December 5, 2024

In the Book of Genesis (1:31), after God made everything, it is written, "Then God looked over all he had made and saw that it was very good!"