You are more than what you think you are. You are more than what you do or don’t do. You are more than what you have or don’t have. Your diploma, credentials, status or lack thereof, the hue of your skin, or the clarity of your complexion don’t give you your true worth. You are…More
Monthly Archives: October 2019
I want you to have true peace
Rest isn’t just the sleep we get; it’s a state of inner being that we need. It’s beyond memory foam pillows, Egyptian Cotton sheets, and goose feather duvets. We seek an inner stillness, a quietude in our soul. So stop and relax your shoulders; quiet the voices clamoring in your mind. Focus on your breath.…More
Feel hated? You need to know this
Sometimes you feel cursed, diseased, abandoned, betrayed when you try to live courageously, greatly. But you are not alone. Some people hate me, despise me, think me despicable, talk behind my back, consider me bad. And some of them even smile at me, tell me they love me, hug me, and wish me well. But…More
This is one of the best ways to reach your goals
The key to accomplishing big goals is making tiny ones. Big goals are overwhelming, distant, intimidating, scary. They freeze us in panic. Like deer caught on the road by headlights, we get paralyzed. But it doesn’t need to be that way. You may want to lose fifty pounds, run a marathon, pivot your career, start…More
When being imperfect can be your greatest asset
Even if you are incredibly flawed, you can still succeed and even reach great heights. You just need to be one thing: Dogged. Look at Vincent Van Gogh. For much of his life he felt like a failure, and you might be feeling like you can’t do anything right, let alone anything good. But you…More
You can overcome your doubt
Doubt is a weed that grows in the gardens of our minds. It can choke our dreams and kill our hopes. And the words “I can’t” start to infiltrate our thoughts. But doubt is a weed, not the flower, nor fruit. That’s the truth, and we the gardener. So tend your mind, care for it,…More
One of the best things you can do to create
Sometimes to make creative work, the thing we need most is this. Rest. You’re at your desk, sweating (metaphorically) and pounding away (literally) trying to get a good idea, but the only thing you produce is nothing. “Maybe I just need to work harder,” you might say to yourself. And still, nothing happens. So you…More
Today is the most important day you have
Today is the most important moment in your life. It is. The past can’t be changed; the future is unknowable. But the present is different. You can do something here. You can act upon it, begin to change your life, draft the first paragraph of that book you always wanted to write, start a new…More
Her naked voice will make you feel
She opened her mouth and sang, her naked voice pure and beautiful made the air ache. It was a Kurdish song with Kurdish words that I didn’t understand but I could feel itsmeaning, echoing, as it resonated through my body and pierced my soul. It was haunting— hauntingly beautiful. It wasn’t a scream; it wasn’t…More
One of the most surprising things about love
Love cannot be forced. It can only be found, discovered, like a jewel unearthed. You may feel unlovable. You may feel unloved. But, love is there, waiting–waiting for you–longing to embrace you as much as you long to be embraced. Wait for it. Often, it finds us when we least expect it. When we stop…More
John Pa 