Both ancient and modern wisdom counsel that the path to a good life is to be full of care, to work with what is given, and to look for friends along the way. Friendship is the tether that holds us as we navigate life’s many thresholds. Nothing draws us through…

Are we born with empathy or is it a skill that can be taught? Dr. Orloff tells us that choosing empathy can transform some of our most difficult interactions. Also, studies have shown that an act of empathy can have a positive effect on our immune response. Orloff suggests that…

There was a time in human history when a matristic culture dominated the social structure. When asked to describe the difference between patriarchal and matristic cultures, Mackey responded, “Patriarchy is men in charge, matriarchy would be women in charge . . . Matristic is a more collaborative, partnership, a communal…

Most of our joys and sorrows come from our connections with other people. So why does so much of our communication with others result in so much conflict and misunderstandings? How might we do better in giving others the love that we have in our hearts?—also—How can we get better…

It is true most of us have questions we wished we had asked of loved ones before they passed away: questions about what mattered most in their life, what gave their life meaning, what did they regret, what did they love and value, and what was their greatest challenge and…

Debra Silverman suggests that each of us has basic personality traits that can be seen in the context of the four elements of earth, air, water, and fire. Understanding which element is most prevalent in your personality and which ones are weak will help you to understand what is missing…

Zen priest and actor Peter Coyote gives us a concise description of Buddhism and the pursuit of enlightenment as “[T]he wisdom that transcends likes and dislikes.” He also has conceived and conducts mask workshops that offer improvisational mask games as a way to see more clearly into a deeper wisdom available…

Susan Campbell reminds us that “Our unprocessed emotional wounds and the reactions that arise from them are what makes us go to war, blow up at our children, get hostile on the freeways, hit “send” on that email rant, walk out of meetings, argue with loved ones, and make shortsighted…

The Mystic Julian of Norwich lived in the Middle Ages from 1342 to 1415. For the most part, she lived in a small cell that was attached to a church in Norwich, England. She lived in the time when the black plague decimated one half of the European population but…

Gandhi once said, “The most violent weapon on Earth is the table fork.” Dr. Will Tuttle asks us to consider one of the primary driving forces behind a whole network of problems we face as human beings is the mentality of violence, exploitation, exclusion, and privilege that is required for us to eat animal…