#431 – What makes the 'Us vs. Them' illusion seem real?Positions on issues are easy to take. Problem is, when we don't move, our feet take root on the ground and soon, moving becomes impossible. It's called "attachment."We then become entrenched in o...

#430 – What's your Ego's self-punishment of choice?If, when things don't go as you wanted, you get upset or [fill in the blank], that might be your Ego punishing you.This morning, I wanted to work my six hours before 2:30 pm. By 11:45, I was doing gr...

#429 – What's your Ghost of Time Indifference protecting you from?The first tool of Underearners Anonymous is Time Tracking––and I resisted it.Today, in my morning pages (which I'd been skipping until today because my Ghost of Time Indifference...

#427 – What will push you to bolt?"Never underestimate our inclination to bolt when we hurt."Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart.On Saturday, I attended my first Underearners Anonymous meeting. And boy, did I want to bolt.The "serenity prayer" (whic...

#427 – How else are you killing your prosperity?When a puppy's trapped, she's afraid. If someone gets closer to help her leg out of the trap, she'll growl and show her teeth. She thinks she's protecting herself, but she's only prolonging her str...

#426 – Ego, Ego on the wall, who's the smartest of them all?The Ghost of Need to Prove is a foundational part of the underearner's mindset.When we obey this Ghost's orders, at least 78% of our mind power goes into "proving" our knowledge, qualif...

#425 — How do you tell someone they have a problem?Thinking that you need to tell someone they have a problem is, within the category of contempt, the worst offender.Because, what, you think they don’t know? Are you that arrogant?I am—well, my Ego is...

#425 – Why does transparency make your Ego cringe?Reflecting on how I've told my son things in recent weeks, I realized I'd been "violent" (not "nonviolent") in my communication. Nonviolent communication is based on the idea that you say what's going...

#424 – How do you relate to "I want?"Until yesterday, I had no idea I was a compulsive eater. Listening to Geneen Roth's Women, Food, and God, I learned I am one. Of the "restricter" type, specifically.I love lists, rules, regimens (in fact, the...

#423 – What's the true intention of your compulsive helpfulness?I used to be that person: as soon as I landed somewhere, I started "fixing" the place. From inventing better solutions for the daily problems faced, to bringing food to the office,...