Dear friends,With the holidays just around the corner, many people I know are beginning to feel anxious about family gatherings. While we can’t control other people’s behavior, we can have some say over how we show up.Before I get into practical tips...

I was in my early 20s, struggling to find my way, when I asked one of my meditation teachers: “What can I hope to get from this practice?”His answer startled me. “Nothing. This practice isn’t about what you get; it’s about what you let go of.”Mainstr...

I’ll never forget what my friend Lee said to me many years ago.It was the end of an amazing summer that we had spent working as interns at a Jewish spiritual retreat center in the Catskills.I had been moving around a lot at that time in my life, and...

Last call: my live, online course, “Say What You Mean,” starts Tuesday, September 28.Happy Autumn!Today's the first day of fall, which means that my annual 12-week online course is just around the corner. I’ve taught thousands of people to communicat...

I’ve had a few conversations with close friends lately about the state of our world. While life offers so much to be joyful and appreciative for, and while humankind has made genuine progress worthy of celebration, the affects of the pandemic, t...

There’s an old story about a wood cutter who lived near a great forest. He worked with his axe at an unrivaled pace, until one day he noticed he’d cut fewer trees than the last. The trend continued—each day it took longer to cut enough wood to f...

How do we handle uncertainty as things continue to shift and change with the pandemic? Read my reflections, plus your invitation to join me this fall for my live, 12-week online course: Say What You Mean.–––With the recent changes in the pandemic and...

When times are hard, as they are for so many these days, I make it a practice to reflect on my life and remember all of the kindness I've received. We know from the negativity bias that unpleasant, hurtful experiences tend to "stick" in the mind more...

Many years ago, one of my very first meditation teachers gave us a solid piece of advice: “Life is your best teacher. Allow life to be your teacher.”Now more than ever, I am finding this simple wisdom to be consummately true. Looking back o...

Life is full of stress. The Buddha pointed this out over two thousand years ago when he taught the Four Noble Truths.We all deal with things that cause stress: work, traffic, not sleeping well, arguments with those we love, financial worries, and eve...