What provides fulfillment and what doesn’t
When we seek to do something worthwhile, we often compare what we are able to do with what others are doing. And if others are [...]
How does humility differ from low self-esteem?
Humility differs from low self-esteem because the two lead us to value different, even opposite, things. When we suffer from low self-esteem, we start thinking [...]
Disliking ourselves is not humility
Every culture glamorizes certain models of beauty, wealth, ability. Many people compare themselves negatively with those models, deem themselves inferior and inadequate, and even start [...]
Why do good people do bad things
When people do bad things, especially if they are normally good people, then their bad actions can shock us. If we had trusted them and [...]
How to deal with our inability to resist temptation
Suppose a person is so sick as to not have the strength to lift even small objects. We won’t condemn them for being weak; we [...]
Is death the destroyer of meaning?
We often dread death because we feel that it destroys everything that gives meaning to our life. When we see death as the destroyer of [...]
Why those who agitate for equality are often prone to envy
Why those who agitate for equality are often prone to envy The equality of all people is enshrined as a sacred modern value. This contrasts [...]
Why we are more than programmed machines
Today’s prevailing worldview, materialism, holds that we are biological robots. What we consider as our voluntary choices, it treats as mechanical results of our programming. [...]
Looking out for number one or looking at Number One?
To look out for number one is a phrase that means to act for one's own interest without caring for others. We tend to look [...]
When our repentant tears reform and when they don’t
We may shed tears of repentance when we have made some terrible mistake or acted in some grievously immoral way. Those tears can clean and [...]
How can we defend ourselves from our mind?
Our mind often speaks as the nasty, discouraging inner voice which says that we are nothing; we count for nothing; whatever we do will eventually [...]
How can we be humble without letting ourselves be trampled by others?
Humility is one of the most treasured virtues in spiritual life, but it is often seen as weakness in material life. If we are humble, [...]
The essence of karma is universal harmony not judgmental morality
Some people oppose the idea of karma: “It is just one among many differing systems of morality. These systems simply make those who follow it [...]
To help the distressed address both their distress’ immediate cause and remote cause
Suppose a doctor encounters a patient suffering from alcoholism and condemns that patient, “You are a wretched drinker; you deserve to suffer.” That would be [...]
Present yourself in the present to the One who is always present
Present yourself in the present to the One who is always present We live in an uncertain world where sudden and severe changes can fill [...]
To feel small can be disempowering to feel small in God’s presence is empowering
Suppose we walk on the streets of a giant metropolis, surrounded by huge skyscrapers, thousands of passers-by and hundreds of cars. We may feel small, [...]
If we are defeated by temptation, it doesn’t mean we can’t win — it just means we can’t win alone
Suppose we resolve to reject a temptation, but fail, and fail repeatedly. We may become disheartened thinking, “I can never win against this temptation.” Our [...]
Our individuality is defined not by what we wear, but by what we hold dear
We live in an age that urges us to ‘be yourself’. And such a call to affirm our individuality can be good, provided it is [...]
Individuality breeds creativity and spirituality, individualism breeds self-obsession and self-destruction
We live in an individualistic culture. To understand its positives and negatives, let’s differentiate between two terms: individualism and individuality. Individualism refers to the mindset [...]
The mind overpowers us by making us believe that we are powerless
The mind overpowers us by making us believe that we are powerless Suppose a person about to confront an opponent is told that their opponent [...]
The resilience of the human spirit reflects our longing for and our belonging to transcendence
Life is tough. The difficulties that befall us can be morale-sapping. One thing that inspires us to persevere is stories of people overcoming challenges. Their [...]