Living on Purpose

The Problem: Lost in a Material World

 Reflections by Mike Seymour

Some Facts

• “We have made the material world the map of value. What religion used to do, what occupations used to do, what bloodlines used to do…now objects do it,” James Twitchell, author of Lead Us into Temptation: The Triumph of American Materialism.
• Teens spend about $84 billion each year, or $3,200 per person, for things like clothes, food, entertainment, transportation, personal appearance products and music.
• Seventy-six percent of tweens (ages eight to 12) and 62 percent of teens (ages 13 to 18) say they really enjoy going shopping, and 71 percent overall say they would be happier if they had more money to buy more things for themselves. (Harris Interactive Survey, 12/2006).
• Sixty-one percent of Americans consider themselves overworked and 86 percent are not satisfied with their job, according to Monster’s 2004 Work/Life Balance Survey.
• There is more unhappiness in Americans’ lives today. Overall, the percentage of people who reported at least one significant negative life event increased from 88 percent to 92 percent from 1994 to 2004.  Most of the problems were related to increased incidents of illness and the inability to afford medical care; mounting bills; unemployment; and troubled romantic relationships. (University of Chicago General Societal Survey, 2004).
• “People today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.” Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning.
• After falling over 28% during the period 1990 - 2003, suicide rates in America for males and females aged 10-24 climbed 8% - this is the largest single one-year rise in 15 years, says a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report 'Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)'.
• The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren is one of the hottest selling books of the last decade with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. (Zondervan Publishing)

 The period in my life from 1975 – 1977 was a low point. I had just reluctantly divorced and moved into a crumby apartment complex next to some UMass students with huge Bose speakers that rumbled the thin sheetrock of my apartment. I was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and working in a job I didn’t like—part of a 10-year career in marketing management that I knew was not for me but didn’t know what else to do. I was lost, anxious and deeply unhappy, and knew that something had to change.

 

 My circumstances at that time are not so unusual in the United States or the modern world at large. Too many people feel stressed, like they’re working harder and enjoying life less. More and more people are not so sure that the direction they set for themselves makes sense. They have their good moments, friends and jobs that are acceptable or even fun but still feel like something is missing. 

 

 The something that is missing is a sense of purpose, belonging and well-being. Feeling directionless, and without any particular meaning can be a source of depression, anxiety and feelings of alienation. With purposelessness can also come a weakening of values leading people to pursue selfish ends sometimes at the expense of a greater good.

 

 People without meaning can easily become food for the monster of materialism and consumption that is chewing up the planet today. There is a direct relationship between personal well-being and global health. The suffering created by a loss of purpose and wellness in life creates a dangerous vacuum that is too often filled by the pursuit of money, power, recognition, sex, material possessions, drugs, alcohol or the relentless quest for more and different kinds of “fun.” Feeling like our lives don’t really matter or fit into some larger scheme bigger than us is a hollow feeling. Distracting ourselves with things—work or fun—is one way to avoid feeling that emptiness.

 

 How Did We Get Here?

People are more than jobs, homes, cars and other possessions. Who you are and who I am is much deeper. Finding a sense of meaning and purpose is about getting to some depth in our lives beyond the externals. I like to think of this as discovering our heart. What moves us, makes us cry, get angry, get up in the morning with excitement and energy—these are the things of the heart. And many people in modern society are lost precisely because the materialistic world is not friendly to things of the heart. When we are trained by the culture around us to just focus on material things—like success, achievement or getting ahead—we become less sensitive, blunt or even hostile to things of the heart.

 

 A secular and materialistic culture has been gaining ground for well over 200 years, and it’s not good for our inner lives. There is nothing inherently wrong with things—with having and seeking possessions for oneself or family. People and society become lost when the material things of life—having a job, car and roof over our heads—become the main focus of life.

 When we are owned by what we own—when life has become about things and about getting some place—we lose our humanity and sensitivity to ourselves and to others. The communal values at the heart of every religion and every healthy society give way to individualistic notions that it’s “every person for himself.” Caring, compassion and civic virtue start to wither when people center more on themselves and empathize less with the welfare of others and the natural world. Although human goodness may be alive and well in the lives of many individuals, it becomes harder to sustain when large sectors of public life—like education, government, media, the workplace—are not places that invite us to reflect and celebrate the common values, hopes and sacred ground we share.

 

We need occasions for sharing things of the heart with others. We need to celebrate the joy of living a life of goodness. A culture of goodness depends on this. A culture full of heart is needed for people to come home to who they really are and find themselves. But when the doors at home, work and school are closed to these kinds of conversations, they get replaced by the mantra of “more”—meaning more success, more achievement, more money and things. And then people lose their way. They lose their sense of purpose and meaning, and life becomes humdrum, inhuman.

 

In the United States and other industrialized nations, people’s lives have become increasingly out of control. With this so has a deterioration of nearly everything else we care about, like social cohesion, community values, equality, democracy and environmental sustainability. We work more hours for more money. The result is greater stress and depression and less community and true satisfaction provided by friendship and intimacy. The privileges of class enabling a good education, access to technology and world exposure is driving an even greater wedge between those of us who have and those who do not have. As the gulf widens, the hole poor people have to climb out of to achieve the “good life” becomes impossibly large, threatening to engulf growing numbers of previously secure middle income earners whose wages in real terms have declined.

 

 Meanwhile, a powerful niche of the stratospheric, rich elite is growing and has become hugely influential on business and public policy, but is so disconnected from the average person that their agenda becomes destructive to everyday living. Moreover, this entire out-of-control living means a bigger ecological footprint that falls heaviest on the poorer countries receiving the social justice and environmental consequences of wealthier consumers. All of these factors create seeds for personal and social discontent, both in the industrialized world and in developing (mostly southern) nations that pay the price for the extravagant appetites of people largely ignorant of what their lifestyles are costing others. For example, does the Hummer or SUV owner give any thought to the fact that driving a gas-guzzling vehicle contributes to global warming and weighs in as a factor of low-lying countries like Bangladesh being washed away in the next 50 years by rising sea levels?

 

 Now let’s turn this ugly picture around for a moment, and paint another world.  Imagine for a moment a world where kindness, sacrifice for others, peace and happiness become the central focus of our family conversations, media, schools and businesses. Imagine families sitting down together for at least one meal a day and the conversation is about what they are thankful for that day. Instead of showing violence, human cruelty, greed and dishonesty, what if TV shows, newspapers and magazines dedicated more and more of their message to the good things people do—the natural acts of kindness that go on every day?

 

 Suppose that citizenship and service were core parts of every school curriculum from K-12 and on into college. I’m not talking about the occasional service project or fundraiser that gets squeezed in between the so-called more important curriculum like math and language arts. I’m imagining a society that puts a priority on kindness, love, peace and the important things all humans need to thrive.

 

 So, for example, starting at an early age kids would be doing work internships helping others and learning to read, write and do math that is related to their service work. Imagine a business world where maximum sales took a second seat behind how much satisfaction a company and its products brought into the lives of its employees and customers? Imagine if many countries were like the tiny, but beautiful, country of Bhutan. Instead of measuring their country’s health according to economic factors like Gross National Product (GNP), they instead followed Bhutan’s example and used a measure of Gross National Happiness (GNH). Not surprisingly, Bhutan ranks top in the world for happiness, while the United States is ranked 16. Imagine even a global peace force replacing all of the military in the world, devoted to the relief of poverty, hunger and unhappiness. If that were in place, the world would change in a matter of years.

 If these images seem foolish and unrealistic, that just shows you how far away modern society is from supporting humanity. To that extent it also shows how difficult it is to find a sense of purpose and largeness in life beyond ourselves when so many of the fish around us are swimming the other way. 

 

 But such a heart-centered society is neither silly nor just a dream.  It can and will happen if enough of us want and believe in it—if enough of us start living in and from our heart.

 

 A Calling

There is a bigger person waiting inside for every one of us to grow into. I’m talking about emotional and spiritual “bigness” and about a calling each of us has to mean something to others and the world at large.

 

 Calling is an old word from another time when biblical prophets, for example, were called by God to undertake some heroic mission—like leading a people out of slavery into freedom. Great heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi felt called to a higher purpose for which they were prepared to die. We read and learn about their lives to inspire us toward our own greatness.

 The call is more than a job, an activity or undertaking. It is the very ground of our being, our natural good-hearted nature. When we’re quiet and self-contained, open to experience and free for even a moment of the often relentless stream of self-centered thoughts, we can sense fullness as a presence in our chest and body. As we relax more, the intensity of this experience of well-being becomes more pervasive. Giving ourselves over to this heart of peace and compassion on a regular basis begins to define our identity, influencing our thoughts, values, relationships and our entire outlook on life.

 

 Few of us will be Kings or Gandhis. But that does not mean we are unimportant in the larger scheme of things. Lots of ordinary people are following the heart and purpose in their lives.  They are finding ways to link soul and role, connecting who they are deep down with what they do in life. They may be selling windows to contractors. But if they really believe in their product, honestly care for their customers and pursue responsible, trustworthy work relationships, then they are following a sense of calling and a set of principles.

 

 The Heritage Institute, which I direct, offers continuing education classes for teachers. Much of what goes on in the office is pretty routine and not that exciting. But the staff and I really identify with the mission of inspiring teachers and, through that, making classrooms more alive for young people. We go out of our way to be kind to teachers who are often overloaded with work. Our customer service ethic is real. If you ask the teachers taking our classes about our organization, you’ll hear nothing but praise. 

 

 Let’s say we’re working for the greatest mission in the world saving thousands of lives from hunger. We would not feel satisfied, however, if we were not emotionally connected to the work, if we did not see and derive some larger context of meaning from what we are doing. We have to believe in and care about what we do, and that means our values must be clear and our hearts open. This applies not just to work but all areas of our lives, like our families, friendships, where and how we live, and what we do with our free time.

 

 Do you feel meaningful and engaged in all areas of your life? Or are there lots or some areas where you are on hold? For much of my younger years, I felt like I was not living the life I wanted in too many areas—work and relationships being the biggest ones. But at least when I became clear on what I didn’t want I knew what I needed to let go of, even if the next thing in my life had not yet showed up. 

 

Some Solutions: Finding Yourself

 

Finding Happiness and Purpose: Finding Yourself

When I learned that happiness and a sense of purpose came from finding me, I was a bit confused and didn’t know where to go with that insight. After all, I was like most people who figure that happiness comes from changing the outer circumstances in life. Get another job, take on another project, establish a different relationship, live in a nicer house, wear better clothes, go on exotic vacations. These all seem real, while finding “me” seemed so unreal. After all, who is this “me”? I saw me in the mirror but the image I saw just seemed like another person, a bit like a stranger. How should I get to know this stranger? Did I even really want to?

 

 The fact is that outer changes do bring more peace and happiness. What we don’t realize, though, is the things we want in life don’t start to show up until we change on the inside first. If you want a secure loving relationship, you need to learn what in you caused the other ones to fail. If you want a job that is more satisfying, you need to find out what kind of work is really satisfying to you.  If you have fears, know-it-all attitudes, a rebellious streak or any other character issues that are getting in the way of what you want in life, you need to be aware of that and work on becoming bigger than what might hold you back.

 

 Getting to know your own self not easy, which is why so many people resist it. Although it’s a life-long job, it doesn’t take forever to get in touch with who you are. It can happen in an instant. On the other hand, like any relationship you have to keep at it. I’m 64 and every day I have things I do that keep me in touch with what I value—like writing these words, for example. This serves to remind me of the things I care about—one of which is young people and their future. And each day I spend quiet time alone, meditating or sitting and thinking about nothing at all.

 

There’s no simple formula for finding yourself and being happy, and there is probably not a subject on which more books have been written. What I’m writing here barely scratches the surface. Having made that apology, let me say these few words and the exercises below represent the wisdom of my many years of wandering around lost, and then getting on track with a purposeful life. These principles and techniques have worked for me and they will for you, too, if you give them an honest try.

 

 First, we’ll start with some visualization and writing exercises to get you more easily into feeling and thinking about yourself. Then I’ll list some key principles and activities to live by on a daily basis.

 

 Your Funeral

 Find a quiet place to sit for about 30 minutes without noise: no TV, computer, cell phone or other people around. We’re going to take an imaginary journey through your life from where you are now to the very end: your death. Take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly. With each exhale, feel the tension in your body releasing. Then take two more deep breaths and on each exhale, scan from your head, neck, torso, trunk and legs for any signs of holding or tension. Just let all of that go. Now imagine you are coming up to graduation with all of your school friends and family there. This is a big day for you. Now let that go and dissolve into the next picture. Perhaps it’s you going on to college or vocational training. See yourself graduate from that. Let that go and imagine your first big job. Perhaps the next image in this sequence is you finding the right person to marry or have a loving relationship with. See the marriage ceremony. Shortly after that imagine seeing children, if starting a family is something you want for yourself. Then see yourself moving into a place big enough for your family. Imagine the children getting bigger now, and you getting older—perhaps with gray hair. Now you are seeing your children’s high school and college graduations, their marriages and their children. You’re a happy grandparent now, with lots of family around. Now you come to the end of your life. You’ve passed away quietly after a full and happy life, and all of your family and remaining friends are standing around your gravesite. Some people speak about you at this moment. What do you want them to say about you now that you’re gone? What do you hope to have contributed to in your life that is now being celebrated by your loved ones and friends?  Take a piece of paper and respond to these and other questions that might come up and then set that writing aside.

 

A Future Vision

Again, become relaxed as before by taking in and exhaling several deep breaths. Now, project yourself out 10 years from now. Imagine what an ideal life for you would be. Where are you living? What kind of work are you doing? What sort of friends and community are you keeping? Are you in a committed relationship or married? What is that person like? What kind of person have you become? Once you have a fairly clear idea or picture of your life ten years from now, start to write about what you imagined.  Write as much and as long as you want. If you’re artistically inclined, draw pictures or create a poem. Then, when you’re done, review what you’ve produced several times. Also read again the piece you wrote about your funeral.  From these, make a list of the values and qualities for yourself and others that you consider really important—the ones you can’t do without.

 

 You might do exercises like the above once every few years as your circumstances change.

 

 Practicing Simply How to Be

Our hurried lives, full of self-improvement or “have-to” agendas, distract and take us away from being who we are until we decide to stop and learn to be still on the inside. Learning simply how to be is an art and discipline that is as natural as anything I can think of, but is largely lost today in a culture where it seems everybody is trying to be something and get some place else.  There is nobody else to be, and nowhere else to go. That’s why humans are on this crash-and-burn course with the planet: they are trying to escape from themselves. But of course, that’s impossible to do. You may have the whole world, but guess who you’ll still see when you look in the mirror? You. So let’s learn how to be.

 

 You can start with just a few minutes a day and then let that expand. See my instructions for Practice One under Practices and Principles to Live By in the next section.

 

 Connecting With Your Inner Wisdom

Now I’ll give you an exercise that is good for decision-making, problem-solving or just getting some support during tough times when you’re unhappy, confused or anxious. This is about connecting with your inner wisdom.  You may not know it, but there is a part of you that knows more than what runs through your conscious mind most of the time.  This is your deeper self, an aspect of the unconscious mind that is aware of a lot more than we could consciously process all the time. A good way to coax your inner wisdom forward is to imagine some person you respect, love and look up to as a person of wisdom.  This might be a great saint, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, a beloved grandparent, some lesser known person you saw in a movie that impressed you as a wise loving person. So, here’s how it works.

 

 Exercise: Imagine the Conversation

Find a place where you can sit, be quiet and undisturbed. After selecting your wisdom figure, close your eyes and imagine seeing them in a peaceful setting. Perhaps this is in nature. Ask them a question about whatever issue is interesting or troubling you at the moment.  Wait for a response.  Then continue the conversation. Don’t worry yourself with thoughts about whether you’re making this up or not. You are talking with yourself, but with a wise part that you don’t reach out to often enough. If you want, make notes afterwards.

 

If you’re unable to think of a person of wisdom but want to go ahead with the exercise anyway, let’s suppose an alternative and trust that something will happen. You can imagine a place in nature that is beautiful and peaceful. This may be an actual place you have been to before, or it may be imaginary. Go there in your mind. Notice and enjoy the tranquility. Now, in a few moments a wisdom person you may or may not know will show up. It may be a human form or possibly an animal or angelic form. No matter. Welcome whatever comes. You might ask who they are, and then explain what kind of advice you’re looking for. Then listen and perhaps make notes afterwards.

 

 Alternate Exercise: Writing Dialogue

Again, find a quiet place to be alone with a notebook and pen, ready to write. You’re going to do some dialogue writing with your wisdom person—that could the person you conversed with in any of the prior exercises. This time, however, instead of just imagining the conversation in your mind, you’re going to write out a dialogue as if you were a playwright. The times I have done this using God as a wisdom figure, I start out with making a statement and perhaps a question like the following. Then wait and listen for the response. For example:

 

 Mike: I’m feeling pretty confused and down this past week.  I know I’m unhappy with work, but don’t really know what else to do that makes sense. Can you help me?

God: You are already taking the first step in admitting to yourself that your work has to change. That takes courage. Be patient. Knowing what you don’t want often comes before knowing what you do want. So, take this time to make new connections with people. Talk about wanting a new job. Imagine what kind of work might make you happier. Talk to people in those fields and see what comes up.

 

 You can continue the dialogue as long as you want.

 

 As many times as I’ve done these exercises, it never ceases to amaze me how the words of wisdom I receive seem to come from another place and are really helpful. They are, in fact, coming from a bigger place within each of us.

 

 I’ll speak to some blocks that may come up for some people in doing these kinds of exercises.

 

1)    “I don’t see any person or hear any response to my question.” Some people have more visual learning styles, some more auditory and some kinesthetic, or movement oriented.  If you’re a visual person, the use of mental imagery should work best. If you have trouble imagining the person, you may be trying too hard. If you’re more auditory, concentrate less on the pictures than on hearing sounds of the place you’re at, including the sound of the person’s voice. In either case, begin by relaxing more and getting into a receptive state. This is not something that works well by being forced. Make a commitment to do this exercise several times. Once you’ve been successful, it comes very easily.

2)    “It feels kind of stupid, like I’m just making it up.” Well…the wisdom is coming from you, but you’re not making it up. My question to you would be “Are you often critical of yourself or others?” Sometimes our critical nature acts like a block to accepting ourselves and others, and inhibits getting in touch with ourselves. You may feel badly about certain aspects of yourself. If that’s the case, make that your lead question. “Why do I feel badly about X?”

3)    “I have trouble seeing images clearly in my mind?” I do, too. I’m not really good at making clear images. I can get the general landscape but I tend to be more auditory. The main point is not getting frustrated and anxious over not being able to do this perfectly. There is no right way here, so be careful about beating yourself up. Relax and do the best you can. With practice, these exercises get easier.

 

Rediscovering Your Loving Heart

 

 

What You Can Do

Steps You Can Take

Principles and Practices to Live By

Here are some proven pearls of wisdom that I’ve accumulated over the last 40 years.  If you want, type a short-hand version of this list and post it near your desk, on the back of your bedroom door or on the refrigerator.

 

1. Have some quiet, heart-centered time each day.

Find some alone time to be quiet with no distractions. Try four or five minutes a day to begin with, or more if you want to. If you get bored or fidgety, just notice that and let the distraction go. Perhaps to occupy your mind, notice your breathing…inhaling and exhaling. Watch your thoughts come and go. Don’t worry about them. They are just thoughts, and you are more than your thoughts. If a disturbing feeling or physical sensation comes up, just observe it. You are more than your feelings. Watch your thoughts and feelings rise and pass away. Allow yourself to relax more and more. Take a few deep breaths in, and then exhale slowly and completely. Feel the tension drop. If you’re too tense or preoccupied to do this much of the exercise, try some physical activity first, like a long walk, jogging, yoga or a sport. Then, with the body and its tension unwound, sit again and try these instructions. Let these moments be a time that frees you from the busyness and distractions of fast-paced living, when you can come back to your heart and a feeling of centeredness.

 

2. Be mindful and pay attention to your thoughts and feelings.

The only way to find you is by being aware of what you’re thinking and feeling—at that moment. There’s no need to change anything. Accept the feelings and thoughts as they come.  As you go through the day, take a few occasions to stop and monitor your feelings and thoughts. Just be aware. There’s nothing more to do than that. Particularly if you feel a disturbing emotion—like anger, sadness, envy or lust—do your best not to get drawn into it. Just observe the feeling coming on, and then notice how it starts to weaken and go. To remind myself to be self-observant, I have often put little sticky notes on the mirror, magnets on the refrigerator or worn some wristband or article of clothing that reminds me of peace.

 

3. Keep a personal notebook or journal.

I’ve kept a personal journal at various times throughout my life, particularly when I was in transition or feeling troubled. The notebook doesn’t have to be fancy, nor do you have to make long entries. Think of your journal as a friend to go to when you want to. This is the place where you can keep a record or your reflections, thoughts and feelings, your dialogues or other exercises.

 

4. Set noble intentions for yourself at least once a year.

For over 25 years, I’ve sat down with my wife or friends on New Year’s Eve and written out what I wanted to accomplish in the coming year. Mostly I wrote about the areas in my life I wanted to grow in, but I also wrote about work and personal relationships. My statements are short and pithy. We save these pieces of paper and read them the following New Year’s Eve. I never ceased to be amazed at how often my needs and vision have been accomplished. The power of conscious intention is miraculous. I have a saying: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably get someplace else.” Don’t let your life drift like flotsam and jetsam on the water. Set noble intentions for yourself. You are worth your highest ideals.

 

5. Have visions and goals for your life, but don’t be attached to the outcomes

The most powerful thing to do once you’ve set your intentions, made goals or have a vision for your life is to totally let them go. Releasing is a matter of faith that what you need will come to you, and that kind of faith has enormous power. Letting go also prevents you from becoming fixated on a specific picture of how things ought to turn out, which could keep you from seeing creative alternatives you might never have thought of. So, realize the limitations in your ability to vision exactly. The goal or vision is a general direction. Let life surprise you with what comes up. I have said many times about the unexpected and wonderful life occurrences: “My life is something that happened on the way to someplace else.”

 

6. Be patient and forgiving with yourself.

The life you want will come more slowly than you wish, and you can count on making mistakes. We all do. Notice your impatience and then take these as moments to stop, breathe and relax.

 

7. Accept and make peace with what can’t be changed.

Lots of things can’t be changed—like the color of our skin, our parents, whether we’re short or tall, athletic or uncoordinated. You only hurt yourself by carrying anger, judgment and resentments around about yourself and others close to you. Be aware of these and make an intention to let them go. Notice when you’re still holding on. Be easy with yourself. Old hurts, grievances and judgments take time to wither.

 

8. Don’t compare yourself to others.

Comparing myself to others has been a big hurdle for me to overcome, as it is for many of you. Feeling “less than” or like a failure is usually in reference to others we see as better than us—more accomplished, worthy, skilled, beautiful, intelligent, graceful, successful. The list goes on.

Sometimes we’re not aware that we are comparing ourselves to others. Observe for feelings of envy, jealousy, superiority or critical attitudes toward other people. Then ask, “Am I comparing myself to them in some way?” Comparison-based thinking does not go away quickly. But the more you become who you are, the more pleased with yourself you’ll be. And the negative rating you give yourself will start to go away. It is possible to identify the “inner critic” inside you and know it’s not who you really are.

 

9. What do I need to learn at this moment?

Life is its own classroom and events are lessons, especially when things don’t go the way we would like or expected—and that will happen. At these times, ask yourself “What do I need to learn now?” There are no meaningless accidents. We can gain and learn from everything that happens—even the worst tragedies.  This can also be helped if you try on the idea “Everything is perfect, just as it is.” Now I realize that seems like a bold statement, especially when confronted with some really big losses, like the death of a family member, your house burning down or a terrible tragedy in some part of the world that affects many lives. But there is wisdom far greater than we can see that rises from the ashes of despair, loss and calamity. If you hold “everything is perfect just as it is” as a practice to grow by—as opposed to holding it as true or not true—you’ll slowly start to grow more patient and compassionate, with a greater balance of mind in life.

 

10. Be thankful for what you have.

Look at all the good things you have in your life now. Run those through your mind with an inner smile. When the rain comes, be glad for the trees and shrubs that are getting water. When things happen out of the blue that make you happy or are good news for you, then take a moment to consider the inherent goodness of life. Look at the glass as half full, not half empty.

 

Resources

Mindfulness Video: Jack Kornfield is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. He talked with us about meditation, listening to the wisdom of the heart and finding happiness through a non-judgmental, mindful awareness.http://www.ebbandflow.tv/blog/index.php

 

Topics for Further Study