What We Notice

Because we think of ourselves as rational beings, we might ignore the fact that neuroscience has demonstrated that we actually rely first on our emotions, not our intellect. We become attached to a particular outcome – the way we want things to be – and we ignore any...

What Creates Community?

Each of us belongs to a number of communities, based on location, culture, shared interests, shared values, or shared organizational structures. When we think of our town or neighbourhood, we usually are considering a geographic area that we identify with whether or...

The Challenge of Forgiveness

Have you ever felt like, if you forgive someone, you are condoning what they did? Being able to forgive is one of the biggest challenges we face…and one of our biggest barriers to experiencing joy. I choose how I feel or react, so my anger at the other person is...

How Can We Counteract Violence?

Every day we get violent messages on the news, in our movies or video games, and in interaction with others. All of these messages affect us, in much the same way as small bits of litter can add together to create a real mess. Without going into seclusion, how can we...

Practicing Nonduality

Why do we tend to think things are “either—or”? Is such duality truly an illusion? We are so used to thinking in simple comparisons that we assume duality is just the nature of things. But if we look a little closer, life is more complex. Take any polar opposites and...