Practices for life
Quality sleep, meditation and mindfulness, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness and courage are practices that help you towards happiness.
Be kind
Great teachers have appeared throughout human history, and in many traditions − Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Judaism. Their teachings, although given in different times and in different places, have things in common: kindness, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness and love. We are essentially hairless primates with strong egos and strong tribal instincts which distort these great teachings to create the basis for massive hierarchical organisations where politics, tribalism and appearances become more important than the original teachings. Followers try to make an even greater mystery of these teachers by creating a divine hagiography. Unscrupulous men and women will often use these organisations to their own benefit. There is no doubt that…
Forgiveness – what does it mean and how to forgive
The ability to forgive is a vital skill for your wellbeing. The greatest benefit of forgiveness accrues to the person doing the forgiving. This process of forgiveness is for you. When we are unable to forgive, we constantly relive (rather than simply remember) the wrong that was done to us. Each time this happens the body goes into survival mode. In other words we suffer an acute stress reaction. The cumulative effect of this reaction can be very dangerous. Studies carried out in Northern Ireland showed that those people who could not forgive and move on, were much more likely to suffer addiction, depression, anxiety and suicide, and were less…
Anger is hell
Anger and its twin brother hatred are based on projections and exaggeration, not on objectivity or wisdom. Johnny was living in his own private hell, surrounded by people who just wouldn’t behave how they should. His need to be right was paramount. He was constantly frustrated that the world simply would not work the way it should. He was furious that people would not see him the way he wanted them to, the way they should. He often felt righteous in his anger and hatred. He couldn’t see that 'righteous hatred' is in the same category as 'righteous cancer' or 'righteous tuberculosis' − all utterly absurd concepts. The few friends…
The enraged badger
The ego wants always to be right. This characteristic of the rational mind, the compulsive need to be right, can become a lunatic living in your head, shouting crazy shit which, if you believe it, utterly fucks up your life. (excuse the swearing.) The lunatic lives in a special apartment in your brain. He takes away your peace. He makes you feel helpless and angry, over and over and over again. Here’s the thing; it was you who rented him the apartment in the first place. It happened when you chose grievance over forgiveness. When you had to be right and simply couldn’t let go! We all have experienced suffering.…