One must do one’s duties, but one has no control over the fruits — I have been re-reading the Bhagavad Gita, a text rich with dense philosophical concepts that offer an abundance of fruits stemming from the same tree. The term Bhagavad Gita, derived from Sanskrit, translates to Song of God. It’s a small chapter within the epic saga known as the Mahabharata, a…

Exploring the intangible forces that guide our inner journey — Voltaire once said, “Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.” His words led me on an introspective expedition. It led me to a question that I asked myself, and one that I’ll attempt to answer. Is faith a precursor to reason? Before we…

The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre noted that “Life is C between B and D.” — Between birth and death, we have choice. It’s choice that fuels our deepest desires and our hidden fears. At birth, we have no idea how to walk, eat, breathe, etc… However, nature provides in its many forms and we are able to function. Death can be a grim topic to…

Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. — Scott Adams — Currently, we are in Snowville, Utah, a major metropolitan town on the Idaho-Utah border, boasting a population of about 200 people. Needless to say, it’s quiet and remote. It’s the type of place that the wife and I actively seek out. I love cities. I enjoy a nice coffee in…

I often ate breakfast because it was expected, not because I was hungry — During my youth, TV ads reigned supreme. In the 90’s the internet was in its infancy, and the digital world as we know it today was non-existence. It was the days of Saturday morning cartoons and ninja turtle pajamas. …

Everyone is evolving at their own pace. At times, the choppy currents may take us two strokes backward before we can move forward. — Do you have people in your close circle that cause you constant grief? Does this grief create a storm of unrest, strife, and worry? If you’re nodding your noggin in agreement, then you know what I mean. Our memories are storage houses for the polaroid-like relics that make up our…

Being grateful for your life and everything in it is a beautiful way to start every morning. — The world is a crazy place. It’s filled with beauty, catastrophe, joy, and suffering. The very fact that I can even experience the idea of “me” and the greater world is astounding. At times I feel down. I think we all do. There are a lot of things that can…

Whether the seasons of our lives are in full bloom, or withering away, seeing the self as an expression of its experience can usher in a type of calm that is beyond our sense perceptions. — I’m currently in Albert Lea, MN. It’s a small farming community near the I-90 highway, which happens to be the longest in the United States, stretching from Seattle, WA to Boston, MA — some 3000 miles. It’s still early morning. I decide to run for a bit through one of…

Love is a memory that puts a permanent mark on our hearts — She was a studious child, who played by the rules, yet she also had a hidden side that burned with an adventurous spirit to go against the grain. On the rare occasion, she would make noble attempts to let this side come alive. However, it was short-lived, as her father…