Tag Archives | Holmes Institute
hello dalai

The Dalai Lama’s Big Little Secret

By on April 9, 2013

What’s your favorite thing about the Dalai Lama? His cute little smile? His snappy outfits? His unrelenting efforts in the areas of human rights and world peace? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for world peace. But I just discovered something about the Dalai Lama that’s more amazing than that. Check it out: I recently [...]

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Goofball Rap: Big Bang (Biggity Bang)

By on March 26, 2013

Mp3 available here! The story behind this video: In the spring of 2012, I took a class at Holmes Institute called Metaphysical Bible. For our final project, our instructor, Rev. Robin Davidson asked us to come up with a presentation that reconciled the Old Testament, fire-and-brimstone God with the New Age, touchy-feely God. She encouraged [...]

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i cannot tell a lie

Lying as a Spiritual Practice

By on January 15, 2013

If you’re like most people, you’ve told a lie from time to time. But have you ever been forced to lie? By a boss? Or parent? Or friend? How did you handle it? Did you ever come clean and tell the truth? Back in the day, I got a great job. It was in the [...]

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more fun than a house full of termites!

­­Speaking of Bomb Shelters, Did I Tell You What Happened to Our House?

By on November 6, 2012

When was the last time you were humiliated? How about mortified? For me, my last moment of mortification was just a few short weeks ago. It went like this: A neighbor of ours was standing in front of our home. She was walking her dog and had paused to stop and stare at our house. [...]

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i am remembering who i am

How I Forgot the Most Important Thing. And How I Remembered It Again.

By on September 11, 2012

What’s your most important thing? Do you have one? And if so, do you ever forget it? I wish I could say I have my priorities in order and never forget what’s most important to me. But that’s not the case. Claiming that I always remember what’s most important to me would be like saying [...]

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that palm tree isn’t really a palm tree. you’ll see.

What My Honeymoon Taught Me About the Nature of Reality

By on August 7, 2012

When you think of a honeymoon, what comes to mind? Dreamy newlyweds drinking champagne, staring into each other’s eyes? Or trips to Hawaii and the Bahamas, with long, lazy days spent sleeping and making love? Or how about mind excursions into the fleeting nature of reality, complete with visual hallucinations and world-shattering paradigm shifts? No? [...]

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pollyanna rocks

Pollyanna Was Right: The Benefits of Optimism

By on July 10, 2012

Remember Pollyanna? The little girl who was so frickin’ positive about everything, she drove everyone crazy? Sure, she was a fictional character, but she made a strong impression. To this day, the word Pollyanna is synonymous with a naïve, unrealistic attitude toward life. But what if Pollyanna was right? You heard me. What if her [...]

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for a good time, call tammy

10 Ways to Raise the Real Estate Value of Your Mind

By on May 8, 2012

Your mind is like a bad neighborhood. Never go in it alone. I love this expression. It reminds me of the perils of venturing, unchaperoned, into the ruts and rubble of my unexamined thoughts and beliefs. I am also reminded that a “bad neighborhood” can look very different to different people. But one thing remains [...]

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the things my mind does

Battling My Inner Task Master, Round 379

By on August 2, 2011

What do vacations and to-do lists have in common? Nothing. They have nothing in common. So why was my recent vacation dominated by one? Let me tell you. First of all, I’m not a fan of lists. I think they’re fascist. Actually, it’s not the lists themselves that are fascist. It’s what my mind does [...]

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