It is much harder to be sad without faith. In fact, a feeling of comfort might just be the #1 reason people cling to faith even when they stop believing in it. In this episode I explain  how I discovered happiness without God or Christian ...

I do not understand why the world is set up so that everything lives by munching on everything else. I don't understand it but I think I know what to do about it. Here are some thoughts I had while dodging cars on the way to Los Gatos for Thank...

I'm pretty sure no one knows the meaning OF life. Our perception is too limited. The meaning IN life? That's a different story.

If you want to try something NEW, you gotta let go of the OLD. For years, I have made my backpacking more difficult than it needed to be. All because I stubbornly clung to "the way I used to do it." Maybe you need to let go of something to in o...

In my day job, I direct a Senior Center. I love the job. It gives me the opportunity to think deeply about life's greatest chapter. I also have the privilege of seeing some great examples. Here is a reflection I wrote for the St. Helena Star, t...

There's no escaping the fact that we CAN'T get along. Conflict is our only option. But there's a bright side for those with the courage to face it.

Carol and I served churches in Yuba City during the 90's and 00's.In this episode Carol tells how she overcame the challenges of ministry and personal tragedy to arrive at a wider, more joyful way of being.  I hope her story will i...

I haven't given up on Faith, Hope, and Love. I just don't use the words anymore. Here's why.

Gratitude is not about looking at the glass half full or ignoring the fact that it is half empty. Gratitude is embracing the dynamic tension between the two.

A hunger zombie is a human being reduced to pure desire. A dogma zombie is a human being reduced to pure story. We were not meant to be zombies!

I spend a lot of time explaining things but sometimes the best way to experience something is to try it.I start every day with the three breaths. It only takes 5 minutes and gets me off on the right foot. It's a simple way to face the w...

TODAY IS A BIG DAY! The Club is now open for members. There's a monthly live session and a social space to share among other things. Check it out at https://facingup.club/club/. Hope to meet you soon!

Einstein said if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it. Here is my latest attempt.This one is much better when you can see the map.  https://facingup.club/facing-up-the-essence/A huge thank-you to...

It took me WAY too long to look with my own eyes. I thought what everyone else said was more important. I hope you won't make same mistake and fail to value your own perceptions and ideas.

In this episode I will tell you why Jesus meant so much to me and why it was impossible for me to imagine life without him. I'll go on to explain why I no longer focus on Jesus, even though there will alway be a part of me that loves him. ...

John Muir is famous for his love of nature, and especially the Sierras. If you have never read any of his writings, start with "The Wild Muir." It's a collection of most hair-raising tales. Annie Dillard's book, "Pilgrim at Tinker ...

Viktor Frankl was a holocaust survivor who studied how people were able to survive in horrific conditions. I read his book, Man's Search for Meaning, in High School and found it very helpful. I also touch on Camus' books: The Plague and...

No single person has had more of an impact on my life than Emerson. I have read his essay "Self-Reliance" hundreds of times. Today I tell you why he means so much to me.Here are quotes from the Essay "Self-Reliance." Emerson's works are...

How to find belonging in a world that's out to get you. I describe the third movement and show you a breathing exercise I use each morning to internalize a positive response to loneliness.

How to find motivation when you just want to quit. I describe the second movement and show you a breathing exercise I use each morning to internalize a positive response to longing.The pictures help. You can find them

How to find meaning in a word gone mad. I describe the first movement and show you a breathing exercise I use each morning to internalize a positive response to lostness.The pictures are useful. You can see them

There are three ways to approach marriage--or any relationship: Dominance/Submission CompromiseHarmonyAfter 36 years of marriage I finally learned harmony is the bullseye. In this episode, I ...

People wonder what possesses someone to give up the comforts of home and strike off into the woods. Here's why I do it. It's not so much about nature's beauty as her honesty.This one is much better to watch visually

Today I threw on my backpack and hiked up the Oat Mine Trail above St. Helena and Calistoga to get in shape for my trip to the Enchantments (in Washington State) with my kids. These are thoughts about love I had along the way. Love is not what ...

How to make the three movements a way of life, not just a theory.