Update: A few years ago, I started compiling a list of my favorite bits of wisdom and insight, including what’s worked well for me and others in my life, in hopes of sharing it with the world. But my “inner critic” held me back from hitting publish, afraid that it might sound egotistical or that I think I have it all figured out.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I continually return to this list to remind myself of these bits when I need them. As a humans on the path towards greater wisdom, it’s often “remember, forget, remember, forget.” That’s definitely the case for me!

Two years ago on my birthday, I finally had the courage to share these publicly. And now I add a new bit to each year’s update, which I plan to continue doing for many years to come. I hope you find these insights helpful or inspiring as I do.

1. “Light must come from inside. You cannot ask the darkness to leave; you must turn on the light.” A powerful quote from a Buddhist lama that became one of the key reminders from the Finding Light: Inside and Out series I ran in 2025. It’s especially relevant in challenging times when the world “out there” can feel dark.

2. If you want more love, be more loving. If you want more patience, be more patient. If you want more compassion, be more compassionate. H/t to George for this one!

3. “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn. It’s one of my favorite quotes and it seems more appropriate than ever in these uncertain times.

4. Strong coffee… dark chocolate… red wine or dark beer… hot sauce… smoked or blackened… baked goods with spices… good bread (real sourdough is my fave)… my weaknesses. 🙂

5. Everyone is a mirror back to ourselves and our own unhealed wounds/insecurities/things we don’t like in ourselves. If true, then each situation and every person gives us an opportunity to learn and heal.

6. Home is a feeling, not a building or stuff or town.

7. Much human suffering is caused by attaching to the thought “this should’t be happening” (or “happening this way”).

8. I don’t believe “God” is a person or person-like being; I believe “God” is consciousness (i.e. Buddha nature, divine spark, Christ consciousness, intelligent or self-aware Universe).

9. What we put in our bodies matters: I’ve been soda and McDonalds-free for 30 years (a big milestone here in February 2026!), primarily dairy-free for nearly 6 years, and I was a pescatarian for 18 years (I started eating a bit of meat again in the past year as an experiment). I believe all have paid big dividends for me, health-wise.

10. Everything is energy… and energy is everything! It’s physics and life.

11. Walking is good for the body! I’ve walked daily since 2005 and averaged 3 miles a day again in the most recent calendar year. I believe that’s also been hugely beneficial to my health.

12. Twelve years of daily meditation have also changed my life. You can’t stop your monkey mind, but you CAN expanded you capacity to handle the inevitable ups and downs of life and build lovingkindness and let go more easily.

13. You can’t build the life you really want if you don’t actually know what you like. Experiment! Play! Explore!

14. Almost everything that’s my favorite now: I either didn’t know existed or didn’t think I liked when I was younger. And most of what I thought was important then, isn’t (or is not as) important now.

15. Touch heals. It’s another non-negotiable that took me years to figure out. If it’s important to you, find a partner who loves touch and see what a difference that makes.

16. For many years, I thought personal growth was about adding or changing. That can become an addiction or obsession. Now I believe that surrender or letting go is the real key!

17. Another crucial concept: you can direct your energy and decide what to focus on. Most of us run on auto-pilot, with regard to where we direct ours. The same is true for our intention. And our attention.

18. Be grateful! Gratitude is medicine for the soul. Make it a practice! And smile!

19. If you choose to believe in something, you WILL find evidence of it. It’s how our brains are designed (confirmation bias). So choose wisely.

20. Forgive everyone! Yes everyone. 🙂 This one’s tough, but worth it!

21. When dealing with a challenging situation, ask yourself the question:“What would someone who loves themselves do?”

22. Read a lot! It keeps your mind active and you learn more about the world and yourself and others.

23. Humans love patterns. Become aware of your patterns and habits. Then change them if you want or need. Neuroplasticity shows what’s possible.

24. Find your tribe! That takes work. But the rewards are endless.

25. Travel lights your soul! And expands your knowledge of the world. Do more!

26. Growth and healing begins with awareness. And learning from each experience. As my friend George says often: “True understanding comes from reflecting on experience.”

27. Don’t complain! Or if you do catch yourself complaining, don’t hold ON to them. It will take its toll.

28. People will remember you not for accomplishments, but for how you make them feel.

29. You can only get what you want when your subconscious beliefs, thoughts, words, and actions are in alignment. It’s why the LOA doesn’t work for many.

30. We all did and said dumb things when we were young. Forgive yourself.

31. Love yourself first. You can’t fully love someone else if you don’t love yourself.

32. Sex gets better as you age! But takes more work to happen. Ah, aging! 🙂

33. Einstein famously asked us to decide if the Universe was friendly or unfriendly. Physicist Sky Nelson asks, “What if the Universe is neither, but simply responsive?” Apply that principle to your life/thoughts/words/actions.

34. Listening is more important than talking. Always.

35. You never know what other people are really going through, so try to be more kind/patient/understanding. And drop the stories you’ve created about them.

36. We don’t honor people by holding on to their stuff, which takes up space both physically and energetically. We can honor them by what they taught us and through how we live.

37. We best teach that thing we most need to learn (or be reminded of). It’s the #1 lesson from 10 years of podcasting and applied to every one of my guests!

38. Our brains are just a tool — an important one, but not the be all/end all! Same goes for traditional “intelligence”. There’s also the gut brain and heart brain, emotional intelligence and interpersonal intelligence, etc.

39. The core tenants of all major religions and philosophies point to the same universal truths. And I believe the “Kingdom of Heaven” is within. A wise man once said that.

40. Nature heals and helps us reset, relax, and renew. The energy of trees (forest bathing) and the ocean is palpable. And most of my best insights come to me around water (in the shower, by the ocean, etc.).

41. I believe consciousness exists outside the brain: Non-local consciousness (what some people call “guides” or “angels” or intuition) is always available to us.

42. People around the world all want the same basic things: love, peace, happiness, connection, being heard or seen, a place to call home or belong.

43. Courage is a muscle you can build. My friend George says that if you want true success in any area of life, you have to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

44. Another big key to growth is self-regulation, learning to respond vs. react. Viktor Frankl wrote: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

45. When everything seems out of control, focus on the things you can control.

46. Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now called itself off a bookshelf and changed my life. Like most humans I spent too much of my time replaying the past or worried about the future. Being in the “now” is a crucial practice to my well-being.

47. It’s not my job to fix/save/heal/rescue anyone else. That’s especially tough to remember when those we love are suffering. And you’ll get the chance to practice this one again and again!

48. What you resist persists. You can’t solve a problem with the same energy or level of consciousness that created it.

49. Money is energy. And a tool. Work on healing old money wounds and see what happens.

50. We assume that everyone’s “reality” is the same as ours. But our brains are continually assembling billions of bits of stimuli to create our own based “reality” on past experience, preferences, prejudice, etc. Remember that when dealing with others.

51. Art, music, dance, and poetry are good for the soul. Celebrate art. And make some! Lots of it!

52. Are you open or closed? That applies to vulnerability, health, energy, possibilities, and any area of life.

53. Optimism can be learned. And practiced. Hope can be too! (It’s a verb!)

54. True leaders hire people that are smarter than them and get out of the way. Be that leader or find one to work for!

55. Nearly everything that challenges us is related to fear at some level. And the root of fear is not knowing.

56. In the Cherokee tale, the love wolf and fear wolf are battling inside you. Which one will win? The one you feed.

57. Trust your gut. Think about what’s happened when you ignored your intuition? Or conversely, when you listened to it?

58. Synchronicities offer us the opportunity to heal. Try to notice them and see what they might be teaching you or offering.

59. “Don’t take anything personally.” A life changing quote from don Miguel Ruiz from his classic book The Four Agreements

Big thanks to so many teachers who inspired these bits (and habits and life changes) including George, Eric and Devi, Sky, Dawson, Kris, Duke, Sybilla, Angie, Alice, my parents and family and partner Mia, school teachers, authors of books I read, and every guest on my podcasts through the years!