“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” — “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” Sir Edmund Hillary “Put your hand here,” I told Marci, “and push your foot into this crevice.” But she wasn’t impressed and said, “No, I don’t think so!” When I asked why she didn’t want to conquer the cliff, I distinctly…

Not saying much is challenging — Oh, isn’t it a challenge when someone treads on your toes? Not those in your shoes. I’m talking about the ones attached to your Achilles heel, or weak spot. Everyone has a sore spot, and I’ve just uncovered one of mine. I have to remind myself that unearthing our foibles…

So you can have the life that’s waiting for you — We were visiting Knossos on the island of Crete, Greece, and I spotted a dusty piece of china sticking out of the dry earth. I got down on my hands and knees and carefully scooped the dirt away from the object’s sides. I don’t know how long I beavered away…

Microfiction — Dear Mr. Clark. Or Frank. It is Frank, isn’t it? You don’t mind if I call you by your first name? I’m Orla Jones, from across the way. Doubtless, you’ve seen me opening my front room curtains in the morning if you’ve glanced out your window. I’ve seen you. You’re…

Exploring the saying through the Beatles, personal experiences, and ancient sages — The first time I heard the quote, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” (attributed to several wise individuals, including Buddha and Lao Tzu), I got the wrong end of the stick. I thought it meant that a sage-like instructor would come into my life as long as…

A Journey Through My Weird and Wonderful Abodes — I’ve lived in various places: huge, tiny, and unconventional. The element my favorites had in common was that they felt like home. The fact they were built from bricks and mortar wasn’t what made them into the havens I loved. Have you ever longed for a home? Sometimes, I only…

The magic is right under our noses — “We are merely bolting our lives — gulping down undigested experiences as fast as we can stuff them in — because awareness of our own existence is so superficial and so narrow that nothing seems to us more boring than simple being.” Alan Watts, The Book, 1966. The spider’s web…

Who knew vocal toning would turn out to be so special? — The first sound to make is “uh,” explains the vocal toning tutor while glancing around the room. He has kind eyes, a short, neat beard ending in a point, and a playful disposition. I get the impression the “uh” should be guttural and low, kind of throaty, and I practice…

Some rules are best broken when you seek enlightenment — The room fell silent when our tutor, a master hypnotherapy practitioner, unexpectedly stood on his head. He had thought to remove his muddy boots and not stain the white walls. We sat motionless, transfixed by this odd behavior, staring at his argyle socks. This was my first experience of crazy…