by Marie T. Russell.

We live in a world of extremes. Extreme wealth, extreme poverty. Extreme hedonism and joy, and extreme fear and pain. Extreme religious devotion, and extreme hatred. And as with everything, the microcosm and the macrocosm are reflections...

by Marie T. Russell.

We tend to take life seriously -- all the problems, challenges, crises -- all of these seem to be like life and death situations, and in some cases they are. Yet as Shakespeare told us years ago, all the world is a stage, and we are all players or actors upon this earth.

by Marie T. Russell.

The other day I was giving myself a "good talking to" -- telling myself I really need to exercise regularly, eat better, take better care of myself, etc. But of course all this "telling myself what to do" and this "sermonizing" was not getting me anywhere. As with many of us, I still bristle at being "told what to do" -- whether by others or by myself.

by Marie T. Russell.

One of my favorite lines in the movie "Gone With The Wind" is when Scarlett says "Tomorrow is another day". This line has given me hope many times when the skies of my life were bleak and I couldn't see around the corner of whatever challenge was facing me at the time? I would remind myself, that after all. things always get better eventually.

by Marie T. Russell.

Many of our life lessons come to us through what we might usually call a negative experience, or possibly a negative person, in our life. However, the addition of the term negative to any person or situation is simply a perception, or a judgment, on our part.

by Marie T. Russell.

What do you want? This is a question that is asked of us throughout our lives. Yet, it is a question that we sometimes avoid answering and simply go with whatever seems easier or less painful at the moment.

by Marie T. Russell.

Love has been portrayed as sex, as martyrdom, as self-aggrandizement, or as co-dependence. As I was reflecting the other day on love -- loving ourselves, loving our neighbor, loving the world itself -- it came to me that with all the 'stigma' attached to the word love, sometimes we may be at a loss as to what it means.

If we were able to honestly address our own captive state (that is, how we continue to do those things we don't want to do, and wouldn't do, if we only had a conscious choice before these decisions were made), a New Need would awaken within us. We would realize, unalterably, the need to become fully aware...

by Roddy White.

Lessons, lessons, lessons! What on Earth are we here for? You guessed it lessons. Lessons are the meaning of Life. Now, I know some of you, myself included, feel that lessons must be painful to be appreciated or remembered. Contrary to popular belief...