My most intimate knowledge of war comes through my father. During the final days of his life, he began reliving his wartime experiences, memories he had never shared with his family. For decades he had carried them silently, the wounds buried deep within him. In his...

‘The enlightenment in which you see your true mind and realise your true nature is transmitted outside of the scriptures; it is not based on names and words.’ Bassui Tokushō

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” ~Marcus Aurelius Gratitude. It used to be a very triggering concept for me, and sometimes it still is. It’s been a process to unravel what it...

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” ~Viktor Frankl For a while, I forgot about that space. When conflict entered my life—first with my employer, then with my insurance company—I didn’t react explosively....

‘We have; yellow hat, red hat, black hat — one day will we get a green hat so lamas take more care of environment.’ Dalai Lama

“True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” ~Brené Brown This past year, during a season of transition in my life, I started working part-time as a bridal stylist at a wedding dress store. It was something I had...