How to Stop Judging Yourself and the Past Year Harshly
“The way you look at things is the most powerful force shaping your life.” ~John O’Donohue As often happens at this time of year, I recently found myself lamenting how…
A Tiny Bit of Tiny Buddha, with You Every Day
I might be just a little biased, but I find this site very soothing. It’s my literal home on the web—built humbly in 2009 with more enthusiasm than expertise and…
Why the Breath Is More Powerful Than Willpower in Addiction Recovery
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” ~Amit Ray I don’t remember the moment I decided I wanted to live…
The Truth About Healing I Didn’t Learn in Med School
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~Rumi I’ve spent most of my adult life helping people heal. I’m a podiatrist, a foot and ankle surgeon, and…
Why I’m Listening to My Aging Mother More Deeply Now
“When an old person dies, a library burns to the ground.” ~African Proverb For most of my life, I thought aging was about bodies slowing down—hair turning white, memory fading,…
Break the Cycle: How to Heal the Patterns You Didn’t Choose
“We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” ~Native American Proverb For years, I blamed my parents for my anxiety, my defensiveness, and my…
Grieving the Parents You Needed but Never Had
“We can’t receive from others what they were never taught to give.” ~Unknown When I was younger, I believed that love meant being understood. I thought my parents would be…
How to Cope When Trauma Stole Your Childhood Memories
“It’s all right if you can’t remember. Our subconscious is spectacularly agile. Sometimes it knows when to take us away, as a kind of protection.” ~Kathleen Glasgow A couple of…
What If 2026 Could Actually Be Different?
I’ve never believed that change should be reserved for special days, but the New Year tends to carry a sense of promise. It often brings a surge of clarity, motivation,…
Why Listening Matters More Than Giving Advice (A Barbershop Lesson)
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ~Stephen R. Covey I used to think running a barbershop was all about…