When I was in high school, I felt like the Ugly Duckling. My Mom realized it and decided it was time for me to get a permanent.

By Mary Sorrells Two days before I joined this meditation group, I wrote a self-diagnosis in my journal. I declared that I had...

We are nearing 500 days. We have endured together and apart. We have explored ourselves. We have listened and shared. Change is inevitable.

Someone once told me that there's nothing more important than being good. I learned to be good at a spiritual practice. It takes practice

What if the world were constructed in such a way that a person would come face-to-face with a question so profound that it wakes them up?

I was asked to perform a task I thought was beyond my abilities. What is important is the door that opened. I didn't feel ready.

Which direction do I go? What I have or what I lack? A choice every moment My body aches—I’m getting old or I’m grateful for my aging wisdom

The first beginning, coming out of sleep. The second beginning, settling down for meditation. The third beginning, the crystal bowl.

Many blessings are still with me from my trip to Ireland. It's where I fell in love with black birds. I talk to them. There's trust.

I'm recovering from good/bad thinking. My good has been defined by high ideals. Hitting a wall is a wakeup call. Pain is a motivator.

My grounding for self-love is being in my heart, knowing that the Divine exists within me, and understanding that I don’t have to be perfect

I’ve decided to put a wall mirror in my meditation room. Nothing fancy. Just something I can gaze at to reinforce my accountability.

In my awake times when I am surrounded by responsibilities and timelines day after day, I often feel the weight of life’s challenges.

I kept having a dream last night, my children suffering. It's so difficult to feel helpless when a loved one suffers. Easier to blame myself

Some pain is so great that it's necessary to hold onto it to give it the significance it deserves. Anything short of that trivializes it.

Yesterday, I surrendered. I cried. It was a windy day. I sat outside in the sunshine, I closed my eyes and saw sands blowing in the wind.

I am the sum of all my experiences. Life would be grand on all scales if humanity held curiosity and innocence along with adult wisdom

I used to beat myself up. If I messed up, I'd call myself names. I'd have deep regrets for things I didn't do. That changed with a question.

My reparenting began as I was welcomed into this world. No matter what truths were happening as a child, I redefined a core belief.

We live our lives doing the best we can, seeking love and acceptance, finding guidance and direction. Fear divides us.