If we fail to wake up to who we are beyond the story of self, our system will register a "stuckness." It's a developmental arrest that shows up as dissatisfaction, endless stress, loneliness, fear, and joylessness. This is a sign that the timeless dimension of our being is awaiting realization.

Having a healthy ego also means you're not conceited or arrogant, which shouldn't be confused with having confidence or good self-esteem. Thinking you're pretty terrific is absolutely fine. It says a lot about how you value yourself.

Upon meeting someone new, part of me hopes I will never hear the dreaded four words (what-do-you-do) because then I wouldn't have to assess how I am going to respond -- with my pragmatic communications-consultant role, or with the idealistic wanting-to-save-the-world profile.

So, why are we so afraid of failure? What about the very concept of not turning out to be the winner terrifies us and stops us from even trying?

For some, the personal-private gap will erupt in self-destructive ways when, unconsciously, the person wants to subvert the whole enterprise that he or she has embraced, and bring it crashing down. At best, you become fragmented, "dismembered," like Osiris.

No! It's a pretty scary word, right? It certainly is for me. It's like a well-placed "boo!" bursting through the darkness from an unseen corner. In fact, I find "no" so scary that that I often have difficulty saying it, and that's just where my problem begins.

Trying to solve your crappy self-worth through outside approval is a race you're always going to be running at half-speed. When the outside approval dies down, that's the discomfort you have to sit with. That's the "you" you have to learn to love.

The world we exist in often seems like a topsy-turvy, upside-down reality. When we can observe this more objectively we will see that our established systems of ideas are no longer sustainable or for the betterment of humanity. We thus need to acknowledge this, yet without fear or anger.

What gives a person's life meaning is unique to every individual. At one point or another, most of us find ourselves asking if we are truly living a life that is meaningful to us. In other words, are we really living the life we are meant to lead?

The damaging and far-reaching emotional/spiritual consequences of our narcissistic obsession with the self is hardly examined; there is no distinction between practices that fortify the ego and those that weaken it.

When you are no longer identified with and through "mind." when you can see your thoughts and beliefs for what they are (and not reality), there is no need to divide against them and mind.

My friend Marilyn recently adopted a beautiful cat, all white, with deep blue eyes. The cat loves to gaze at herself in the floor-length mirrors on Marilyn's closet doors. What does she see? Is she admiring her own beauty? Or is she fascinated by the sight of what she thinks is another cat?

Is globalization really in our best interests? What is the psychological impact of globalization on our sense of self?