Without exception, the starting place for everyone's perception and experience is their thinking and the feeling state that ensues.

When you are able to see the big picture and realize what is actually going on, you will quietly and calmly become the master of your own life. Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors will carefully calibrate themselves with clarity, peace, understanding, and truth in order to define a happy life.

Today, I still need my scooter and wheelchair to get around. But something inside me has changed. I have a sense of freedom that is in some ways more powerful and sustainable than what I felt when I could walk and dance and run and play.

We hear this all the time: Pay attention to the small stuff -- the flowers blooming, the sunset, a rainbow. Be happy you're healthy. We may have loftier goals and want other things in our lives, but if these things are missing, the rest actually doesn't count.

This was the reality of the situation. This was the truth of the here and now. I couldn't be with him out there on the dance floor, so I had to reframe the situation and enjoy the experience in a completely different way.

Watch this video to hear a little bit about my personal struggle with this concept, how I got through it and how you can take better care of yourself when it gets challenging to choose happiness.

Just like a loaf of bread that's been left out too long, life can sometimes seem stale if we let routine take over. Whether you're looking for a complete overhaul or simply a fresh outlook, here are seven ways to renew your life today.

Certainly we can choose to hold onto the idols and ideas that give us meaning and a sense of awareness and place in the world. But we don't need to. And therein lies the great lesson for us all.

Realizing that we choose the way in which we interpret the day-to-day data of our lives is an amazingly powerful method of regaining our sense of control over all that befalls us.

We should never forget that we have at our disposal a great reservoir of human energy. We each must take personal responsibility to take care of our inner states of harmony and balance, in order to create such balance in our everyday lives.

As we drove back to the camp, I thought how easy it is to get lost in our own private storms, forgetting about the part of us that can come out and play when the rain stops.

The intention behind self-vigilance is to stimulate a degree of awareness so that a person may be in a better position to observe their forms of conditioning (physical, mental, and emotional). A person can then develop upon this knowledge to gain a better understanding of themselves.

You always have a say in what happens in your life, but sometimes, it's better to move with the natural flow of things. Oftentimes, we create blocks that stop abundance, opportunity and growth from happening.

While the problem with yoga is that it is devoid of myth, its redemption lies in the fact that it will accept fully any myth we bring to it. When we find the mythologies that most resonate with us, we can use them as the container to hold our unfolding practice.

As the saying goes, "The roots create the fruits." This means that it's our job to focus on our own growth, development, and internal transformation -- and in so doing, we put ourselves in the best possible position to create the kind of change we truly want.

Change is scary for all of us. But if you want your body to be different, if you want to feel better, look better and live a longer, happier, healthier life, it's also necessary. The key is to change the way you look at things -- to change your mindset.

"Where has the time gone?" "There aren't enough hours in the day." These are statements that we struggle with daily. We are so caught up in achieving that we forget to savor, breathe and recognize the present moment.

Happiness has many aspects: From quiet appreciation to living with zest and passion, it's great to explore all the various facets available to you now. Inner happiness has many entry points. Try these out and notice how good you feel.

For the next few weeks, see if you can shift your perspective and take the focus off of the results and achievements in your life and put all your energy into learning and growing.

This November I am thankful for unexpected inconveniences. They force me out of my comfort zone and provide opportunities to examine things from different angles.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness seem like an elusive, fleeting dream for many people globally. There has been a tremendous shift for many people financially, and they need to rethink how they can begin the process of recapturing and restoring their dreams.

My 14-year-old cousin was onto something profound: Whether it's listening to a person or otherwise, if I listen long enough it creates an opening.