Life's commas are just like the ones we got used to during those mundane classroom lessons. They are a time to pause, reflect, catch our breath then move on. They aren't the end.

For reasons I could not explain in 10,000 words or less, I moved to a small town on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, for three months or more, to determine how I begin with all of this that has happened, and to wait for this story of the pain in my neck to resolve.

The Buddha's mandate was to try to end suffering. My goal is much less lofty: to share tools that help people cultivate ease, harmony, peace, love and understanding.

Life is uncertainty. Life is change. There are islands of calm and certainty scattered throughout the ocean, but for the anxious mind the challenge is to learn how to find serenity even during the storm.

When saying goodbye to a person or place, some think it's best to leave things unsaid, or walk away without reflection. I've learned that this is usually a mistake, at least for me.

The thing about change is that when it gets too personal, most of us don't actually like it. It's easier to work on change in small doses. How can we take one tiny step towards something new?

I have let go of old ways, old support systems and old beliefs and have been in a place of transition where I have not yet found my center, or, in blading terms, my stride.

For me one of the biggest lessons this time around has been about coupling intuition with good old-fashioned hard work, consistency and follow-through just like Edison suggested.