I am never upset for the reason I think. ~A Course in MiraclesWhat happens when we feel disturbed? The mind starts thinking. Emotions flood the body with sensation. At least that is what happened to| Galen Pearl
Years ago, I happened to be at a church service where a pastor candidate was giving what I called an “audition sermon.” After the service, the congregation was invited to stay and ask questions. One woman, concerned about dwindling church membership, asked, “What are your plans to grow the church?” The candidate paused, and with […]| www.galenpearl.com
Years ago, I happened to be at a church service where a pastor candidate was giving what I called an “audition sermon.” After the service, the congregation was invited to stay and ask questions. One| Galen Pearl
I ran across this phrase “always and already” in a book by one of my favorite spiritual teachers/writers Adyashanti. The phrase filled me with reassurance. We are always and already enlightened. We are always and| Galen Pearl
When an item is sold “as is,” it means that there is no warranty. The buyer accepts the item in its current condition and assumes all responsibility for whatever happens, understanding that there are no| Galen Pearl
Rest in Peace| www.galenpearl.com
Rest in peace. This is something we often say to or about the dearly departed. It’s a lovely sentiment, so lovely that I wonder why we wish it exclusively to those who have died. Wouldn’t it be nice to rest in peace while we’re still alive? Some might respond with the familiar saying “I can […]| Galen Pearl
I could see peace instead of this. ~A Course in MiraclesA friend of mine some years ago had worked very hard to get to a position of success. He had a good job and was| Galen Pearl
Stories have power. We all know this. Jesus taught love in parables. Aesop’s wisdom was embedded in fables. Biographers tell life stories. Stories touch our hearts, tickle our funnybones, challenge us, inform us, inspire us. And sometimes stories entrap us. I have listened over the last year to one person’s stories about me, stories that […]| Galen Pearl
I was walking with a friend recently, relating to her some of my experience two years ago when I began the year with a prayer to the universe. I prayed out loud every morning asking for liberation, whatever it takes. Apparently, for me it took getting cancer. Not what I had in mind, but I […]| Galen Pearl
I don’t need to go there. ~Swami Khecaranatha When I use my car’s GPS to set my route to a particular destination, sometimes I miss a turn or even intentionally take a little detour, distracted by one thing or another. The nice computer lady who gives me directions never fusses at me. I see the […]| Galen Pearl
I meet the Beloved In the garden of silenceWhere we breathe each otherInto One| Galen Pearl
Carpe the fuck out of this diem. ~slogan on a pair of socksSeveral years ago, a friend gave me a pair of socks with this slogan on each sock. I don’t know what motivated her| Galen Pearl
Contentment is subversive. That might sound like an odd statement in the midst of angry protests, marches, boycotts, rallies, and disruptions. But think about it. Our integrated systems of politics, religion, economics, law, and healthcare are all based, in one way or another, on discontent. Our economy, to take one example, is driven by consumerism. […]| Galen Pearl
I choose to allow these very conditions to be those conditions under which I now learn to choose love. ~The Way of MasteryThis quote encourages me to keep my heart open in all circumstances. I| Galen Pearl
For by their fruits you shall know them. ~Matthew 7:16The Bible teaches that we know who people are by their fruits. I’ve been thinking about that lately. By what characteristics do we measure people? What| Galen Pearl
If a problem has a solution, there is no need to worry. If a problem does not have a solution, there is no need to worry.~the Dalai Lama Worry is so ingrained in most of us that we are not even aware of the “worry loop” spinning in the background of our thoughts. At least […]| Galen Pearl
The Dao De Jing teaches that nothing is more soft and yielding than water, and yet nothing is more powerful. Water yields without resistence when pushed, yet simply by following its intrinsic nature, water carves out great canyons, wears down intransigent rocks, cascades through quicksilver rapids, and plunges over thundering waterfalls. People think that softness […]| Galen Pearl
I have sailed across the sea To the other shore It is the same shore Yet not at all the same What seems familiar Is freshly new What is this place Beyond knowing Magical I have been here before| Galen Pearl
Water Moves the Color: Reflections on the Dao De Jing I don’t remember how I first came across the Dao De Jing, also spelled Tao Te Ching, but I do remember that I was in my early 20s. My soul immediately responded to the poetry of this ancient wisdom teaching. Its words have sung to […]| Galen Pearl
When Love crashes through mind’s familiar understanding of how things ought to be, mind can only cry out, “That’s a miracle!”“No,” Love answers, “that’s just the way I am.”~Emmanuel’s Book IIIThis whimsical quote always makes| Galen Pearl
Practicing the external martial arts taekwondo and kung fu gave me lots of experience with humility. Resuming this training in my 50s after being away from it for several decades meant that I was a beginner once again and most often the oldest person in the room. It was obvious from the start that I […]| Galen Pearl
Redeeming Thanksgiving| www.galenpearl.com
In Greek mythology, Arachne was a highly skilled weaver. So confident was she of her talent that she bragged her weaving was more beautiful than that of the goddess Athena. Athena did not take kindly| Galen Pearl
Recently I invited a friend to join me in an activity I had planned for the two of us. I had an idea of how this would all go, but when my friend showed up,| Galen Pearl
Not once but twice in recent weeks I caught myself being judgmental in a way that surprised me. Both times, my judgment was based on a narrative, a story I was telling myself about things| Galen Pearl
