As a counselor and coach, I have the humble fortune of getting to know the deep recesses of a person's mind, the emotional longings of the human heart, and our ideal dreams for the future. In that rawness, I get to see that at our core none of us really wish to suffer, and all of us just want to be at peace, and be happy; and I don't think that's too much to ask. 

But what is this peace we seek? What does it even feel like? How will we know when we've found it? Will we begin to glow or something? Will cosmic rays rain in from the heavens? No, but that would certainly be interesting. ;)

I'll give you a hint, peace is wherever war and the struggle with life is at an end. Truly it's not find-able, purchase-able, attainable, or conquer-able. It's always (and all-ways) right where you are standing, right here in this moment, in every breath.  Here are a few concepts that might help "awaken" peace in your life. I hope this serves you. 

Adventures in Reverse Psychology

(begin sarcasm) The way I see it, there is so much obnoxious positivity out there in the world, and all these life coaches, counselors, and self-help gurus are all trying to make people happy, successful, and healthy. Bah! I say, let's bottle up our emotions, set the bar really low, and dodge progress like the plague. ;)

Here's what I'm wondering: "Is there some sort of users manual, or book on how to live a miserable life?" You'd be surprised to learn that there isn't a lot of info out there, only this insufferable positive thought. So when I couldn't find a how-to guide to suffering, I had to write it myself. Enjoy.

Post 2 of 2: What is the sacred masculine in relationship to the sacred feminine? Why call them sacred? Also, how can one’s history of distant, absent, or unhealthy relationships (male and female alike) affect one’s ability to 1) embrace and wield their inner masculine or feminine energies, and 2) seek healthy and intimate relationships with others? Please join me as I invite a strong AND beautiful woman (my wife) to co-write this article with me. We will investigate together the differences between our genders, * the instinctual forces of attraction, and the great wisdom that arrives from an appreciation of what is sacred within each of us.

Post #1 of 2: What is it that beats in a man's heart that evokes the masculine? What is it like to "feel the call of the wild," or have testosterone flow through your blood, as you are emotionally driven to protect, to dominate, break through barriers, and to display your bravery; especially in the presence of the feminine? Does being a "real man" mean that you have to work in a factory, drive a pick up truck, be aggressive, or dominate everyone around you? On a separate note, what is the experience of having a grown man's body, but at times still feeling very much like a small frightened boy on the inside? How has divorce, the women's movement, and the absence of the father affected the world of men today? Please join me as we explore in this post, the wild call of the masculine heart.

So much of life is a cosmic balance between seemingly opposing forces, do you agree?: The light and the dark, positive and negative, the yin and the yang. Yet among these oppositional forces, life has shown us that it lives from an "all inclusive" approach. It allows for rainy days just as much as sunny days, perfect health just as much as stage 4 cancer, and certainly death just as much as birth. Curious enough, that's not how WE play the game. We have all sorts of preferences, prejudices, exclusions, and rejections of what we want and don't want from life. In fact, some of us (points towards himself) have spent a great deal of time at war with life, and at war with "self." Certain emotions, thoughts, and memories we are more than happy to embrace, and others we build thick walls against. Problem: Everything we sweep under the rug, everything we cast into the shadows, and everything we run from, tends to run us. Ready for a change? Please join me in discovering our "shadow parts" and how digging into the darkness may just propel us further into the light.