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Reliability, dependability. Consistency and steadfastness. Durability. My tradition calls it Buffalo Medicine. It is grounded. It is not flashy. It does not draw attention to itself. People with buffalo medicine quietly go about their business supporting and uplifting everyone and everything around them. Reliability is a funny thing. Without it, someone or something is really not of much value or worth. If it is not consistent, you can't depend on it. When it really counts, l

I have had the privilege to observe many human beings touch extremely beautiful spaces inside themselves and in their interactions with other people. They are usually amazed by the joy and freedom that comes with such experiences. It takes them beyond the reality they are accustomed to. I have also observed that sometime shortly after this, perhaps the next morning, their ego attempts to discount the experience they had. Our egos typically find something wrong with the experi

It is springtime- the perfect time of the year for new aspects of you to be born. Often, the new aspects that emerge do not have any form. They are still pure concepts or ideas. You may have a feeling or picture of it, but not yet understand how it will unfold. It may not be clear how it fits into your life. It may not make sense. This is natural. Do not discard it because you don't understand it. Rather, stay with it. Work with the feeling and idea until it slowly begins to

People do not like being told what to do. Yet we want to share things with them. Why not invite them? An invitation is one of the clearest and powerful ways to lead and interact with other human beings. Invitation works really well if you tell them what you are going to do and then invite them to join you. For example, “I am going to the free concert in the park tomorrow, would you like to join me?” While this seems very simple, it keeps things incredibly clear. It first lets

Have you ever been trying to understand something, but your mind is having difficulty grasping it? Your mind just kind of goes blank and you can't quite pull it in. Everything seems hazy and in a fog. If so, you have been to the fringe. It often happens when you are trying to become aware of something on a higher level of consciousness or vibration. You are actually at the edge or fringe of your known reality. It isn't always comfortable at the edge. You keep forgetting what

Being sensitive often makes people nervous. They have to pay more attention to what they say around you. And more aware of how they affect you- and by extension how they affect other people. Being called too sensitive usually means that the person is not comfortable with how sensitive you are. So it might be more honest for them to say, "You are too sensitive for me." I always wondered if sensitive is feeling things deeply, how can you be too sensitive? Perhaps you can take t

In game theory and economics, a zero-sum game is a closed system in which one participant gaining means another must lose. Available resources are limited or finite- so gains and losses must add up to zero. In contrast, a non-zero-sum refers to situations in which gaining does not require someone else to lose. Resources are not limited. In other words, new resources can be tapped into or created. In recent history, business and commerce has primarily operated with a limited r

Original sin is a paramount belief in Christianity and many religions of the world. It says that the basic nature of human beings is morally flawed and full of sin. And that it is only through prayers and God's guidance and grace that we can manage this deficiency. But what if the opposite were true? What if we are light, love, and innocence on the inside and our moral flaws and deficiencies are wrapped around it like layers of an onion? And then after there are enough layers

You were so hopeful. It has happened several times. There was the relationship that you wanted so badly. You could see the possibilities- but he/she could not. There was the dream job. It could've been so cool if upper management didn't bail on your program. Then there was the business, the band, the trip, or the project. It was right there. The stars were aligned. You could see it so clearly. But... apparently your friends, lover, associates, or customers could not. So there

You come back from lunch and your coworker is going through your desk. You walk over and ask him what he's doing. “Oh, our committee needed those color dry erase markers that you have for our presentation. Since you are at lunch, I figured you wouldn't mind if I borrowed them." You feel violated and respond, "Actually I do mind. Please never go through my desk again. If you need to borrow something, just ask me.” He says, "Really? I thought we were beyond that,” and walks aw

Contemporary human beings have a tendency to distort information when translating an experience. We amplify, personalize, or make assumptions about the things we encounter. We then emotionally respond to our translation of the experience rather than the actual experience which often creates unnecessary unhappiness, anxiety, and stress. Amplifying is making something larger-than-life. Unfortunately, our anxiety gets amplified as well. Plus, it often creates a ripple effect on

Sure you could, you just don't want to. You just tell yourself that you can't so you don't have to consider it. When we think of doing something we are drawn to but is out of our comfort zone, it creates conflict and tension. Plus, there is the fear of doing it. The most convenient way to alleviate the tension and fear is to take away the thing we are drawn to. Such is the death of many possibilities, invitations, and ideas- before they ever get a chance. If we would just be