Tuesday, 24 March 2026

Energy

Today I will stop and ask, "How important is it?" When I find myself defending or trying to prove my point, I am in the process of learning to trust my own truth. When it feels right inside, I am seeing that it is all I need. - Ruth Fishel So much energy is wasted when we try and win an argument, insist on providing our point, or try to convince the other person we are right. And when energy is depleted in this way, we certainly are not happy. Take a few moments and remember what this arguing...

On this day of your life

I believe God wants you to know ...

... that when you pray for anyone, you tend to modify

your personal attitude toward them.

Norman Vincent Peale said that, and he touched on

something truly profound. If someone is vexing you

right now, say a prayer for that person. Send them all

of your best energies.

Nothing changes the environment like one person

deciding to love another, no matter what.

The decision-making process can be empowering, allowing us to enjoy the benefits of self-determination.

Our lives are defined by the decisions we make each day. When we choose one option over another, whether we are selecting a restaurant or considering a cross-country move, we shape our lives. The decision-making process can be empowering, allowing us to enjoy the benefits of self-determination. Yet, it can also be a source of anxiety because decisions force us to face the possibility of dissatisfaction and inner conflict. As a result, many of us opt to avoid making decisions by allowing others to make them for us. We consequently turn our power over to spouses, relatives, friends, and colleagues, granting them the stewardship of our lives that is ours by right. Though the decisions we must make are often difficult, we grow more self-sufficient and secure each time we trust ourselves enough to choose.

Ultimately, only you can know how the options before you will impact your daily life and your long-term well-being. Within you lies the power to competently weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each selection. Even if you feel incapable of making a decision, your inner wisdom and your intuitive mind will give you sound counsel if you have faith in yourself. Try to come to your own conclusions before seeking the guidance of others, and even then, treat their suggestions as supplementary information rather than votes to be tallied. Before making your choice, release your fear of wrong decisions. Perceived mistakes can lead you down wonderful and unexpected paths that expose you to life-changing insights. If you can let go of the notion that certain choices are utterly right while others are entirely wrong, you will be less tempted to invite others to take the reins of your destiny.

When your choices are your own, you will be more likely to accept and be satisfied with the outcome of those choices. Your decisions will be a pure reflection of your desires, your creativity, your awareness, and your power. Since you understand that you must live with and take responsibility for your decisions, you will likely exercise great care when coming to conclusions. As you learn to make informed and autonomous choices, you will gain the freedom to consciously direct the flow of your life without interference.

Explore today's companion course:
> A Year to Get Rich With Purpose

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Einstein, on the Meaning of Life.

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Einstein: the mindful life isn’t about Perfection, but about caring enough to strive.

“A classic, beautiful quote that I will never stop sharing.”

The below is about interdependence. About compassion. But it could be read by vegan one way, an environmentalist another. Any which way, it’s beautifully, succinctly put—a lighthouse pointing us to true contentment, and away from neverending insecurity and hunger. ~ ed.

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation, and a foundation for inner security.”

~ Albert Einstein

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Waylon Lewis | Contribution: 1,024,625

Waylon Lewis, founder of Elephant Journal & host of Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis, is a 1st generation American Buddhist “Dharma Brat.” Voted #1 in U.S. … Read full bio

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“It’s Okay to be Angry & Still be a Buddhist.” Discuss.

~ Waylon Lewis {Walk the Talk Show Podcast, Video}

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Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis presents:

“Is it okay to feel anger, from a Buddhist point of view?”

This week on our long-running “Walk the Talk Show” podcast and video series, with awards and millions of views over the years…

Waylon speaks with the Elephant community about the very real feeling that many people across the United States (and the world) are feeling: anger.

Each week Waylon and Molly, our Walk the Talk Show editor, chat about what’s going on in the world and what might be of benefit to our Readers on the next Walk the Talk Show episode. In an act of angry desperation about the state of the world, Molly sent Waylon a text at the end of a long day and said:

“I think people want some wisdom or some method to help them process the current events and (dare I say it) anger. Like, I want a podcast called: It’s Okay to be Angry & Still be a Buddhist.”

And that, friends, is where this moment of everyday wisdom came from. Waylon—heroically sallying forth despite being visibly in a pre-morning coffee state of half-being—talking about anger and if it’s “okay” to feel those feelings from a mindful perspective.

“Is it okay to be angry?

Is it okay for any of us to be angry if we’re trying to be peaceful?

If we’re trying to be loving?

The answer is that we don’t have a choice.

Anger is one of the rainbow of ordinary, normal, totally valid human emotions. Loneliness. Joy. Amusement. Empathy. These are all, hopefully, things that we feel, and are okay to feel.

It’s like a three-dimensional rainbow. We’re still gonna feel sadness, or we’re going to laugh—irrespective of what’s going on in the world.

And at the same time, what’s going on in the world will affect us and will inspire in us joy, or laughter, or sadness, or anger.” ~ Waylon H. Lewis

Any time we find ourselves angry, listen to this (big) little reminder:

“The anger we feel? Don’t try to get rid of it.

But do try to digest it, or breathe through it, or be loving and okay with it.

And then we can see: that anger is trying to inspire me to get off the couch, and to help other people.

And to resist oppression; to resist injustice.

Loneliness might be trying to inspire me to further breathe into and get to know my own heart and make friends with myself even more.

It’s a lifelong path. True joy comes from empathy, and connection, and community—and that can include connection with ourselves.”

~ Waylon H. Lewis

Can’t watch the video? Why not listen?

“Thank you. Sooo simple, yet impossible so when I don’t accept and sit with. I’ll sit today—thanks for the reminder.” ~ Mindful Elephant Listener

“Anger may arise naturally as an emotion outside of our control, but whether we choose to act upon it or not is our choice.”~ Mindful Elephant Listener

“What I am requesting is participation. Elephant has 13 million fans on social media and millions of readers, but we are only able to bring folks together around caring, fact-based conversation—people who disagree but can do so agreeably or respectfully—if you participate and right now independent media is getting killed by Facebook, etcetera.

They smother and suppress links. So when you go to elephantjournal.com, when you go to elephantjournal.com/best and get our free newsletter, when you go to elephantjournal.com/post and write something and share it—you keep independent media live, but more importantly, you keep respectful conversation, community, and caring facts alive.” ~ Waylon H. Lewis

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Simply by listening, watching, sharing…you may invest in your own life, help put a little more mindfulness into our world, and make sure we grow enough to keep doing this.

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