By losing my external things, I found myself. I found something very powerful, very permanent, that I could have with me all the time.

We're trying to fill something internal with something external. We're trying to fill something real with something illusionary.

We're like little puppies chasing our tails. We realize we're never getting what we want and then realize we need to do something a bit more profound.

I lost everything. When I was 28 years old, I lost my home, my job, my partner. I had many people die in my life. I felt like a total victim.

By losing my external things, I found myself. I found something very powerful, very permanent, that I could have with me all the time.

Initially when our foundations are rocked, when we lose our external security, we feel very fragile. In that moment, we have a choice. Am I the Phoenix and rise from the ashes or do I just keep wallowing in the ashes?

Often we don't change because we're afraid of what might happen. We cling to what we recognize, even if we are steeped in suffering.