Illness sets the stage for the opening of our hearts.

Surrender is a positive, healthy state. Being a surrendered person does not mean one is beaten down and so hopeless he or she has "given up." It's quite the contrary. Surrender is a state of living in the flow, trusting what is, and being open to serendipity and surprises.

I crave the sweet surrender of sleep and my dreams' uncensored communication: no tiresome small talk, sucking up to impress, or tiptoeing around charged topics. Dreams are the naked truth; get ready for it.

Don't try to control what's outside. Be at peace with what's inside.

People who feel the need to push and control tend to keep their feelings bottled up. As a result, they get shut down or remote, and their feelings come out in twisted, unhealthy ways. They become irritable, passive-aggressive, or volatile, for example. Surrendered people make great lovers. They can be spontaneous and playful. They love to feel and express all of their emotions. They look vibrant, healthy, and energetic.

Spirituality isn't static. It's an evolving optimism that won't let hardship get the best of you.

We energetically attract what we haven't worked out in ourselves. When vampires evoke intensely judgmental reactions from us, it could be they are mirroring aspects of our personalities we don't like or completely understand.