For me, the more I don't foolishly waste my life wishing for a better past the more free I am today to create, grow, and love.

Many people live in a self-imposed prison and don't even know it.

One of the most liberating personal discoveries I have made is the knowledge that whenever I am upset, there is another way of looking at any situation, person, or condition.

How important is it really that you feel satisfied right now for 2 minutes, compared to getting yourself free from addiction forever?

When we combine acceptance with self-responsibility we can then see that whenever we are in a painful or disturbing situation we have two choices: We can work compassionately to bring something positive to the situation or leave. However, the key is the mental stance that we make the choice from, and thus the first step is always accepting the moment without resistance.

I trust that no loving thought goes unnoticed, even when I do not see immediate gratitude or behavior changes in the other person.

For years I was so busy building walls I did not see I was imprisoning myself behind them, and did not recognize this pattern as being addiction. My addictive thinking and behavior became the bars of my cell. Denying feeling empty inside, I constantly looked for new things to acquire, people to be around, substances to take, and new goals to achieve in order to feel better about myself. Over the last four decades I have focused on healing my addictive mind and helping others do the same.