Being fooled into trying to make things work out for 'me' is called samsara.

Part of the notion in Shambhala teachings is that everybody can live their lives so they get weaker and more stressed out as they go along, or so they get more fortitude and strength.

We want to infuse our day with good habits so that we can turn seemingly mundane situations into a ceremony of goodness.

A lot of people do their practice. They meditate on compassion. Then they yell at people afterwards. That is not quite working. One of the things I try to emphasize is contemplative meditation - bringing your thought and intention into meditation.

When stress is the basic state of mind, even good things stress us out. We have to learn to let go.

For me, language and how I use it are very important. I held back on doing a poetry book, walking the fine line between trying to be helpful and just putting more junk out there.

Ultimately, as individuals we each have to ask ourselves to be courageous and apply certain principles.