We want to be in open, loving communion with each other and our greatest fear is intimacy. That it won't work and we'll be rejected.

Become a witness to your thoughts.

Stories about ourselves and about the world continually arise in our minds and shape our beliefs about reality.

The muscles used to make a smile actually send a biochemical message to our nervous system that it is safe to relax the flight of freeze response.

There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.

Imagine you are walking in the woods and you see a small dog sitting by a tree. As you approach it, it suddenly lunges at you, teeth bared. You are frightened and angry. But then you notice that one of its legs is caught in a trap. Immediately your mood shifts from anger to concern: You see that the dog's aggression is coming from a place of vulnerability and pain. This applies to all of us. When we behave in hurtful ways, it is because we are caught in some kind of trap. The more we look through the eyes of wisdom at ourselves and one another, the more we cultivate a compassionate heart.

The main thing going on around intimacy is that we've developed a lot of strategies so we'll be a desirable package.