“Nature is my teacher.” The Native American teachings rely on observation of Nature—listening to the stories whispered by of the natural world. The outer world reflects our inner world. When I have been in intense times of emotional and spiritual discomfort (depressed, burned out), I look to change everything around me. Start exercising. Change jobs. …Read More
Category: Journal
Inoculative Expressions – watch my interview
Larnell Cross interviews slices of life in the art world outside the mainstream in his home town of Miami, Florida. His online talk show highlights diverse music, poetry, storytelling, dance and art. I met him in South Miami when I was performing my 90-minute storytelling show, “Legacy of Love,” at Tea & Poets. We sat …Read More
Munchausen Syndrome
The saddest diseases that I have encountered in my medical career are those of the mind. Lori (not her real name) came into the hospital with persistent fevers. She had multiple admissions. Blood cultures were positive for multiple types of bacteria. Where was this infection coming from? She improved on broad spectrum antibiotics that covered …Read More
The Most Dangerous Animal in Yosemite
Yosemite National Park in California is a spectacular valley of natural wonder and wildlife. First protected in 1864, the nearly 1,200 square miles are covered with waterfalls, deep valleys, ancient sequoias, and vast wilderness. With black bears, coyotes, bobcats, and big horn sheep, the park is full of wildlife. However, according to a ranger when …Read More
Organ Donor, Organ Harvest
In medical school, I had the opportunity to observe a “Harvest.” I had observed many surgical operations, but never this procedure. The young man had been in a motorcycle accident, and the tests showed that he was brain-dead. He was an organ donor, his family consented, and now an organ harvest was scheduled. I walked …Read More
David Steindl-Rast: Anatomy of Gratitude
“Gratitude … secures the kind of joy that us human beings look for. I always say joy is the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens. And, usually, we have the idea, well, when something nice happens, then I’m happy, and when something bad happens, of course I’m unhappy. Well, you can be unhappy, and …Read More
Speaking in Praise – the Song of a Friend
“A friend is someone who knows your song, and sings it back to you when you forget.” ~ adapted from an anonymous quote My friend, R. Sunde, is an inspiring role model that I met at Toastmasters, the organization I joined nearly a decade ago to improve my public speaking skills. Sunde is full of …Read More
Silly Things – The Importance of Play
“Friends don’t let friends do silly things alone.” ~ from BlueMountain e-card To all my friends out there that get silly with me, you know who you are. Thank you! I’m looking forward to a New Year of more fun, more silliness, more play. As a child, I remember the day that I decided to grow …Read More
New Year’s Intention – What the world needs
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ― Howard Thurman. What makes you come alive? What inspires you? What fills you with spirit? To come alive is to live a spiritual life. To come alive is …Read More
Connecting to God through Nature
As I hiked up the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Machu Picchu, the backpack full of snacks and clothes got heavier and heavier. My shoulders ached. I started to eat the snacks, just to lighten the load. Oranges seemed like a good idea at the start of this trip, but now they just felt …Read More