Recently a friend asked me whether I believe that we are born to love. We were listening to Jewel singing “Satisfied” at the time and these are the lyrics that sparked the question: “We were born to love. Did you say it? Did you mean it? Did you lay it all on the line?” My response was that I believe in the whole message rather than only the first sentence.

“We were born to love” gets thrown around so much today and has become so misinterpreted. Society portrays love as Hollywood romance and Disney family relationships, when one of the keys to love is truth. If you love someone there should be no reservation to telling them how you feel, even if it sometimes hurts them. After all, love is a knowing: it is a feeling deep inside that you can’t put into words. I go so far as to say that it is your own creation as you choose to love and only you know how it feels, and so only you can change it. We are so afraid of losing that feeling; many of us love the whole idea of love because of that feeling. Yet that is the one thing that no one can take away. We may lose the object of our love but there is nothing in our way from re-creating that feeling with someone else. Letting go should be easy and does not mean that we love the other any less. Love is not always enough to justify staying in a relationship. (continue reading…)

My last intimate relationship had 95% of what I am looking for. We love each other dearly, we are truthful with each other, we have fun together and there is a strong attraction but there is something missing. We both know what it is and its nature means it cannot be overcome without drastic change on both sides.

I believe that 100% perfect relationships exist. You see evidence of it around you: couples who have spent a lifetime together who still enjoy making love to each other, doing things together and talking things through truthfully, as much as it may sometimes hurt. I’ve seen it; I know it exists and I know that I can have it.

But surely 95% is enough? Am I being idealist or greedy? (continue reading…)

I love the stage. I’m on one given any opportunity. I’ve been acting since standard 5 (grade 7). In fact, my friends tell me I’m always on stage but they exaggerate. I’m not that dramatic.

One of the things that draws me to performing is the adrenalin rush. Standing backstage as the opening music begins to play, the audience settles down to silence and the lights dim, my heart races, my pores become damp (I know – it’s beautiful), and I can’t stand still. My words and dance moves are racing through my head as I calm my ego down by telling it that I’ve done it before and I have fun regardless of whether I commit a boo-boo. I have been known to exit stage left when the rest of the company waits for me to start the next introduction. (continue reading…)

We all do it. We convince ourselves that what we have is fine and so there is no reason to pursue anything else, even though we dream of something else. We keep those dreams locked away in the confines of our imagination and sell ourselves the comforting thought of mediocrity. Mediocrity keeps us safe and allows us the pleasure of not having to strive for anything nor to stand out in the crowd.

How many of you have filled a romantic void with someone who is “sweet and lovable but definitely not for the long term”? Do you relate to going to movies with friends who you didn’t really want to see because the other option was to stay at home alone? Perhaps you play a sport you don’t really enjoy because the team needs you? (continue reading…)

There is a lot of literature out there promoting a journey “back to spirit” and getting “back to soul”. The irony of this journey is that this isn’t a journey at all. Spirit or soul is the very essence of who we are. We are of it and we are it. Soul is right here and just is.

So what is the meaning of life then? Soul has chosen a physical experience. It has created all that is in order to experience it or, more accurately, in order for it to experience itself. Let me explain. In the beginning there had to be something because nothing can be created from nothing, right? I think all belief systems agree there. This something was all that existed so it could not experience itself because it had nothing to experience itself with. So, in order to see its reflection it needed to create a mirror. I believe this still ties in with science, quantum physics and most religion. (continue reading…)