“Economic hardship: Yes, very bad, not death. Emotional stress from being locked in a house: Very bad, not death. Domestic violence on the increase: Very bad, not death. And not death of someone else,” Governor Cuomo.

The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, said the economic devastation is ‘not worse than death’.

I beg to differ, strongly. This virus is not worse than domestic violence, abuse, desolation, and ongoing emotional stress. But:

Who am I, or who is anyone to decide which sacrifice is justifiable?

His statement is wrong in two ways:

1. The virus is deadly

(99%-99.9% of people that get infected with the virus survive, although the numbers are so skewed, nobody really knows...)

The public is suffering from anxiety, fear, and worry about this virus because they have been convinced that this is a very deadly virus and we should do everything we can to prevent the spread of infection. First, we were told to stay home and social distance in...

PART 2: How to deal with life’s Challenges

When you think about your future or even just tomorrow, are you excited? Are you in joyful anticipation and can’t wait to have more amazing experiences?

Or…….

Are you dreading another day, worrying about what’s around the corner or at least cautious, afraid to be disappointed if you expect good things to come?

If you are the cautious type, and you think wearing rose-colored glasses is just irresponsible and unrealistic, you need to know this:

• You get what you expect
• What you believe is what you’ll see
• You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by maintaining a focus on the positive
• Your life is your responsibility, take it!

This four-part blog series is about how to create a better life, free from feeling overwhelmed by worry, anxiety and stress.

So many people are saying how tired and stressed they are.

It’s a huge concern that so many of our children are struggling with anxiety,...

Living a healthy, happy life is an art, a balancing act. It also requires practice. The new year is a good time to evaluate and make resolutions. But in fact, anytime is a good time for evaluating where we are at with our life. What do you want to practice this year?

What if we could let go of our burdens instead of having resolutions?

Time for a check on our resolutions, if you have any to begin with. Often resolutions don’t work very well, and they are just a set up for failure. Maybe it is too hard to get a clean fresh start because we drag our burdens of the past with us into the new year.

A week ago I went to the monthly guided meditation and dhamma talk by Ajahn Sona. He comes to Kamloops every month from the Birken Monastery to enlighten us with his wisdom. This time, he talked about serenity and peace, and renunciation. Freeing yourself from burdens is a liberating act. Especially at the beginning of a new year, it can give you a fresh start.

To 'renounce,' in...