The new Avengers film was just released this weekend and has been setting box office records in the US and across the world. Which isn't unusual or unexpected. Superhero movies are consistently among the top grossing films in cinematic history.

Out of all the genres of movies, I think there's a reason that superhero films resonate so widely, with people of every age, gender, and background: they subtly remind us of our own heroic quest.

Each of us is on a journey, one with ups and downs, but always where we…

This past weekend, I went with some friends to see the Dalai Lama speak in Long Beach.



Outside the Long Beach Convention Center was a small group of protesters railing against the Dalai Lama, claiming he is a hypocrite for simultaneously preaching compassion while eating meat. The protestors were all vegetarian (possibly vegan, it wasn't clear) and are upset that the Dalai Lama isn't.

They feel it's impossible for someone to be compassionate while killing animals for food. More than that, was the way that they protested. Not only did they have the usual litany of signs but they also had a bullhorn connected to a portable speaker through which a couple of them took turns angrily shouting and denouncing His Holiness as…

New research sheds light on one of the most commonly repeated phrases in our culture: people don't really ever change. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. A leopard doesn't change its spots. The more things change, the more they remain the same.



We all encountered numerous examples of this. People who claim they've changed but really haven't. Or tell us it's going to be different this time but it isn't. And of course, looking at ourselves, it often feels like we don't change enough--certainly not very quickly. Many of us are still dealing with the same problems and internal issues we've had for years--or even our entire lives.



On the other hand, the entire concept of the spiritual path is predicated on the ability to change and evolve. If change isn't really possible, whether through greater understanding, experience, or practice, than the entire concept of personal and…

While few of us enjoy feeling stressed, you might have told yourself that it's not big deal, you can handle it. Or maybe you've convinced yourself that although it'smaking you unhappy, there's no real consequence to stress other than a little personal discomfort. You can handle it. Maybe you even think that people who care about stress are too weak, soft, or self-centered.

Of course, scientists have known for decades now that being under significant stress negatively impacts us in so many ways. Some brand-new research digs even more deeply into this. It turns out feeling stressed negatively impacts our decision making…