Question: It does indeed appear that something conspires to help me discover the way out of useless suffering. It is encouraging whenever a sudden awareness sheds new light on old pain. Right then and there, I can't know where I'll arrive at any imagined destiny, but then there's a knowing that I don't really need to live beyond these present small glimpses. I fancy that freedom is stashed all around me...

Question: I am troubled by something I read in The Secret of Letting Go. I do understand and agree with your point that a fancy job title accompanied your life seems to lack meaning. However, the "rules" of this modern era state that being passive and letting life come to you leaves you vulnerable to missing out on the opportunities. In other words, being proactive prevails while passivity...

Question: I am 61-years old. I have been smoking crack for 12 years and I have lost everything. I was a millionaire at one time, but now I have no home, no family, and no money. How can I start believing in myself again?

Question: I would like a few helpful insights as to how I should handle (spiritually) my son's divorce. I'm a 66-year-old woman and he may have to live with me for a while. The whole situation is very stressful, and I worry about being able to hold up under it.

Question: I feel I have been on this path forever, but my life has not improved externally. I am very alone, have very little income, and I cannot see how to improve things. I hear what you say about not running away from the pain, not looking for something else to replace it, and I am so much better at being present than I ever was... only I am not experiencing anything like the success I dreamed of.

Question: What if a co-worker is a constant relentlessly negative person that looks to fault you (and most others) every single minute he can? He never shows signs of slowing down -- no matter what I have tried already.

Question: I am a mother with a difficult 16-year-old. I have read The Secret of Letting Go and many other books. I have met with professionals and still I keep on having to deal with difficult situations. I really don't feel letting go is the right thing at this time because I can't run away from my kid... I need to be present to have her consider her choices and their consequences. It's my responsibility towards her...

Question: How do I get past my frustration with other speakers when they ask Guy questions? I see myself judging them terribly for all of the pauses and the "ums" and for not being able to get to the point.

Question: What about children? For example, my child is being disrespectful. I can clearly see that I am resisting and insisting that the child be other than what he is in that moment. I also see that I'm identified with something. I unconsciously want to be the mother of a delightfully flawless little angel. I do realize that that's nuts. But how do I carry out my duties as a mother without resisting bad behavior and insisting on good behavior from a young child?

Question: Childhood experiences -- with all the dramas -- seem to set up a blueprint for the rest of our lives. The same issues seem to keep repeating over and over. How do we break away from these patterns? I keep blaming my parents for forming my personality, and I (in turn) blame myself for my children's personalities. How do we get out of this hell?

Question: One of the things I would really like to get better at in my practice is compassion, particularly with my spouse. She is not into what I'm into, but I want to be aware that I am just as helpless as she is. I want to be conscious of that, and I just want to be compassionate.

Question: I have been through hell, and what's kept me going is the inner knowing I have that there is another way of being. It's been challenging in the last few years to discuss this with others who judge that I am attracting and/or creating the pain and trauma. I sat with that belief for a long time, hoping to find my way through by seeing where I was "mis-creating." What I found was that...