I spend my days fulfilling my responsibilities -- to family, job, etc. I know I should find time to slow down, to meditate, but this stressed life seems to be what I was brought up to live! I'm trying to be a good person, but these responsibilities are weighing me down. How do we release ourselves from the idea that we own these energy-draining responsibilities in the first place? And then how...

Why did God, in his infinite wisdom, create a situation for humankind that would allow for so much pain and suffering? There seems to be so much wrong and dark today...how can the Divine be behind such things? What are we to do with what life brings to us -- that we are sure just isn't "right" -- especially when we can look out and see so many horrible things taking place on our planet? Someti...

Is the Work basically about seeing the negative and ignoring it? What if a co-worker is a "constant relentless" negative person that looks to fault you (and most others) every single minute he can without any sign of ever slowing down to anything I have thus tried already? Is it okay to inflict physical pain on someone if attacked? Finally, is it okay to feel good about yourself and feel power...

Recently I have been wondering about how painful it is to be identified with things (people, intentions, etc) and whether it's possible to actually separate what I give my attention to and what I want from that "act?" Can attention and identification actually be separate? (From student correspondence)...

I find that my body often responds to an event or situation before I have a choice of how to react in the moment. It is as if there is a type of memory at a cellular level that "remembers" fearful or stressful past events and responds for me, to my own detriment. Any insight you could offer would be appreciated. (From student correspondence)...

I am listening to one of your tapes on the freedoms we don't have when we want to say things to people. It came across to me that I don't say what's on my mind at times. But when I'm annoyed or sometimes tired, I say what's on my mind without any hesitation! (Student correspondence, 2/19/07)...

I am holding a self-image of wanting to see myself as lovable. I also fight against the painful self-image of being unlovable. Both of these images seem so fundamental to my experience. Any comments? How can we maintain after an epiphany or mountain top experience? Nothing seems to fade faster than inspiration in the face of the mundane. Is there really the ability to heal oneself from majo...

I am having a difficult time getting re-entering the job market. I can't shake the fear that either I won't be well received or that I will make the wrong choice of jobs. There is a person I find myself avoiding in town, at the market and at social gatherings. This fear I have feels ridiculous. How can I stop it?...

Why do I feel the need to impress certain people I meet? I often find myself consumed with resentment toward other people, and it ruins my day. Is there a way to stop feeling this way?...

You say not to deny fear or fight it or agree with it. Please explain. What do you mean by "walk through fear"? Can you explain what it means to be identified, and how it keeps us from seeing what is true? After certain negative events take place, I think I'll regain my peace of mind if I just "get even." How do I free myself from being overcome by such troubling thoughts? I still seem to get...

What can I do to stop living in the past? My main goal in life is to be as happy as possible. What would be the one thing I could do over and over again every day to achieve this goal? I think I'm in love with by "chatter-brain." When I do come awake to the present moment, thought does stop. It's extraordinary, but before I know it, I'm jabbering on again. My noisy mind must be what I pref...

Can you help shed some light on why we are here in this life? In conversations with others, I find myself insisting on being "right." Why should I care so much that my ideas about life are understood by everyone? Could you give some insight into loneliness and how to abolish it? Without reverting to their lower level, how do you get people to stop making their hurtful, cut-down remarks? How do...