One of the things I love about living in the mountains of Western North Carolina is that as soon as the weather warms up, nature explodes everywhere, turning things colorful and expansive, and awakening the drive to get out, to release the stagnation of the winter months. As I work in my backyard, tending to the flowers and removing dry…
Author: Yol Swan
5 Fundamental Tools For Happiness
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What would make me happy?” you’ve likely found different answers to this question at different times. Most people think happiness relies on close relationships, financial security, and a sense of purpose. After all, you could say that life revolves around love and work, since these give our life meaning. But only if they help us…
Are You a True Spiritual Seeker?
I’ve been working on my next book, which is about developing emotional and spiritual freedom, and the more I delve into it, the more it seems to revolve around the following dichotomy: For an ordinary person, life is about social validation and material success. For a spiritual seeker, it’s about finding inner peace and true freedom. How do you effect…
Why You Need Solitude For Spiritual Growth
You spend your life invested in other people. Whether it’s through work, family, partnerships, friendships, or the external world you let in with news, TV or radio shows, and other forms of engagement, your attention and energy are mostly focused outside of you. Furthermore, you carry the world you’ve internalized as the aspect of ego I call your ‘sense of…
Is Your Ego-Mind Gaslighting You?
We live in the world of appearances. This has become painfully obvious when we hear politicians and the mass media talk about ‘fake news’ in an attempt to manipulate and confuse us. Granted, some news may be fabricated, but the overall purpose seems to be erasing all critical thinking to impose a particular agenda. This is known as gaslighting, which…
What Hides Behind Your Anxiety About Money?
Life is abundant. Nature is abundant. Love is abundant. You’ve heard this before: ‘wealth is your birthright.’ But more than a right, I’d say it’s your nature. I’m not implying everyone should be a millionaire; I’m referring to the bounty of your soul, the mystery within you that shapes everything you see, touch, feel, think, desire, and create. However, this…
How To Remain Confident In Spite of Criticism
Nobody likes to be criticized; it usually triggers memories and feelings of unworthiness or lack of love from childhood. Back then you didn’t have much control or a voice, and the adults in your life had most, if not all the power over you. This became what I’ve coined your ‘sense of otherness‘—the inner bully that traps you in a…