Thoughts are like clouds in the sky which spontaneously arise and pass away as atmospheric conditions change. Experimenting with mindfulness reveals that thoughts do not last— nor do they define who we are in terms of true nature, signature strengths, highest values, and full potential. Thoughts lose their power to carry us into cyclones of suffering when we observe and investigate them rather than claim them as part of our story of who we are.

Our minds generate perceptions, judgments, memories, fears, and interpretations—many of which are distorted or conditioned by past experiences and trauma. A trained mind recognizes that thoughts, like impermanent clouds, do not have roots anchored to the ground of being. By treating thoughts as appearances in awareness—not truths—we cultivate wisdom and freedom from automatic reactivity.

The “bread of life” provides nourishment of body, mind, heart, and soul in the way we mindfully eat, breathe, and connect with compassion, peace, and equanimity in the present moment. Awareness is the sourdough starter which transforms the ordinary into the sacred. Like starter maintenance, paying deliberate daily attention to our attention is essential.

When mindful compassion is our food, we never hunger for meaning.

True freedom, peace, and self-compassion begins the moment you stop blaming others for how you feel. When you take ownership of your emotions and feelings, you reclaim the last human freedom to chose your response based on your signature strengths and highest values.

No one can make you feel unloved or worthless without your consent. By taking responsibility for your feelings, you transform pain into power, reaction into reflection, and every challenge into an opportunity to grow wiser and more compassionate.