Category Archives: happiness
You may not be invited to many parties if all you talk about are boredom, anxiety, shame, and death. Yet facing these troubling realities, directly and honestly, helps one enjoy a more exciting and fulfilling life. I’m happy to announce … Continue reading
The Steam Bath Gathering
How is it possible to feel happy and sad at the same time? Recently I tasted that bittersweetness as I walked the campus of a college I attended almost 30 years ago. The landmarks of warm memories were still there: … Continue reading
Posted in Depression, Divorce, dual nature, Facing old wounds, Failure, Fathers, forgiveness, freedom, Grief, happiness, Joy, meaningful life, Music, philosophy, recovery, shame, sobriety, spirituality, Suffering
Tagged Anger, anxiety, Beginnings, career, Change, community, Competition, discovery, Family, freedom, greeting, happiness, Love, Mystery, philosophy, Power, spirituality, stress
9 Comments
Spiritual But Not Religious
An atheist friend once caught me off-guard when she declared, “There’s a reason for everything.” It turns out she meant there is a rational, scientific explanation for everything that exists or happens, not that there is a Divine Purpose behind … Continue reading
Posted in addiction, Alcohol and drinking, Depression, freedom, happiness, Joy, Kierkegaard, meaningful life, philosophy, recovery, sobriety, Spiritual But Not Religious, spirituality, Suffering, Teun Hocks, Uncategorized
Tagged AA, addiction, anxiety, Change, discovery, freedom, Love, Mystery, philosophy, Power, recovery, spirituality, stress
2 Comments
I Dig Your Mirth
In the late 1970s I lived in a rural university town where a significant number of people were thought of as hippies. They rejected prevailing bourgeois values and led back-to-the-land lifestyles. I respected their bold, independent ways and imagined myself … Continue reading
Posted in Depression, freedom, happiness, India, Joy, meaningful life, Mirth, philosophy, recovery, Sense of Humor, sobriety, spirituality, substance abuse, Suffering, travel
Tagged anxiety, changed life, counseling, Examined Life, freedom, Generosity, happiness, Love, meaningful life, self-discovery, shame, sobriety, spirituality, stress, substance abuse, yoga
6 Comments
Your Sex Life on Porn
Once I was invited to the off-campus home of some male college students. As I approached the front door I could see through an opening in the curtain of the large picture window. The TV was on and they were … Continue reading
Posted in freedom, happiness, meaningful life, philosophy, Pornography, sexuality, sobriety, spirituality, Teun Hocks
Tagged addiction, anxiety, boredom, college students, Examined Life, freedom, happiness, Love, meaningful life, philosophy, porn, self-discovery, sexuality, shame, sobriety, spirituality
2 Comments
Recovery Talks 