Boodaism

I love walking through automatic doors, then right before they open raising my hands and pretending I’m opening them with special powers. Isn’t that fun? Isn’t it fun to pretend like you’re in control?  We go through life thinking that we are in the drivers seat, thinking we are in control and that everything happens because […] The post Are You Really In Control of Your Life? appeared first on Boodaism.

We often set goals when we are not genuinely inspired to do something. Isn’t that interesting? To me, this statement says everything I need to know about how goal setting can be counter-productive to productivity. Goals need to exist when we’re forcing ourselves to do something we resist. If a goal is created for the purpose of motivating […] The post A Goal Is Something You Don’t Want To Do appeared first on Boodaism.

It was just past midnight on the Greek island of Naxos when I awoke to bits of sand hitting my face and cold air blowing in off the Aegean Sea. I quickly sat up, looked around and began to panic. The thing I had been afraid of this entire trip had just happened. That night I had […] The post The Most Frustrating and Beautiful Day of My Life appeared first on Boodaism.

How do you know when it’s the right time to break up with someone? The confusion around this question has caused me lots of frustration. As a single guy, it stopped me from really loving someone deeply, because I was afraid of getting stuck. In relationships, my uncertainty led to anxiety about how to deal with times […] The post On Breaking Up appeared first on Boodaism.

Why am I not succeeding? For many years, this question was the launching point of my work as a life-coach, and I had a great answer to it. You don’t want it bad enough. It was a fun moment. I would launch into an inspirational speech and say things like… If you wanted it bad enough you’d […] The post You Don’t Want It Bad Enough, and That’s Okay appeared first on Boodaism.

Hi. My name is Dave, and I’m a scale-a-holic. I can’t stop optimizing. The funny thing is, I never thought it was a problem, because everyone I know does it too. Who doesn’t love efficiency, right? Read a book in five hours instead of ten? Sign me up. Brush my teeth in 30 seconds instead of 2 minutes with the […] The post 4 Habits of Highly Effective People Who Are Never Satisfied appeared first on Boodaism.

What makes a great speaker? What is the difference between someone who is so compelling they easily hold your attention, and someone who is so boring that it’s a fight to keep your mind from wandering? It’s not their body language, it’s not how much they know and it’s not their charisma. It’s something we all do without realizing […] The post How To Touch Someone’s Heart appeared first on Boodaism.

I didn’t want to write this article. I wanted to write something like “how to throw caution to the wind and make art that scares you”. The problem is I’ve already written that. Many times. There is an equally valid perspective about how great art gets made, and it’s not sexy. It starts with two words. […] The post The Benefits of Comfort and Security for a Creative Life appeared first on Boodaism.

I often meet people who hear discoveries about life and instantly compare them to teachers, religions or philosophies they are familiar with. They are like an encyclopedia of theories, and everything can be referenced in the library of their memory. They will say things like “that sounds like Zen” or “that’s what Eckhart Tolle is saying” […] The post An Encyclopedia Contains No Wisdom appeared first on Boodaism.

I’d like to share some good news. You are not loved. You are not safe. You are not whole. You are not successful. You are not enough. You are not worthy. When we affirm ourselves, we are playing into the agenda of our ego. We are shoring up the walls that hold our identity in tact. […] The post All Affirmations Are False appeared first on Boodaism.

“You shouldn’t be teaching” This weekend I got a curious piece of feedback. A woman, who has been teaching and facilitating a lot longer than Paula and I, said we shouldn’t be teaching. She wanted me to know that we don’t have the experience necessary to be teaching or leading events and that my “relationship clearly needs work”. […] The post The Audacity of Giving Yourself Permission appeared first on Boodaism.

I’ve decided to do my best today, even if my best sucks. I’m behind on my projects, not feeling creative, and everything I write I’m throwing in the trash, but you know what? I’m going to do my best, and know that whatever happens, it was the best I could do. Some days what I […] The post Doing Your Best, Even When It Sucks appeared first on Boodaism.

I’m going to make a bold, over-generalized statement to get your attention that only someone as privileged as me can make about making art. You should never make art for the money. In today’s society with the abundance that we often take for granted, we sacrifice our art too early and too often. I’m not saying don’t […] The post On Art and Making Money appeared first on Boodaism.

You have to be willing to get your heart broken to fall in love. If romance is a tree, the relationships we want are at the end of the branches, where you might fall, because it’s not safe. If life is like a carnival, love is the scariest ride. It has a line of eager […] The post Love Is Either A Daring Adventure or Nothing At All appeared first on Boodaism.

This week, my wife Paula and I are doing something that means we are either extravagantly rich or about to get divorced. We are staying in separate rooms, in the same hotel. But here’s the thing. We’re not extravagantly rich, I don’t snore (much) and lately we’ve been more in love than ever. We learned two things […] The post The Joy of Missing My Wife appeared first on Boodaism.

When the earthquake happened, Paula and I were eating at a local restaurant in Pokhara, Nepal. There was some confusion, some scurrying and some laughter. It seems as if being in an earthquake is like being tickled. A little can be fun, but too much and we begin to panic. That’s why it seemed strange when […] The post On Earthquakes and Feeling Helpless appeared first on Boodaism.

I just celebrated something that most people would think is silly. I’m at a restaurant with internet that works and an outlet that has power to charge my laptop. This is a great moment (I’m not kidding). I’m in Pokhara Nepal, which is not a modern city by western standards. The other day I went to three different restaurants […] The post The Real Difference Between Traveling and Vacationing appeared first on Boodaism.

What determines a person’s value? Is it their net worth? Is it their social status? Is it their influence? Is it their ability to bring you business? Is it how many celebrities they know? In my life, all these have been true. I value people for what they can do for me. It’s shallow, it’s […] The post The Commodification of People appeared first on Boodaism.

Personalities wouldn’t exist if we gave ourselves permission to be authentic in every moment. Personality tests and labeling can be helpful sometimes, so this isn’t a pitch to totally eliminate them. Instead, I’m inviting us to consider how we use them as a way to avoid fear. Let’s say I’m in a group of friends and […] The post Personality as a Substitute for Courage appeared first on Boodaism.

The most counter-intuitive thing I discovered in this journey was that the freedom I was seeking was only found through being 100% in. The post The Peculiar Reason Men (and Women) Are Afraid Of Deep Relationships appeared first on Boodaism.