With generosity as the default, readers should have to choose to “withdraw” claps — When I logged onto Medium this morning, one of the first articles I saw was Tony Stubblebine’s announcement of the new feature: Boost with a capital B. (Cue the slew of articles by authors announcing that they’ve had one or more of their articles boosted.) I appreciate the efforts that…

There’s a way out of feeling like you’re still not fully realized. — The “Stuck” Seeker One of the most poignant parts of the spiritual path is when you reach the point where you feel stuck. The kind of stuck that says you’re never going to be fully realized. The kind of stuck that is so sticky that it feels like a thick resin you can’t…

If you’re experiencing these shifts, you’re evolving spiritually — When you’re on a spiritual path, you’re evolving in profound ways. Your understanding of reality is undergoing a transformation. The shifts you experience go beyond the kinds of changes that dominate self-help and personal development advice, like forming new habits, creating healthy morning routines, or prioritizing tasks differently, even if…

Most are tales of disaster, with one glorious exception — One of my favorite movie lines of all time is from Mean Girls, when Damian dishes on Gretchen Weiner: “That’s why her hair is so big. It’s full of secrets.” I’ve never had big hair. I’ve tried. Really, I have. My hair isn’t full of secrets, but it is full…

Even fleeting encounters remind us of our shared humanity — As the gurney rolled by, I felt a ping of excitement that I would get to see again the patient dealing with liver failure. I volunteer in a palliative care unit and had spoken with him the week before. Our conversation meandered, switching between English and Spanish, sometimes mid-sentence, but…

It will teach you to let go of your need for appreciation — Desperate for claps? Checking your stats to see how many people read? Hoping for comments telling you that you’re a great writer? I come across lots of articles on this site talking about how their numbers are down or Medium isn’t what it used to be. They might lodge complaints…

You may be missing the point of awakening — My First Conflict with Spiritual Conservatism “We need to retape the show,” said the podcast host on the phone. “Oh no!” I replied. “Why? Did something happen with the recording?” I had just finished taping an hour-long podcast, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The format felt natural, the host and I connected easily and didn’t interrupt each…

Is this the year we hold people accountable for fraud and mendacity? — Another day, another revelation of a lie that George Santos has told. The breadth of his lies — which cover his education, religion, work history, property ownership, charity work, and mother’s death — is astonishing. It’s also symbolic of this moment in political history. Mendacity has been a mainstay of…

A brief reflection on the meaning of the Christ — It’s Christmas Eve, and I have a confession: I love Jesus. Few people know this about me because I don’t identify as a Christian, and I don’t often speak of Jesus. I rarely share my affection for this figure with others, largely because most modern-day depictions do not resemble what…