Dr. Howell’s Daily Reflections
Everyday, Dr. Howell writes a reflection, a spiritual practice, an inquiry prompt, and a prayer.
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Make peace with your ego and discover your true path today. The path to wholeness starts now!
Rocks
January 28, 2024
Everywhere we go, there are rocks, and in most places, small rocks are free for the taking. Rocks and stones make great souvenirs. I have been collecting them since childhood. So, in my office, there are a lot of small rocks on desktops and bookshelves, each reminding me of where I found it.
The Phenomenal
January 25, 2024
There are only four sources of our suffering — other people, ourselves, God, and circumstances. Other people can be our primary cause of suffering when they don’t do what we want them to do. We suffer when we make mistakes, harming ourselves and others. God causes our suffering when we blame God for whatever may go wrong. Finally, adverse circumstances cause suffering.
The Phenomenal
January 24, 2024
Something phenomenal must have occurred for Jesus to be considered the son of God. Maybe it was his miracles that made people believe in him. However, one thing is sure: people were so profoundly affected by and believed in what he did and said that many were willing to die for their beliefs. Christ’s ministry so transformed the eyewitness believers that his ministry continues today.
The Phenomenal
January 23, 2024
Heartfulness meditation begins by sitting in a comfortable position and then relaxing the body. Relaxation is vital because tensions indicate a disturbance on some level that can distract us during meditation. So, loosening the tightness in our body overrides potential distractions. Once relaxed, the body is a vehicle in which we enter a new state of consciousness.
The Phenomenal
January 22, 2024
It is phenomenal that we can live rich and exciting lives. Of course, we all have troubles; these are part and parcel of life. However, none of us are doomed to live dull, boring, unsatisfying, or monotonous existences. When we live "the spiritual life," as Henri Nouwen calls it, we are on an exciting journey, but what makes it so?
The Phenomenal
January 21, 2024
My English grandparents had died by the time I had kids of my own. Several of my aunts and uncles had also passed away. So, the English family I knew as a child was fading away. But in my thirties, Lark and I went to England with some dear friends. Beforehand, I phoned my English cousin David, with whom I had shared beautiful times when we were kids. We hadn't seen each other since I was fifteen years old.
The Phenomenal
January 20, 2024
On our journey into wholeness, we encounter the phenomenal every time we enter a higher stage of consciousness. Everything appears in a different light when we exit one stage to live in the next level. We have all experienced leaving and entering new stages at different maturity levels or when we encounter life-altering shock points.
The Phenomenal
January 19, 2024
In the spiritual life, we continually encounter the phenomenal, those profoundly extraordinary, and uniquely outstanding people, events, and stories that shape our souls. The remarkable is sometimes the starting point for our spiritual journey; we unexpectedly encounter someone who guides and strengthens us like no one else, or we suddenly come upon and experience that which opens up a whole new world and transforms us.
Learning
January 18, 2024
Ego Type Eights' way to learn spiritually is to be weak. A person covered in armor and poised for fighting doesn't typically rely on spiritual development as a first-line approach. For them, weakness is a liability. However, when an Eight faces their weakness, they become conscious of their inborn compassion and humility. Fortunately, defeat and weakness are the only things that help the Eight to see themselves in a true light: they are just like everyone else — they have strengths and weaknesses.
Learning
January 17, 2024
Ego Type Ones learn spiritually by seeing themselves as works in progress instead of as being right and perfect. They switch to seeing themselves as works in progress by returning to their essence of hopefulness and optimism. Unchecked Ego Type Ones cannot learn spiritually if they think they are already perfect. When we monitor others to ensure they are doing the right thing, it is difficult to focus on our own liabilities.
Learning
January 16, 2024
Ego Type Nines optimize their spiritual learning by first believing in their preciousness instead of debasing themselves. With healthy self-love, they come into their own with a voice that helps them interact with others instead of blending in with them to avoid conflict. Their healthy self-worth spurs curiosity, self-respect, interaction, inquiry, and exchange of information and experiences.
Learning
January 15, 2024
The ego is a part of our entire being; therefore, though it is a mental structure, it is part of our wholeness and complete soul. Some of our most tremendous suffering is caused by the ego, which wants to override our higher self to move us through the world in the way it seems is best for us. However, the ego's way is not the best because, as a mental structure, it cannot achieve the peace and soul satisfaction we seek.
Learning
January 14, 2024
We learn from our body’s messages that alert us and help us understand our needs, fears, and desires. When we are hungry, it lets us know by a growling stomach. If we are sick, it gives us fever and pain. When we are scared, it gives us goose pimples or raises the hairs on the backs of our necks. When we are desirous of affection, our body reaches out for touch.
Learning
January 13, 2024
You may have heard or said the expression, "I know it by heart." Like a poem, piece of music, or a recipe, we do not require a book, teacher, or written recipe, because we know that thing by heart. It is deeply within us and occupies a place in our hearts because our hearts receive that information and keep it.
Learning
January 12, 2024
Spiritual learning does not depend on our Intelligence Quotient. Being cognitively adept at perceiving, synthesizing, storing, and utilizing information is a wonderful capacity without which the world would not have advanced in medicine, technology, and all the integral fields that depend on cognitive ability. Yet, we cannot rely solely on our intellects.
