Dr. Howell’s Daily Reflections
Everyday, Dr. Howell writes a reflection, a spiritual practice, an inquiry prompt, and a prayer.
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Living Life to Its Fullest Part 3
December 15, 2024
The secret of living life to its fullness is not a “one size fits all” proposition. What brings life to its fullness for one person may be very different for someone else. We see this all around us. There are the golfers, the geeks, the nature enthusiasts, the family-oriented, the gardeners, the sportspeople, the travelers, the chefs, the teachers, the builders, the movers and shakers, the artists, and a myriad of other “Fullnesses.” But these are simply the top layers of the things that satisfy us.
Living Life to Its Fullest Part 2
December 14, 2024
For those who try to live a spiritually conscious life, living to our fullest means having a heart of love. A heart of love not only gives love but receives it. Overflowing Love reduces our pain, heals our sorrow, lowers our level of fear, and instills hope. Even in the most trying times, if we conduct ourselves in love, we face the challenge before us with confidence. Love is the greatest power. It provides courage and inoculates us against fear, anger, shame, and all the passions by connecting us to the Power within us.
Living Life to Its Fullest Part 1
December 13, 2024
We can get so distracted by the day's concerns that we lose sight of what's going right, what's lovely, and the beautiful all around us. In other words, we tend to focus on solving immediate problems or addressing the concerns of the moment, so we forget to notice the tremendous gifts right before our eyes. It can take a shock point or another sort of wake-up call to help us remember all the things going right and all the beauty in our lives. Then in gratitude, our senses embrace it.
The Path of Least Resistance Part 7
December 12, 2024
Today, we reflect on the paths of least resistance of the three centers that compose the Mind Center of Intelligence; Ego Types Eight, Nine, and One.
The Path of Least Resistance Part 6
December 11, 2024
Today, we reflect on the paths of least resistance of the three centers that compose the Mind Center of Intelligence; Ego Types Five, Six, and Seven.
The Path of Least Resistance Part 5 5
December 10, 2024
On the Enneagram, when we take the path of least resistance, we are on the road to disintegration. A conscious, healthy life requires effort, consideration of others, and realization of our context on all levels. But the unhealthy ego is dominated by the desire to complete its narrative, fend off its fears, and grant its desires. The unhealthy characteristics at the stress point seem to be the best way to meet that agenda. But they are not.
The Path of Least Resistance Part 4
December 9, 2024
In his best-selling book, Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson explains the ongoing plight of persons of color, the poor, and the disadvantaged. He vividly tells true stories of innocent black people who were convicted of crimes they never committed. Also, Stevenson describes his work life in the South when he, too, was accosted by and mistreated by law enforcement officers simply because of his color.
The Path of Least Resistance Part 3
December 8, 2024
Making a conscious choice is sometimes very personal. When someone hurts our feelings or attacks us emotionally, we can naturally get defensive. Regardless of how spiritually conscious we may be, when we are hit, our first impulse is to return the blow.
The Path of Least Resistance Part 2
December 7, 2024
Sometimes, I reflect on people who made conscious decisions that cost them dearly—for example, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai. As we know, Dr. King paid with his life, and Malala Yousafzai paid with an assassin’s bullet in her face. Countless others made conscious stands and, in so doing, risked their lives and the safety of their families. What drives them to do that? Wouldn’t it have been far easier if they had gone with the path of least resistance and never put their lives in jeopardy?
The Path of Least Resistance Part 1
December 6, 2024
Rivers and lakes do not flow just anywhere; they take the path which offers the least resistance to their waters’ weight and force. As we know, this phenomenon is why rivers meander and have tributaries and why lakes have various shapes.
Making Peace with the Past Part 7
December 5, 2024
In the Book of Genesis (1:31), after God made everything, it is written, "Then God looked over all he had made and saw that it was very good!"
Making Peace with the Past Part 6
December 4, 2024
We make peace with our pasts by giving ourselves a healthy measure of self-compassion and forgiving ourselves. However, this is not as simple as it may sound. It takes time to make peace with our regrets because we must excavate the layers of our guilt and remorse. So, in order to heal, when each memory surfaces, instead of condemning ourselves or being consumed with shame, we see ourselves as products of growth, as people who acted unconsciously, and as a human who, like all humans, falls short. After the sometimes-excruciating process of memory review, we are now in a position to ask for forgiveness from ourselves and then from God.
Making Peace with the Past Part 5
December 3, 2024
When Jesus said,” Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God” he blessed all peacemaking—even the peace we make within our souls. So, making peace with ourselves furthers the cause of peacemaking and, at the same time, God affirms us God’s children.
Making Peace with the Past Part 4
December 2, 2024
Most of us human beings share the characteristic of needing to make Peace with ourselves. We prefer closure to loose ends, and inner calm to chaos. Most favor harmony over discord. This characteristic reminds me of the child who “fesses up” to get things off their chest before going to bed and, on the other end of the spectrum, the dying person who clears their conscience before entering the next life….
Making Peace with the Past Part 3
December 1, 2024
When a person says, “I want to redeem myself” or “Let me redeem myself,” they are saying they want a clean slate—they made an error and want to make it good. This means they need to do or give something to “even the score” as it were.
Making Peace with the Past Part 2
November 30, 2024
One of the ways of making peace with the past is to ask ourselves what haunts us and why. Doing this may not be as simple as it sounds because when we invite hurtful memories into our awareness, we naturally re-experience the hurt. For example, many victims of trauma do everything they can to avoid talking about the trauma because it is excruciating to re-visit it.
Making Peace with the Past Part 1
November 29, 2024
We judge our pasts, but we were not the people we are now when we lived that past. Therefore, we tend to judge our behaviors, actions, feelings, decisions, and thoughts of the past by who we are now. Monday morning quarterbacking gives the inner critic a license to judge ourselves harshly. If we try to make peace with our past by judging and punishing ourselves, we do ourselves a disservice. We can experience shame and remorse for past instances, which can weigh heavily. We can also live in the regret that, “If only I had done such and such my life would be far better than it is now.”
Going Deeper Part 7
November 28, 2024
The grains of the selfish ego dwell deep down in the subconscious. They reside in the shadow and the pain body. They come to light only in consciousness. Only then can we consciously decide to live in those instincts or find a life somewhere else. In spiritual consciousness, we know that our soul is the “somewhere else” where we can dwell.