Dr. Howell’s Reflections

Dr. Howell’s Reflections

Everyday, Dr. Howell writes a reflection, inquiry prompt, and a prayer.
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Application of Spiritual Wisdom Part 4

September 5, 2025

Our soul child, our essence, is possibly the most open and receptive aspect of our soul. Being receptive is essential in receiving divine wisdom. As we go around the Enneagram learning the truth of each point, when we get to point five, we reach Sacred Wisdom, which includes our being transparent to Divine Wisdom. Transparencies allow light to pass through so that objects behind can be seen. One of the characteristics of the non-egoic soul child is their unobstructed perception of the other side. They use transparency all the time. The soul child may experience veils between themselves and reality, but the veils are transparent. In full ego, the veils are thick and heavy.

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Application of Spiritual Wisdom Part 3

September 4, 2025

Our soul child, our essence, is possibly the most open and receptive aspect of our soul. Being receptive is essential in receiving divine wisdom. As we go around the Enneagram learning the truth of each point, when we get to point five, we reach Sacred Wisdom, which includes our being transparent to Divine Wisdom. Transparencies allow light to pass through so that objects behind can be seen. One of the characteristics of the non-egoic soul child is their unobstructed perception of the other side. They use transparency all the time. The soul child may experience veils between themselves and reality, but the veils are transparent. In full ego, the veils are thick and heavy.

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Application of Spiritual Wisdom Part 2

September 3, 2025

When I think I have reached a certain level of awareness, something can happen, and my reaction to it throws me back into the first grade of spiritual growth. Feeling my clay feet is not a pleasant experience, but those times remind me of my limitations and the need to keep growing. 

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Application of Spiritual Wisdom Part 1

September 2, 2025

One day last week, as I often do, I could not solve a problem on my own. And none of the solutions I collected from others seemed to feel right. What was I do? What are any of us to do when in a situation like that? I felt like a teenager who knew something about the problem, but I did not have enough divine wisdom to make the decision.

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Peace Part 7

August 31, 2025

When I was a little boy, I loved to climb trees. The higher I climbed, the better it was.

The higher in the tree I climbed, the more limber were its branches, and the more of a “ride” I could get. Not only could I see my rooftop, but I also spied all the neighbors’ roofs and yards. Up there, swaying in the tree, I was one with its branches and moved with the limbs in concert with the wind. 

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Peace Part 6

August 30, 2025

When you are not peaceful, do you operate at your best? Probably not. Research shows that our thinking becomes less sharp when we are disturbed, preoccupied, or weighed down by fears, worries, and anxieties. A small amount of anxiety can heighten alertness, but when peace is fundamentally lost, our ability to process information drops and our reaction time increases.

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Peace Part 5

August 29, 2025

Over the many years of treating wonderful people who have anxiety disorders, I found that by far, their anxiety was significantly reduced when they felt an overwhelming amount of love and self-confidence. We are scared and anxious when we feel we do not have the resources to meet our challenges. We think we will be a failure, unworthy, or be made a fool of, taken advantage of, criticized, or “fired.” Or we may feel that we will have a huge loss we cannot cope with, or a massive change in our lives we are unprepared to make. But most of all, we do not feel loved the way we need to feel it or love ourselves the way we need to. This collapses our self-worth and belief in ourselves. 

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Peace Part 1

August 25, 2025

Peace is a precious commodity. Our minds, bodies, and hearts long for it. Our souls hunger for peace. Common expressions like, “having peace of mind,” “rest in peace,” “making peace,” “inner peace,” “or forever keep your peace,” and “disturbing the peace” reflect the importance of peace in our culture and daily life. 

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Our Private Thoughts Part 7

August 24, 2025

Some of our most private thoughts are about our losses—those behind us, those unfolding now, and those we fear may come. Reflecting on them can stir a reverie of cherished memories, or it can awaken the quiet ache of grief. Often, both arrive together. For many of us, loss is a mingling of sorrow and sweetness, gratitude, and longing.

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Our Private Thoughts Part 6

August 23, 2025

Many of our private thoughts revolve around regret—the would’ve, could’ve, and should’ve of our past. These moments, now frozen in time, often feel irretrievable. And yet, they still trouble us. Do your regrets ever rise to the surface and unsettle you?

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Our Private Thoughts Part 5

August 22, 2025

Some of our private thoughts are pure fantasy. We imagine lives different from our own. Perhaps we see ourselves in a paradise, surrounded by people we would never encounter in reality. Maybe we fantasize about having abilities we don’t possess or achieving things we haven’t yet accomplished. We might picture ourselves as heroes—or on the other hand, doing things we’d be judged for in the real world.

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Our Private Thoughts Part 4

August 21, 2025

Sometimes our private thoughts are actually lies we tell ourselves. Psychologist Albert Ellis called these lies irrational thoughts. He authored books including A Guide to Rational Living and How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything… Yes ANYTHING. Ellis says when we believe an irrational thought, we cause much undeserved suffering for ourselves and others. 

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