Spiritual growth

Possessiveness: Selfishness Disguised as Commitment

I still feel a twinge when I think of my high school best friend, Sharon (not her real name). After graduation life pulled us in different directions, and we lost track of each other. But we managed to find each other several years later, and we had a visit I’ll never forget. Sharon told me about her successful professional life and her marriage, which she claimed was a happy one. But later in the conversation …

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Wooden blocks that spell selfish or selfless depending in what position the last block is

Martyrdom: Selfishness Disguised as Service

We human beings are kind, generous, and serviceful by nature. It’s in our DNA to give freely to those we love, to those in need, and ultimately, to everyone in our lives. When done in the right spirit, it’s our pleasure to give. And the pleasure is mutual. But some people are literally “generous to a fault.” They carry giving too far. They exhaust themselves; they go overboard on service, giving beyond what they can …

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Now on YouTube: “Looking through the Anals of Human History”

Dear Friends, Everyone who reviews human history sees a saga of suffering, difficulty, and trouble—which seems to repeat itself, and never gets far from the same old SHIT. Are we stuck with such a terrible destiny? David Truman says NO! In this talk, he identifies the cause of all the suffering and the way to avoid repeating the same destiny. It’s the way exemplified by the bright lights of human history—people like Jesus, Gandhi, and …

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Manipulation: Selfishness Disguised as Sincerity

It’s a classic movie plot: A couple falls in love, but there’s a dark cloud on the horizon…. The courtship begins with a misrepresentation or misunderstanding, which is kept up through most of the movie. But somewhere near the end, the relationship gets serious enough that the deception can no longer be maintained. The pretender admits the truth, hoping that it won’t end the relationship. It very nearly does. In real life, when a pattern …

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New YouTube Video: “Revising the Blueprint for Love”

Dear Friends, The usual approach to love and relationship is to find a special someone to love, and focus our love and attention on them primarily. Others are not “supposed” to matter as much. But we’ve all experienced what a lie that is. In “Revising the Blueprint for Love,” a talk recorded in 1983, David Truman says: “In theory, it should not matter that people blow hot and cold. In theory, one moment when your …

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Just Added to YouTube: “Apology Is Golden”

Dear Friends, All human beings do things we feel legitimately guilty about — things we know better than, things below our personal heartfelt standards, things that cause someone else a pain or a problem. At such times our guilty feelings are the natural response of our heart, drawing our attention to our wrong turn, asking us to correct it. But typically, people react badly to guilt, and separate from others in shame. That unhealthy reaction …

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Cover of guide

Announcing “How to Handle Wrongdoing”

Dear Friends, Great news! “How to Handle Wrongdoing,” a new study guide based on the Wrongdoing Card, is now available for free download on the Cards for Living website. Guilt and wrongdoing are such challenging experiences for people — and how we handle those experiences is crucial. When we do wrong it can be hard to face, but if we don’t handle it well, our peace of mind and our relationships suffer. “How to Handle Wrongdoing” helps in …

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Live, Love, and Learn

Dear Friends, For us human beings, nothing is more important than love. We’re always looking for love from others; they’re always looking for love from us. That’s just how it is for us. Every interaction either warms us or chills us, depending on the love exchanged. If love is lacking, even our successes feel hollow. And we resonate most deeply with the spiritual teachings about love. They remind us who we truly are, and make …

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