Spiritual growth

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 …

Martyrdom: Selfishness Disguised as Service Read More »

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 …

Manipulation: Selfishness Disguised as Sincerity Read More »

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 …

New YouTube Video: “Revising the Blueprint for Love” Read More »

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 …

Just Added to YouTube: “Apology Is Golden” Read More »

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 …

Announcing “How to Handle Wrongdoing” Read More »