The Trinity Temple

  Dear friend, There are moments when failure feels bigger than everything else. You make a mistake, and suddenly your whole life seems to be standing on trial. You lose a job, and you think: “I'm a failure.” A relationship ends, and you think: “I failed at love.” You make a terrible decision, and you think: “What kind of person am I?” You look at other people's lives and think: “Everyone is moving forward except me.” You remember opportunities you wasted. Words you wish you had never spoken. Choices you wish you could undo. Years you think you should have used differently. And eventually the word failure stops describing something you did and begins describing who you believe you are. That is where suffering becomes especially deep. Because there is a difference between saying: “I failed.” and saying: “I am a failure.” The first describes an event. The second becomes an identity. Ancient wisdom repeatedly challenges us to recognize that distinction. A human being can fall wit...

Dear friend, If you are living with anxiety, you may know what it is like for your body to be sitting in one place while your mind is somewhere else entirely. Your body is here. But your thoughts are already in tomorrow. Perhaps you are imagining a conversation that hasn't happened. A disaster that hasn't occurred. A rejection you haven't received. A mistake you haven't made. A future you cannot control. The mind says: “What if?” What if something goes wrong? What if they don't like me? What if I fail? What if I lose someone? What if I get sick? What if I embarrass myself? What if I can't handle what comes next? And sometimes the hardest part is that anxiety doesn't simply feel like a thought. It can feel like a physical storm. Your heart beats faster. Your muscles tighten. Your stomach changes. Your breathing becomes uncomfortable. You become restless. You want certainty. You want reassurance. You want someone to tell you: “Everything will be okay.” But anx...

  Dear friends, There is a question beneath many of the questions we ask about life: “Am I enough?” Am I enough if I fail? Am I enough if someone rejects me? Am I enough if I am poor? Am I enough if I am not beautiful? Am I enough if I am not successful? Am I enough if nobody notices me? Am I enough if I have made terrible mistakes? Am I enough if someone I love doesn't love me back? Am I enough if I am getting older? Am I enough if another person is smarter, richer, more attractive, more talented, or more successful? We live in a world that constantly measures people. Your appearance is measured. Your income is measured. Your education is measured. Your productivity is measured. Your popularity is measured. Your accomplishments are measured. Even your relationships can become measurements. How many friends? How many followers? How many people admire you? How much money do you make? What kind of house do you have? What kind of car do you drive? What have you accomplished? And gradu...