When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?  Thich Nhat Hanh offers a truth many of us forget. Not being heard is painful, but being pretended to be heard is a deeper sting. The slight nod, the distracted “mm-hmm,” the vague sound that implies attention but lacks substance. We have all done it, and we have all felt it. I still remember a dinner with friends from a few years ago. It was meant to be joyful. We laughed, we hugged,...

As the final full moon of the year rises into the longest nights of winter, the Cold Moon appears like a mirror to the soul. It arrives when the world grows quiet, when darkness stretches across the evening and our inner world becomes easier to hear. This moon asks us to pause, to breathe, to feel, to reflect. Under the Cold Moon, we are offered a spiritual closing of the year — a gentle exhale before stepping into a new chapter of growth. The Cold Moon has traditionally been linked to...

Happiness is something we all strive toward, alongside health, success, and meaningful connections. Yet despite its importance, many people find happiness surprisingly difficult to sustain. Its fleeting nature and the pressures of modern life can make the pursuit feel overwhelming. In this article, we explore what happiness really is, why chasing it often makes it harder to find, and six simple steps you can take to cultivate a deeper, more enduring sense of wellbeing. What Is Happiness?...