Am I a better person than I was when the year began? Have I learned, assimilated, and practiced that which is most essential to happiness? Have I dedicated myself to benefiting other beings? Have I checked my intention and asked myself why I am doing a particular thing? Have I decreased my anger? My worry? Jealousy? Have I increased my compassion? Faith? Love? Without introspection, we live on the surface, never penetrating the depths of who we are and why we’re here.

A few things I know to be true. When I genuinely care about and want to help other beings there is alignment. It’s right. The same is true when I’m in gratitude. Every part of me knows it’s right. If I’m angry, or gossiping, for certain, there is a part of me that knows I’m out of alignment, that it’s simply wrong.

It takes training and practice to change. As my dear teacher Khenpo explains, if we want to accomplish something, such as being a great chef or playing the piano well, it takes training and lots of practice. We can’t try the piano for a few times and say it doesn’t work, we are the ones who have to make the effort to make it work.

In life, we all want to be happy. This, too, requires some training. We need to know what happiness is (short answer: less anger, anxiety, jealousy, greed, arrogance and ignorance). And we need to know how to get there: become aware of our thinking and change it when its negative, increase our compassion, faith, love, and wisdom.

Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche (Khenpo) will be teaching a winter retreat December 27 – January 3rd at the Greek Isles Hotel in Las Vegas. The fee is $150 for all eight days. Rooms are available for those who would like to stay.

Visit www.thecaringplacenv.org. You may contact me at pkearns@thecaringplacenv.org, by calling me at The Caring Place 871-7333, or via my direct line, 279-9523.

Pati Kearns teaches Yoga and meditation at Dance Etc. Call 279-9523 for more information.

Click here to view Pati's brochure regarding mind, body, spirit programs for those with cancer.

Contact Pati at patikearns@yahoo.com