Last week I offered 5 external aspects of crafting a good life, including where one lives, discover one’s passions, find a compatible mate, engage with one’s tribe, and finally, travel to broaden and deepen oneself in many diverse ways. Today I want to share the complementary five inner domains to develop and embody for a good life. They are gratit…

What constitutes a good life? What choice points, and perhaps the use of intuition in decision making as described last week, might get one there?Door Victor La Cerva

In our age of bewilderment, is human intuition merely an advanced form of pattern recognition? A biochemical collection of perceptive algorithms? What might stimulate and enhance its development?Door Victor La Cerva

VUCA characterizes and reflects upon the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions, and how enterprises might flourish despite those challenges. The military also found the term useful, and incorporated it into their training as well. Here I attempt to make it relevant to personal challenges.…

My body is a good messenger, inviting me to grow in ways that are not always pleasant but on some spiritual cosmic level, most necessary. Freedom appears when I can embrace that truth, no matter what unpleasant feedback my body might be offering.Door Victor La Cerva

Down mood most of the time. Energy decrease, fatigue, and a slowed-down feeling. Pleasurable activities are no longer enjoyed. Remembering, concentrating, and decision making are more difficult. Eating problems. Sleep problems. Sense of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, guilt. Ever recurrent aches/pains don’t respond to treatment. Death th…

Drugs –most often seen in this culture as hedonism, escape, or dulling the senses thru self-medication – are viewed in many cultures as “doorways of perception” to borrow from the excellent work of Aldous Huxley. There has been a significant resurgence in the use of psychedelics to treat a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxi…

So this is my formula for listening to the body: continue to move naturally, pay attention and be curious about early warning feedback, occasionally do a habit inventory, remember the body feels better when grateful and mindful, and find your tribe and connect regularly.Door Victor La Cerva

It is a challenge to face a lifetime mountain of clutter. I haven’t moved in 24 years, and doing a deep dive and really sifting through stuff to keep what is useful, retain important memories, and yet let go of some material things seems daunting and a bit overwhelming.Door Victor La Cerva

Paying attention to “favorite things” in some ways is a prayer, full of gratitude and appreciation rather than asking for more or something different. The lists are different every time I engage with this little exploration. I wonder what your list might include?Door Victor La Cerva

Time for some good news: Gene treatment for sickle cell disease, a new antibody for the fight against malaria and new hope for reducing pain in fibromyalgia.Door Victor La Cerva

The 5 a day campaign to get folks to eat more fruits and vegetables has been around for some time. Here is my own 5 a day prescription for optimal moodality.Door Victor La Cerva

Here comes H5N1! The current bird flu epidemic, which most believe began in 2020, has successfully globetrotted very quickly. Millions of poultry – 90 million and counting in the US alone – have been culled in a futile attempt to limit spread of the virus. While Avian flu viruses tend to be wild bird specific, the current strain is more egalitarian…

The breakthrough that is now about to explode is that roboticists have started using deep learning and neural networks to create “software” for mobile machines that enable them to learn from their environs, as they navigate and adjust their behaviors on the fly.Door Victor La Cerva

The guesstimate is that currently about 55 million people worldwide have dementia, by 2050 that number is expected to be 2 ½ times higher. This represents an enormous emotional and financial toll for society, and those directly caring for such individuals.Door Victor La Cerva

Although the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends adults sleep at least 7 hours a night, more than one-quarter of adults simply do not meet this recommendation. Getting refreshing sleep is good medicine, an essential aspect of wellness, that we ignore at our own peril.Door Victor La Cerva

A biotech company is progressing with testing of a canine life extension drug—the company’s name is LOYAL. From dog hotels to fancy pet urns, to cremation jewelry and glass art, perhaps we are going too far for our beloved companions. Have they become a substitute for human interactions for some lonely people?…

It is undoubtedly true that any animal with whom we form an intimate relationship has much to teach us. There is a mystical sacred connection that evolves over time, somehow different than a surprise spotting of a special bird, or a brief encounter in the wild with a bear or herd of elk.Door Victor La Cerva

A recent survey of teens revealed that 72% of them felt they were happier and more peaceful to be phone-less, with 1/3 acknowledging they spend too much time on social media and their smartphones. A smaller percentage felt anxious, lonely and upset without their devices.Door Victor La Cerva

I acknowledge I remain a Prisoner of Time, with some moments when I manage to escape, only to fall again into her clutches, like a wild animal caught by falling suddenly into a carefully disguised pit trap.Door Victor La Cerva

Some amazing wonders of our current capabilities as humans to create initiatives for the common good: a pop-up hospital, brain computer interface implants, AI skin cancer detection, the largest solar energy project in the US, and deep sea explorations.Door Victor La Cerva

Resistance to doing what I say I want to do often manifests as negative mindtalk, self-defeating behaviors, avoidance and procrastination. I want to consistently choose “yes” to what nurtures, and drop the “shoulds.” I have learned that success begets success, and to be satisfied with starting small and sticking with it.…

Perhaps as a species all the division we are experiencing is because of an actual epigenetic shift to not trust any of our institutions and instead blindly follow the advice of hive mind social media influencers. If genetic changes are akin to changing the lyrics of a song, epigenetic changes are like fiddling with the volume.…

What to call it, that protective energy that somehow showed up for me in my life multiple times, at least twice a decade, shielding me from serious harm, guiding me to safety?Door Victor La Cerva

When I am feeling dispirited from the gnawing grievances of my own small self, I surrender to such revered unrest, knowing it is what stimulates me to keep digging and discovering hidden gifts to bring forth into the world.Door Victor La Cerva

Damage and decay of biological systems is the hallmark of aging, as our cell’s powerhouse mitochondria break down, various and diverse proteins unravel or clump together, and precious reserves of regenerative stem cells dwindle. I was quite struck by a statistic I heard years ago, that every day in this country 100 people turn 100!…

The gentle sounds of swaying trees and crashing waves is what I awaken to most mornings, just before the soft sunlight fills the view behind us with beauty, only needing to open my eyes and slightly tilt my head to welcome it.Door Victor La Cerva

So what are we exactly? Is the body a collection of specialized cells, a fluid continuum composed mostly of water with permeable membranes on the biomolecular scaffolds of the system, an electromagnetic field, a quantum field? All of these at once?Door Victor La Cerva

The world needs us to each do our part. As we approach this new beginning, here’s to more love and kindness, including self-loving and caring, being doing whatever uplifts us. Be a fountain not a drain!Door Victor La Cerva

All the seasonal traditions ­– Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Solstice and Christmas – aim to be uplifting with the return of light and goodness. So why do we sometimes fall short?Door Victor La Cerva

When – not if – the machines became more intelligent than humans, might they turn on their creators? Could we unintentionally create a self-aware AI that has its own motivations and goals? These queries, while they may seem the realm of dystopian science fiction, are now full front and center in the debates about the dangers of giving AI systems au…

In common usage, “hate speech” refers to offensive discourse that targets either a group or an individual based on inherent characteristics (such as race, religion or gender). How might we differentiate that from free speech, especially in terms of current events and the Israel Gaza war.?Door Victor La Cerva

I share a recent talk I gave at the Celebration, a long-standing Santa Fe spiritual community. I present some ideas about 3 principles of conscious aging.Door Victor La Cerva

“My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” Thus said Michel de Montaigne, the French Renaissance philosopher. How much energy do I give to my worries, anxieties and fears?Door Victor La Cerva

Anyone familiar with some of the great war movies – the Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Band of Brothers, & Saving Private Ryan come to mind – will acknowledge their portrayal of courage, comradeship and the meaningless abominations of armed conflict, and without glorifying any of it, also show the destructive ripple effects on families and communitie…

Constantly connected to a digital neighborhood, endlessly distracted, lost in the trance of busyness and the cult of productivity, I can easily drift from living on purpose. I firmly believe that everyone needs a center and an edge.Door Victor La Cerva

The shimmering luminous web of connection to my more primitive self is satisfying in ways that remain important to my wellbeing on every level—physical mental emotional and spiritual. It is hard to articulate, but walking in the moonlight, hunting, gathering or time around a fire trigger, what exactly?…

Thought of this as a topic while driving down I25 in a steel container at 75 mph – a journey that a mere 120 years ago would have taken three days – the scenery zipping by as if by magic. And doing that while chatting with a friend 3000 thousand miles away—hands free of course, my phone connected via Bluetooth to my hearing aids.…

So, how to assess our own level of risk? We know that the risk of severe illness increases with the number of underlying medical conditions present, including obesity, diabetes, heart or lung disease, being immune compromised and others. Just being over age 65 is in itself considered a risk factor. A key question is does vaccination OR treatment wi…

I continue the exploration of wisdom, this time focused on body based wisdom. I've learned much by consistently listening to its messages. Here is the link to podcast 41 on energy flow awareness as mentioned in the podcast: https://heartsongs.podbean.com/e/41-the-wonder-of-wellness/Door Victor La Cerva

Three more bits of wisdom to share, based on my life experience, which help me to gradually drop whatever is holding me prisoner to my past, and step into the territory of being a pioneer of my own future. For more info on the notion of deep desires, check out podcast 39: https://heartsongs.podbean.com/e/39-greed-or-need-part-three/…

The question arises: is there any individual wisdom to be found that might assist me through these modern day societal maladies? As I reflect upon various pearls of deep truth that have been passed down to me, I realize that most of them were not orally transmitted from a sage elder, but rather gleaned from books that validated and spoke to my own …

I certainly can’t claim that the good old days were free of environmental toxins. What is remarkable is that some things have gotten worse, despite ongoing efforts to clean up our earth nest.Door Victor La Cerva

The burning question is why could we not find a way to strengthen the humane aspects of medicine while embracing the techno magical advances? In any case some things remain true: you are always your own best advocate when dealing with any aspect of the medical complex, & less is more when it comes to drugs.…

The good old days had their many imperfections, yet, for me, the strong bonds of neighborhood and family, the relative lack of corporate greed, and the more tempered influence of media on our lives made for a better childhood. I wonder what elements stand out for you, dear listener, about your own good old days.…

I believe that our core issue is the central locus of our inner work, the essence of our quest to evolve. It is what fuels our addictions, creates unskillful habits, and stimulates our being triggered by the remarks and actions of others. One might consider it an essential wounding, if you will, that takes a lifetime to heal. Link to Thoughtstream …

I review current endemic numbers, fall vaccine recommendations and emerging helpful info on PSAC, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, also known as long CoVid. Trump vaccine PSA here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INH-CmCgIYsDoor Victor La Cerva

Only with time and careful attention have I embraced creativity, compassion, courage and community as my preferred ways of embracing this life journey. The key question all along has been: In what awareness do I want to abide, what qualities to cultivate?Door Victor La Cerva

Are these all just disguises of resistance: procrastination, lack of whole heartedness, denial, “laziness”, overwhelm or even giving up on the possibility of positive change? As Marcus Aurelius commented, “the obstacle IS the way.” Link for podcast 41: https://heartsongs.podbean.com/e/41-the-wonder-of-wellness/…

PTSD is a spectrum of normal reactions to highly abnormal circumstances. Basically, a continuation and an exaggeration of the normal protective fight or flight response. In the body's attempt to protect itself, symptoms appear which can be destructive. How to bandage the brutality with beauty?Door Victor La Cerva