Reflections on Buddhism & Personal Growth
14 posts
What if the Other Shoe Doesn't Drop?
A joyful family birthday weekend reminds Mike that happiness does not need to be analyzed, defended, or delayed until every problem is solved.
Mastering My Mind
Nichiren taught us to master our mind rather than let our mind master us. After decades of childhood trauma, depression, and anxiety, Mike shares how EMDR therapy and Buddhist practice finally reduced the amplitude of his "wavy line" — and what it means to live in the moment.
Most Beautiful One
For over 30 years, Mike has called his wife "Most Beautiful One" in hundreds of articles and four books. Here, for the first time, he tells the story behind the name — and what 55+ years of marriage to an extraordinarily courageous woman has taught him about love, patience, and partnership.
My Recent Experience Changing Poison into Medicine
For 15 years, Mike dreaded his family's summer visits — masking anxiety behind a performance of perfection. After a crisis, DBT therapy, and deepened Buddhist practice, something remarkable shifted. At 76, he discovered it's never too late to change poison into medicine.
How I'm Learning to Age with Grace
After his wife's shoulder surgery offered a preview of aging's challenges, Mike discovers a retirement community's unofficial motto — FIP (Formerly Important Person) — and what it reveals about what truly matters in the later chapters of life.
Being a Better Me
Mike reflects on the trap of comparing ourselves to others — and how 56 years of Buddhist practice, a wise mentor, and his wife's courageous example helped him embrace his own unique mission.
Rewriting My Story
When chronic back pain and worry about aging spiraled into worrying about worrying, Mike turned to his Buddhist practice and therapist to craft a new story — one called "Making the Best of What I've Got."
Finding Hope When All Seems Lost
After 56 years of practice, Mike shares what he has learned about hope — not as a feeling that arrives on its own, but as something we actively create, even in our darkest moments.
I Was Never Happy Being Depressed
Mike carries the weight of generations of genetic suffering — and shares how decades of chanting, therapy and antidepressants finally began to lift a lifetime of inner darkness.
Cells that Fire Together Wire Together
How Mike's wife used daily Buddhist practice alongside medical treatment to go eight years without a serious MS flare-up.
I'm a Buddha, You're a Buddha, Too
The most important — and most elusive — lesson of Buddhism: every single person has an enlightened nature deserving of respect.
Growing Older is a Laughing Matter
Mike reflects on what it means to be 76 and moving closer to the end of life — and how Buddhism replaced fear and regret with hope, vitality and laughter.
Getting Comfortable with Discomfort
Mike explores how a fertile imagination can either paralyze or liberate — and how Buddhist practice and therapy gave him the wisdom to tell the difference.
What is the Meaning of Our Buddhist Chant?
A clear, warm explanation of SGI Nichiren Buddhism — what chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means and how this practice creates active, transformative hope.