Flower Mandalas Project

I’m doing the final tweaks on the book, ebook, and website for The Art of Balance . Here’s what some early reviewers are already saying about it: “I found it empowering and self-motivating. It truly was difficult to stop reading once I began.” “A self-help book that actually helps!” “If you want to avoid a long-winded and theory-based self-help book, then this is the book for you. David provides practical exercises that are easy to follow and they really do work.” “This book is very motivating and extremely validating!” “Comes at the subject in a simple, easily understood approach. I found myself not wanting to put it down.” “This book is a must have for artists and creative people.” “Whether you’re in a recovery program or just feel lost, the principles, exercises, and examples in this book can help regain a feeling of purpose and direction. It did for me.” “Definitely a must read.” “I would recommend Bookbinder’s newest effort to anyone struggling with issues in recovery th

Don’t let your heart be colonized by fear . – Jack Kornfield What I Learned About Practicing What I Preach The Battle for Balance is a life and death struggle. Stay balanced, and we enjoy life to the fullest. Lose balance, and life gets hard. I’ve learned this lesson many times, over many years, and I’m sure most of you have, too. But a couple of years ago, I discovered that even a therapist with a toolbox full of self-help tools can get unbalanced if he doesn’t practice what he preaches. A big part of my job is to help people deal with difficulties and uncertainties. Because I’m an empath, while I’m working with them, I’m also feeling what they feel. Usually, I can process those feelings in the moment, so that by the time the next client walks through my door, I’m ready to freshly take in who they are and what they may need. My work feels like a calling, and that’s a good thing. But there have been two extended periods when too much of a good thing was… too much, and it was in

NOTE : This is a guest post by Kenneth Ring , PhD. Dr. Ring is an internationally recognized authority on near-death experiences. His writings on this phenomenon include five books and nearly 100 articles about near-death experiences. He is the co-founder of the  International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS)  and is the founding editor of the  Journal of Near-Death Studies . Dr. Ring’s book Heading Toward Omega , the Journal of Near-Death Studies , and IANDS were all very important to me following my own NDE in 1993, and I’m honored to have him as a guest. Waiting to Die © 2017, Kenneth Ring The bright realization that must come before death will be worth all the boredom of living. – Ned Rorem What’s it like, waiting to die? Of course, it’s different for everyone. I can only say what it’s like for me. On the whole, it’s rather boring. Don’t get me wrong. I still have many pleasures in life and – knock on silicon – I’m lucky not to be suffering from any fatal illness,

The launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik when I was 7 years old drew me to science, and especially to space science. In my bedroom, I hung posters of all the Soviet and American rockets and satellites. When I grew up, I wanted to be a rocket scientist and, perhaps, also an astronaut. I was 10 when President Kennedy announced the goal of getting a man to the moon and back by the end of the decade – a goal NASA achieved in 1969, the year I graduated from high school and started at Cornell University’s engineering school, still intent on becoming a NASA engineer. As a kid scientist, one of the most exciting times for me was watching the countdown to launches at Cape Canaveral. The shots of the giant rockets, the interviews with Mercury 7 and Apollo astronauts and NASA support personnel (including the engineers whose ranks I hoped to join), and the excitement of the countdown itself were among my most thrilling moments. Although I ultimately became a writer and therapist instead of a