What would happen if we repeated the same behaviors accepting the same results? If we know something we do brings us suffering, why do we continue? How do we bounce back from failure if we do nothing to improve?

We often bring our attachments into our conflicts with others. We tell others they are wrong while we’re fixed in our own mind of being right. We try to bully others into adopting our perspective. Instead, why not be magnetic and allow others to be attracted to your point of view? This allows you to be detached from changing someone else while showing in your own life how peace can exist.

The Social Dilemma really shocked me. Although I knew the tech companies were gathering data about me, I didn’t have a full understanding how persuasive technology worked. There are a lot of bad actors out there who are sowing discord in our minds and communities. We can be more mindful about what we choose to post ourselves, noticing how it reflects our own state of mind. However, we can also spend time in silence and question who we are outside of these virtual communities. Consider it an intermittent fast that can loosen your grip on the addicting technologies.

We are given a life to live, and when we encounter problems, we must refer to our instruction manual. These are teachings written inside our hearts, passed down through the many scriptures in various spiritual traditions. Yet we eschew them for the temporal, material, superficial teachings popular in modern media. The purveyors of these teachings profit from our problems while failing to point us to the transcendent teachings within. The answers are always found in spiritual teachings—why not have a look at them?

Alan Jones wrote a book relating the spiritual walk to Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy.’ We live so much of our lives in a state of restless anticipation, and we seek relief from things that don’t satisfy. Eventually we must face our hell to find paradise. Note: I screwed up Dante’s order. First is inferno, then purgatorio, then Paradiso.

Gandhi coined the term “satyagraha” to indicate his philosophy of change. It’s loosely translated as “soul force,” employed by Dr. King. Some will use “nonviolent resistance” or “passive resistance,” but it’s much more than that. It’s about unity on the soul level. It’s less about changing people’s minds and more about moving people’s spirits.

Hope is that flicker of light, of goodness, that continues to burn in spite of darkness. We might feel hope is lost, but if we drop our attachments and desires for a specific outcome, we use our hands to cultivate that hope. We can do this if we all share our light of hope. This light of hope reveals the evil that lurks in the darkness. Our collective hope can light up a nation and a world.

Communication in relationships is important, but sometimes relationships can be cultivated beyond words. It’s not always necessary to speak, especially if we’re doing most of it. I found discursive prayers to be difficult because I felt I was doing more talking than listening. Instead, I chose to be silent for a while, letting the Holy Spirit speak beyond words.

Let’s face it—there aren’t many leaders in politics, business or society who are role models of love. Although we all have a dark side with which we need to reconcile, we must remember not to let our dark side become who we are, even if it temporarily gives us profit. Ultimately, love always prevails. You can be a light, a role model of love.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were Hollywood’s power couple many years ago. After their breakup, Lopez took her broken heart to the Dr. Phil show. They spoke of the ideal partner as “a soft place to fall.” Although that might appeal to the romantics, it’s not a prescription for an everlasting relationship that is life-giving for both.