When it comes to the freedom – the happiness that we all want – we will never get it from the internet, the bank account or the world.

When we're looking for freedom, the first step is to find a reliable path that leads to a reliable refuge.

And, we have to look at what we are doing with our life’s energy. How much are we expending on dead ends?

You're here. Theravada based Buddhism.

This path is not a quick fix. It’s a slow, gradual path. My father's first book – one of my favorites – is called “Gradual Awakening’.

I encourage you to vow to yourself, to take refuge in making your own internal vow of, “I'm going to continue no matter what. I'm going to keep going. I'm going to keep going for freedom. I'm on this path. It's working – however slowly – however bored I get hearing the same ******* Dharma talks over and over, reading the same books, hanging out with the same people. I'm going to keep going on no matter how difficult it gets, knowing it's going to get difficult and I’m going to get bored. Knowing I’m going to get disillusioned and I’m going to be disappointed. I’m going to know all of this ****.”

You know how in 12 step recovery we say, “Keep coming back”?

Keep meditating. Keep coming back. Persevere. Don't give up even though sometimes we feel so hopeless. Keep trying. Develop the mantra, “I love you, keep going”. Develop that as part of the internal loving-kindness phrases for yourself even when you're feeling like, “I don't love myself. I hate myself. I hate this world. I hate Buddhism.” Keep coming back to, “I love you, keep going.”

Keep persevering on the path. This is not a path that needs to be perfect. It's a middle path.

Stay on the path.

Keep coming back to what our hearts know is right, to this kind internal moral compass of honesty that is the right thing to do even though it's not always the easiest thing to do. It is so much easier to lie or omit or minimize or exaggerate sometimes, but it's the right thing to do to tell the truth.

Karmically we need to keep coming back no matter how many times we fail.