Ralph P. Brown

Art Buying: More than Meets the Eye

When buying art for your home of work space, you probably consider the subject matter... * Does it fit in with the theme or other elements in the room? * Another consideration is color (or lack of color) Do the colors compliment the colors in ... Read >

The Dream Catcher: Respect for the Sacred

There is a lot of mystery and fascination that surrounds the dream catcher - and unfortunately, a lot of misunderstanding as well. Read on to find out what a dream catcher is and isn't and to increase your understanding - because with understanding comes... Read >

The Value of Giving

I was contemplating the truth in something that I once told my wife... that the true value of a gift is determined by the one who receives it. Since that time I have come to believe that not only does the receiver determine the value of a gift, he or she ... Read >

Compassionate Detachment: Loving Enough to Let Go

When I was young I discovered a chrysalis hanging from a branch in some scrub oak near our house. Each day after this discovery I would go out and check on this chrysalis in the hopes of seeing the butterfly that I knew was inside. You can imagine how exc... Read >

Giving Our Best in the Indian Tradition: A Double Blessing

In the Indian tradition way it is customary to welcome a guest into our home with kindness and generosity by offering the best that we have. In some homes there may not be much - a little coffee, some fry bread -- but whatever we have we offer it to our g... Read >

How to Stay Centered in a Crisis

Life is full of events that test us. These events try our abilities to cope and deal effectively with such occurrences as death in the family, financial problems, health issues, job losses and such. What is difficult for some to see is that each of these ... Read >

Let Go, Let God: Being the Hollow Bone

There is a fine line when it comes to knowing when to use the gift of our own reasoning and knowing when to rely on guidance from a higher source. Every day we learn more about the world, our self and about others - adding to our ability to make better ch... Read >

The Sweet Smell of Forgiveness

There is a German folk tale about Baron von Munchausen... he was out hunting one day and as he stalked his prey, he fell into a bog. He was so desperate to get out that he tried to pull himself out by his own beard! To his situation he managed only to add... Read >

How to get anything you want in Life: Ordering from a company called The Universe

Okay, let's talk about the Universe. Say you are employed in the purchasing department of a business. You are in your office and what you need for the company is in a warehouse across town. That's okay because you are linked by computer and all that yo... Read >

The Untrapped Mind ... in 40 words

This is one of the most profound single sentences ever uttered. It is from Konosuke Matsushita: "The untrapped mind is open enough to see many possibilities, humble enough to learn from anyone and anything, forbearing enough to forgive all, perceptive ... Read >

The Monster Story: An Indian Perspective on Trust

There is a saying that goes, "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see." Is there wisdom in this? Perhaps! While a person might speak with complete honesty, it doesn't mean that he speaks the truth. It is pretty widely accepted that t... Read >

The Eagle is Ever-Vigilant: An Indian Perspective on Awareness

It is said that character is how you live your life when no one is looking. I believe that when most people look in the mirror they want to see a good person looking back at them. I think also that people live with the intent of improving themselves be... Read >

Panic Kills: An Indian Perspective

In the old days when Indians hunted buffalo on the plains, the Indians would play on the fears of the buffalo by donning wolf hides and creeping up on the herds. When the buffalo spotted the "wolves", they would take off running. At that point there would... Read >