As I write this I am overnight in Kentucky on my way to North Carolina. Don’t believe all the hype about Kentucky being the Bluegrass State. The grass here is just as green as it is anywhere else. Of course I knew that, but if you didn’t you would be mighty disappointed.

When it comes to our self-perception we might very well be even more disappointed. Our ego – and I mean our ego in the eastern sense, the ego that wants so desperately to believe that there is a permanent, unchanging “me” – distorts our self-image unless and until we learn to see through its tricks. We might do this by asking the opinion of others, but their opinions could be equally distorted. One of the advantages of meditation practice is that as we learn to live in the present moment we learn to see clearly and dismantle the ego. It takes time, though, because our culture contributes to our distorted image, especially when it comes to body image. Did you know the average female model is approximately sixty percent of the size of the average female? That certainly doesn’t help, and even worse it’s killing our young women and girls. Oh, and if you are wondering if your nose is really as big as it appears in that picture…it would be better if you decided for yourself.