Andrew Sullivan argues that LGBT equality leads to greater societal integrity

Try never mentioning your spouse, your family, your home, your girlfriend or boyfriend to anyone you know or work with - just for one day. Take that photo off your desk at work, change the pronoun you use for your spouse to the opposite gender, guard everything you might say or do so that no one could know you're straight, shut the door in your office if you have a personal conversation if it might come up. Try it. Now imagine doing it for a lifetime. It's crippling; it warps your mind; it destroys your self-esteem. These men and women are voluntarily risking their lives to defend us. And we are demanding they live lives like this in order to do so. Yes, Admiral Mullen. It is about integrity. It's also about a minimum of human respect.

-- Andrew Sullivan, responding to the National Review's Rich Lowry.

Taking care of ourselves

When we build a house, we start by creating a stable foundation. Just so, when we wish to benefit others, we start by developing warmth or friendship for ourselves. It’s common, however, for people to have a distorted view of this friendliness and warmth. We’ll say, for instance, that we need to take care of ourselves, but how many of us really know how to do this? When clinging to security and comfort, and warding off pain, become the focus of our lives, we don’t end up feeling cared for and we certainly don’t feel motivated to extend ourselves to others. We end up feeling more threatened or irritable, more unable to relax.

--Pema Chödrön from “Unlimited Friendliness” (Winter 2009)

My little brother, Jason, in a snowball fight at college in Washington, DC

Check out Jason on this Weather.com clip. He is living large in Washington, D.C! As he should.

Playing the game of life with joy and compassion

One of my favorite passages from the metaphysical book "A Course in Miracles" is "Spirit am I. A beautiful son of God. Free of all limits. Safe, healed and whole. Free to forgive and free to save the world." These 25 powerful words always remind me of who I really am -- a beautiful son of God, my true nature, and are especially helpful when my ego is subtly or aggressively criticizing me.

I do think that the reason we are here on this earth is to remember who we are by playing the game of overcoming our fears. Yes, the word play is important because games are most fun and successful when people focus on the task at hand in a joyful and open-hearted way. For me, my best games have required all energy and ingenuity but I am okay with whatever the results are. In short, I truly play, without a lot of attachments to a specific result.

Last night while eating Indian pizza, some friends and I played the game of Catan, a very competitive boardgame that involves quite a bit of strategy and concentration. Everyone had an opportunity to be in the lead so it wasn't clear who was going to win. Feeling relaxed and light-hearted, I played the best I have ever had, enjoying the fellowship of my friends -- as well as my constantly-changing fortunes. I noticed when my ego was registering its complaints about me and others, and smiled at its judgments and kept playing with joy and compassion.

So as I begin this week, this is an opportunity to remember my true nature and play the game of life in the same way.

Despite our gay marriage ballot losses, we are nearing a tipping point on LGBT rights: read Frank Rich's column from today's New York Times

Frank Rich's "Smoke the Bigots Out of the Closet"

Doing the right thing...a life's work

I’ve tried to do the right thing. I raised a beautiful bunch of kids — and they truly are my greatest accomplishment. So I’m not worried about what’s next. If there is a God, I think he’ll know that I just did the best I could. That’s all a man can do.

--Milton Christian

When the opposite is true

Sarah Palin tells the tea-baggers what kind of Chrisitan nation she envisions. Be wary.

I think, kind of tougher to, um, put our arms around, but allowing America's spirit to rise again by not being afraid to kind of go back to some of our roots as a God fearing nation where we're not afraid to say, especially in times of potential trouble in the future here, where we're not afraid to say, you know, we don't have all the answers as fallible men and women so it would be wise of us to start seeking some divine intervention again in this country, so that we can be safe and secure and prosperous again. To have people involved in government who aren't afraid to go that route, not so afraid of the political correctness that you know -- they have to be afraid of what the media said about them if they were to proclaim their alliance on our creator.

--Sarah Palin

As the debate on "Don't Ask Don't Tell" reveals, the LGBT community is advancing. But it is hard to be patient when fighting for fundamental rights

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I have a cold and feel uncomfortable tonight...but also have an immense sense of gratitude

\One of the greatest lessons I have learned in my life is to not compare myself to others, especially my choices with those of others. Sometimes, I do get envious of other people's things and stacks of money, but, in my quieter mental moments, I feel very fortunate for my family, friends, health, interesting work, curiosity, and all the love in my life. Sure, my inner critic gleefully points out my failings and areas of lack. Yet that's its job and I take it less seriously than I have in the past.

As I approach 50 in four months, I have the wisdom to know that I don't have all the answers nor the power to control everything. However, I am willing to show up, keep my heart open, do my best, and keep re-choosing my life direction. That's all I can ask of myself.

I am off to bed with a stuffy nose and nasal congestion. But poor me, nothing. Now, those people in Haiti really inspire me by not giving up. They are my teachers. With a deep bow to all!