September 11, 2026: Remembering the Day That Changed Our Energy Forever

September 11, 2026: Remembering the Day That Changed Our Energy Forever

Twenty-five years ago today, our nation experienced a tragedy that changed us forever. On September 11, 2001, thousands of innocent people began what should have been an ordinary Tuesday morning—going to work, boarding airplanes, saying goodbye to their families—without knowing how profoundly the day would change their lives and ours. Beyond the physical destruction and heartbreaking loss of life, 9/11 seemed to alter the energy of an entire nation. There was fear, confusion, anger, and an overwhelming spiritual sadness that could be felt everywhere. Something about the innocence we carried before that morning disappeared. The world suddenly seemed a little less safe, and life felt more fragile than many of us had ever allowed ourselves to imagine.

Yet within that darkness, we also witnessed an extraordinary amount of human light. Strangers helped strangers. Communities gathered together. People hugged their families a little tighter and told one another they loved them. For a time, many of the things that normally divide us seemed incredibly small compared with what connected us. From a metaphysical perspective, perhaps one of the lasting lessons of September 11 is the reminder that our lives are deeply intertwined. We affect one another with our actions, our compassion, our courage, and the energy we bring into the world. We cannot undo what happened that day, but we can honor those who were lost by remembering how precious life is and by choosing whenever possible to add kindness rather than hatred, connection rather than division, and love rather than fear.

Today, we remember every innocent life lost on September 11, those who later died from illnesses connected to their work at the sites, and the families and friends who have carried that absence for twenty-five years. We honor the firefighters, police officers, paramedics, emergency personnel, military members, medical professionals, rescue and recovery workers, volunteers, and countless ordinary people who stepped forward when others desperately needed help. And we send our thoughts toward everyone who still carries emotional wounds from that day. However September 11 touched your life, may you continue to find healing, peace, and hope. We remember those we lost. We honor those who served. And we carry their memory forward as we continue trying, together, to Make Peace With Life.

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My Spiritual Ascent of Multnomah Falls: Apparently Enlightenment Is Uphill

There are some places where you can almost feel the energy before you even understand why.

Multnomah Falls in Oregon is one of those places.

You arrive, look up at that magnificent waterfall dropping through the green Oregon landscape, and immediately think:

Wow. This place is incredible.

Then you discover there's a trail to the top.

And because apparently simply admiring natural beauty from ground level isn't good enough for me, I thought:

I need to climb that.

This is where my spiritual journey began.

It is also where my legs began questioning several of my recent life choices.

Multnomah Falls Has Levels

Multnomah Falls is one of those places that changes depending on where you're standing.

From the bottom, the falls are almost storybook beautiful.

Water drops dramatically down the basalt cliffs, surrounded by that incredible Pacific Northwest greenery, with Benson Bridge crossing in front of it.

It's the classic Multnomah Falls view.

You stand there looking upward thinking:

Nature is magnificent.

Then you start hiking.

Soon you're thinking:

Nature could have installed an escalator.

The Bridge Changes Everything

Reaching Benson Bridge gives you a completely different relationship with the waterfall.

You're no longer simply looking at it.

You're inside the experience.

You hear the water differently.

You feel the mist.

You sense the movement.

You notice the people around you reacting to the same thing.

And this is where the metaphysical side of the experience really started kicking in for me.

There is something powerful about standing among strangers who are all momentarily focused on the same natural wonder.

Nobody needs to explain it.

Everybody just seems to understand:

This is special.

And Then I Kept Going...

Of course, the bridge wasn't enough.

There's more trail.

And more uphill.

And more switchbacks.

And somewhere along the way I realized something very important about spiritual enlightenment:

Apparently it requires cardio.

I'm in decent shape, and I still found the climb taxing.

This isn't one of those hikes where you casually wander along while contemplating the mysteries of existence.

There were moments when my deepest metaphysical thought was:

How much farther is this freaking thing?

The trail climbs steadily, and you begin appreciating every flatter section as though you've just discovered beachfront property.

But that's also part of what made the experience so rewarding.

The Spiritual Power of Stopping

One of my favorite things about the climb was realizing that stopping wasn't failure.

There were places along the way where you could stop, catch your breath, look around and simply take everything in.

The forest.

The cliffs.

The Columbia River Gorge.

The sound of water somewhere nearby.

The people moving up and down the trail.

At first, maybe you stop because your legs request a meeting.

But then something happens.

You start noticing things.

That's when a physical break can become a spiritual one.

We spend so much of life focused on reaching the next destination that we forget there's usually something worth seeing between where we started and where we're going.

Maybe that's one of hiking's greatest metaphysical lessons.

Stopping doesn't mean you're quitting. Sometimes stopping is where you finally notice the journey.

The Energy of Everyone Who Climbs

I also love the energy created by other hikers.

You're surrounded by people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities and probably wildly different reasons for being there.

Some are charging uphill.

Others are moving slowly.

Some look incredibly peaceful.

Some look like they're negotiating directly with their lungs.

But everyone is sharing the trail.

There's an unspoken camaraderie that happens during a challenging hike.

A smile.

A nod.

A quick hello.

Maybe somebody coming down tells you:

"You're almost there!"

Although I've learned never to completely trust hikers who say this.

"Almost there" in hiking language can apparently mean anything from 200 yards to another geological era.

Still, that encouragement matters.

You begin feeding off the energy of everyone who has made the same climb before you—and everyone making it alongside you.

Three Views, Three Different Realities

What fascinated me most about Multnomah Falls was how completely my perception changed during the climb.

At the bottom, the waterfall was beautiful.

It was something I admired.

From the bridge, it became immersive.

I could feel its presence.

But at the top, everything changed again.

Now I wasn't simply looking at the waterfall.

I was seeing where all that power came from.

Standing near the upper viewpoint and seeing the water rushing toward the edge gives you an entirely different appreciation for what you were looking at from below.

From the bottom, water seems graceful.

From the top...

That water means business.

It's moving with purpose.

Then it reaches the edge and commits completely.

No hesitation.

No grabbing onto a tree root saying:

"I've reconsidered this."

It goes.

Maybe That's the Lesson

There's something wonderfully metaphysical about that.

We spend so much of our lives standing at the edge of things.

Thinking.

Analyzing.

Worrying.

Overthinking.

Wondering whether we're ready.

Water doesn't do that.

It follows its path.

It moves.

It changes shape.

It encounters obstacles and goes around them.

And eventually it reaches the edge...

And falls.

Not because it failed.

Because that's where the journey takes it next.

Maybe there's something we can learn from that.

Perspective Changes When You Do the Climbing

There's another lesson Multnomah Falls gave me.

You cannot understand every perspective from one location.

The waterfall didn't change.

I did.

At the bottom, I saw one version.

On the bridge, another.

At the top, another.

Life works exactly the same way.

We often become convinced that our current perspective is reality.

But sometimes we simply haven't climbed high enough yet.

Experience changes perspective.

Age changes perspective.

Relationships change perspective.

Loss changes perspective.

Adventure changes perspective.

Sometimes all we need is to move.

The Climb Makes the View Different

Had someone magically transported me to the top, the view still would have been beautiful.

But it wouldn't have meant the same thing.

The effort mattered.

The heavy breathing mattered.

The tired legs mattered.

The moments when I wondered why I hadn't simply stayed at the bottom with the sensible tourists mattered.

Because accomplishment carries its own energy.

When you've worked to reach somewhere, you experience it differently.

You don't simply see the view.

You earned your relationship with it.

Coming Back Down

And then comes one of hiking's great tricks.

You reach the top.

You celebrate.

You feel spiritually accomplished.

You congratulate yourself.

And then you remember...

You have to walk all the way back down.

The Universe apparently believes enlightenment should include a return trip.

But even the descent feels different.

You're not the same person who started climbing.

You know what's ahead.

You recognize places you passed earlier.

You notice things you missed.

And suddenly you're the person passing somebody climbing upward.

Maybe they're tired.

Maybe they're questioning their decision.

Maybe they're wondering how much farther.

And now you get to smile and say:

"You're almost there!"

Even if you're not entirely sure that's true.

Making Peace With Life at Multnomah Falls

My climb up Multnomah Falls wasn't simply about reaching the top.

It was about movement.

Effort.

Energy.

Perspective.

Nature.

People.

And the reminder that some of life's greatest experiences require us to work a little harder than expected.

Sometimes you admire life from the bottom.

Sometimes you stand in the middle of it and feel the mist.

And sometimes you climb until your legs are screaming just so you can finally understand where all that power is coming from.

Every level shows you something different.

That's life.

We climb.

We stop.

We breathe.

We look around.

We borrow a little energy from the people traveling beside us.

And eventually we discover that the destination wasn't the only thing that mattered.

The climb changed us too.

And standing at the top of Multnomah Falls, watching that water race toward the edge, I couldn't help but think...

Maybe Making Peace With Life isn't about finding a place where everything becomes easy.

Maybe it's learning to appreciate the climb...

even while you're desperately looking for the next place to sit down.

 

 

Manifest This! Specific Ways to Help Bring More of What You Want Into Your Life

Manifesting is one of those metaphysical ideas that can sound incredibly simple.

Think about what you want, send the intention into the Universe, and wait for the delivery truck.

Unfortunately, the Universe does not appear to offer two-day shipping.

You can't sit on the couch thinking, “I manifest a new career, financial abundance, a great relationship, a trip to Hawaii, and six-pack abs,” while eating potato chips and expect someone to ring the doorbell carrying your new life.

At least that hasn't worked for me.

Manifesting, in the way I like to think about it, is much more active. It's about getting your thoughts, energy, attention, choices, and actions moving in the same general direction.

Whether you believe the Universe literally responds to our energy or you see manifestation as a way of focusing the mind and changing behavior, there are some very practical ways to put it to work.

And thankfully, none of them require chanting naked beneath a full moon.

Unless that's your thing.

1. Get Ridiculously Specific

One of the first problems with manifestation is that we tend to ask for vague things.

"I want to be happier."

Great.

What does happier look like?

More travel?

A better relationship?

More time outside?

Changing careers?

Having dinner with friends once a week?

Finally getting that annoying squeak fixed in your car?

The more clearly you define what you want, the easier it becomes to recognize opportunities connected to it.

Instead of:

“I want more adventure.”

Try:

“I want to visit three places this year that I've never experienced before.”

Now you've given your mind—and perhaps the Universe—something to work with.

2. Write It Down

There is something powerful about taking an idea out of your head and putting it onto paper.

Write down what you want.

Not what you're supposed to want.

What you actually want.

Try writing statements such as:

I am creating more adventure in my life.

I am building relationships filled with love and laughter.

I am creating opportunities to grow financially.

I am becoming more confident in sharing my ideas.

Writing transforms a wandering thought into an intention.

And intention is where manifestation starts getting interesting.

3. Create a Vision Board

Yes, I'm a fan of vision boards.

And no, gluing a picture of a Lamborghini onto poster board will not necessarily cause one to materialize in your driveway Tuesday morning.

The value of a vision board is that it keeps your desires visible.

Put photographs of places you'd like to visit.

Words representing how you'd like to feel.

Career goals.

Relationship goals.

Health goals.

Creative dreams.

Experiences you want to have.

Then put the board somewhere you'll actually see it.

Not behind the Christmas decorations in the garage.

Your vision board should repeatedly remind your brain:

“This is where we're trying to go.”

4. Visualize the Experience, Not Just the Thing

If you're trying to manifest a trip to England, don't only imagine an airplane ticket.

Imagine walking through London.

Standing beside Stonehenge.

Walking into an old English pub.

Hearing the conversations.

Feeling the weather.

Seeing the countryside.

The more sensory detail you bring into visualization, the more emotionally connected you become to the goal.

You're not simply visualizing something you want.

You're rehearsing the experience.

5. Add Emotion

This is where manifestation becomes especially metaphysical.

Don't just think about what you want.

Try to feel what having it would feel like.

Excitement.

Peace.

Confidence.

Freedom.

Love.

Gratitude.

Joy.

Emotion gives an intention energy.

Instead of repeatedly thinking:

"Someday I hope I'll be happy."

Begin creating little pieces of happiness now.

Play music.

Dance.

Call somebody you love.

Take a walk.

Plan an adventure.

Laugh.

You're creating the emotional environment you're hoping to attract more of.

6. Talk About Your Dreams

Sometimes simply saying something aloud changes it.

Tell someone:

"I'm going to write a book."

"I'm going to start a business."

"I'm going to travel more."

"I'm going to get healthier."

Once those words leave your mouth, something changes.

You've put the intention into the world.

And occasionally the person you're talking to says:

"You know, I actually know someone who could help you with that."

Interesting.

Coincidence?

Synchronicity?

The Universe working through your buddy Steve?

Who cares?

Take the opportunity.

7. Start Acting Like the Person You're Becoming

This is one of my favorite manifestation techniques.

Ask yourself:

What would the version of me who already achieved this goal be doing today?

If you want to become an author...

Write.

If you want better relationships...

Communicate.

If you want more adventure...

Start planning adventures.

If you want better health...

Move your body.

If you want financial abundance...

Learn more about money and make intentional financial decisions.

Manifestation becomes much more powerful when your behavior starts matching your intention.

8. Look for Synchronicities

Once you focus your attention on something, you'll often begin noticing related opportunities.

A conversation.

A book.

A person.

An advertisement.

An unexpected invitation.

A strange coincidence.

Maybe these are metaphysical synchronicities.

Maybe your brain simply became better at noticing things that were already there.

Either explanation is fascinating.

The important part is:

Pay attention.

Sometimes the door you're asking the Universe to open has been sitting three feet away from you.

9. Take the Damn Step

This might be the most important part.

Do something.

Manifestation without action is basically daydreaming with better branding.

Want to travel?

Research the trip.

Want another job?

Submit the application.

Want to meet people?

Go somewhere people actually are.

Want to write a book?

Write page one.

Want to start exercising?

Walk around the block.

The Universe may provide opportunities.

But occasionally you're going to have to get off the couch and meet it halfway.

10. Practice Gratitude Before You Get What You Want

This sounds backward, but gratitude is one of the most powerful abundance practices.

Don't wait until everything becomes perfect before appreciating your life.

Look at what you already have.

Friends.

Family.

Health.

Food.

A home.

Music.

Nature.

Experiences.

Knowledge.

Laughter.

Whatever abundance already exists in your life, recognize it.

When you're constantly thinking “I don't have enough,” your attention becomes trained on scarcity.

Gratitude changes the lens.

You begin noticing abundance.

And what we notice tends to influence what we pursue.

Be Careful—You Can Manifest Crap Too

Here's the part of manifestation discussions that sometimes gets ignored.

If our thoughts, attention, expectations, and behavior help shape our experience...

Then we should probably pay attention to the negative stuff we're constantly feeding ourselves.

"Nothing ever works out for me."

"Everybody screws me over."

"I'm terrible with money."

"I'll never find someone."

"Something bad always happens."

Repeated often enough, these thoughts can become expectations—and expectations can influence behavior.

If you believe every opportunity will fail, you may stop pursuing opportunities.

If you assume people can't be trusted, you may behave defensively and damage relationships.

That's not necessarily the Universe magically punishing negative thoughts. It's often a very real feedback loop between belief, attention, behavior, and outcome.

And one important distinction: bad things happening to someone does not mean they manifested them. Illness, accidents, loss, other people's actions, and plain old bad luck happen. Manifestation shouldn't become a way of blaming people for circumstances beyond their control.

Instead, use the idea as a reminder to notice the patterns you can influence.

Give the Universe Some Wiggle Room

There's one final piece I think is incredibly important.

Don't become so obsessed with exactly how your manifestation must happen that you miss something better.

Maybe you want one particular job...

But another opportunity appears.

Maybe you're convinced one relationship is your future...

But life has other plans.

Maybe your dream takes you somewhere completely unexpected.

Set the intention.

Do the work.

Pay attention.

Then leave a little room for surprise.

Because the Universe—if nothing else—has demonstrated a tremendous ability to ignore our carefully prepared schedules.

Manifesting and Making Peace With Life

Manifestation isn't about controlling every detail of existence.

That sounds exhausting.

It's about becoming an active participant in your life.

Know what you want.

Write it down.

Visualize it.

Feel it.

Talk about it.

Look for opportunities.

Practice gratitude.

Take action.

And remain open to possibilities you never considered.

Your thoughts become intentions.

Your intentions influence your choices.

Your choices create actions.

Your actions create experiences.

And those experiences slowly become...

your life.

So go ahead and tell the Universe what you want.

Dream ridiculously big.

Put some energy behind it.

Just remember...

When the Universe finally opens the door...

you still have to walk through it.

That's manifestation with a little Make Peace With Life thrown into the mix.

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Who’s Your Team? It’s College Football Time!

College football is back, which means Saturdays are once again filled with fight songs, tailgates, rivalries, traditions, questionable referee decisions, and grown adults yelling at televisions as if the players can actually hear them.

Here at Make Peace With Life™, we believe in positive energy, respecting other people’s choices, and finding common ground with everyone.

Except possibly on college football Saturday.

Make Peace With Life™ and our slightly unusual spokesman Octo-foot™ love the energy of ALL college football. There’s something special about campuses coming alive, marching bands playing, fans gathering, and generations of families cheering for the same school.

But we're not pretending to be neutral.

Our allegiance is firmly planted in Happy Valley with the Penn State Nittany Lions!

WE ARE... PENN STATE!

Now we want to hear from YOU.

Announce your college football allegiance! Tell us who you’re cheering for this season. Penn State? Ohio State? Michigan? Alabama? Georgia? Texas? Notre Dame? Oregon? Some underdog that makes everyone ask, “Wait... they have a football team?”

We don't care. Plant your flag. Wear your colors. Defend your mascot. Bring the energy.

Because for a few hours every Saturday, we can put the serious stuff aside, cheer ridiculously loudly, enjoy one of America's greatest sports traditions, and Make Peace With Life™—at least until the next questionable holding call.

Who’s your team?  Put it in the Comments

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The Value of Actually Sending Someone a Greeting Card

There was a time when getting the mail was exciting.

You walked to the mailbox wondering what might be waiting inside.

Maybe a birthday card.

A postcard.

A handwritten letter.

Something from a friend you hadn't heard from in a while.

Today?

We open the mailbox and discover...

A credit card offer.

A bill.

Another credit card offer.

A flyer from a roofing company.

And somehow a restaurant menu from a place twenty miles away.

So when an actual greeting card suddenly appears among all that junk mail...

It feels surprisingly special.

A Text Is Nice. A Card Is Different.

Don't get me wrong.

I love a good text message.

A quick:

"Thinking about you."

"Happy Birthday!"

"Love you!"

can absolutely brighten someone's day.

But a greeting card requires something different.

You had to think about the person.

Find a card.

Choose one that somehow reminded you of them.

Buy it.

Write something inside.

Find their address.

Locate a stamp—which increasingly feels like an archaeological expedition.

Then physically put it into the mail.

That's effort.

And effort carries meaning.

Someone Actually Thought About Me

That's really the magic of receiving a card.

The person holding it immediately understands:

Someone thought about me when I wasn't there.

That's powerful.

We all want to feel remembered.

We want to feel important to somebody.

A greeting card becomes physical evidence of that connection.

You can hold it.

Put it on your desk.

Stick it on the refrigerator.

Keep it in a drawer.

Find it again ten years later.

Try doing that with a text from 2014.

You'll spend three hours scrolling before giving up and accidentally liking someone's ancient message.

The Energy Travels With It

Here's where things get wonderfully metaphysical.

Imagine the energy involved in sending a card.

You choose it while thinking about someone.

You write their name.

You add your own words.

Maybe you smile while writing them.

Maybe you remember an adventure you shared.

Maybe you write:

"I'm proud of you."

"I miss you."

"Thank you."

"You matter to me."

That intention becomes part of the object.

Then that little envelope travels across town—or across the country—carrying your thoughts with it.

From a metaphysical perspective, that's almost like sending a tiny package of personal energy through the postal system.

The postal worker may think they're delivering cardstock.

You're secretly mailing good vibes.

Handwriting Has Personality

There's also something wonderful about seeing someone's actual handwriting.

Even terrible handwriting.

Sometimes especially terrible handwriting.

Handwriting carries personality.

The way someone signs their name.

The little smiley face they draw.

The extra exclamation points.

The word they crossed out because apparently nobody owns correction fluid anymore.

It's imperfect.

Human.

Personal.

And that's exactly why it means something.

Greeting Cards Become Little Time Machines

One of the most beautiful things about cards is that people save them.

Years later, you can open an old box and suddenly find a birthday card from your grandmother.

Or a Valentine's card from your spouse.

Or a ridiculous card your kids gave you when they were little.

And instantly...

You're somewhere else.

You remember their voice.

Their laugh.

That chapter of your life.

A simple piece of paper becomes a portal to a memory.

That's pretty impressive technology considering it doesn't even need Wi-Fi.

Send Cards for Absolutely No Reason

We usually associate greeting cards with occasions.

Birthdays.

Anniversaries.

Christmas.

Valentine's Day.

But I think some of the most powerful cards are the ones that arrive for absolutely no reason.

Imagine opening your mailbox on a random Wednesday and seeing:

"Just wanted you to know I'm glad you're in my life."

That's emotional gold.

Nobody expects a Happy Random Wednesday card.

Which is exactly why we should probably start sending them.

You Never Know What Someone Needs

This may be the most important part.

We don't always know what people are going through.

Someone may be struggling privately.

Feeling lonely.

Questioning themselves.

Having a horrible week.

Then your card arrives.

Suddenly there is physical proof sitting in their hands that somebody cares.

Does a greeting card solve everything?

Of course not.

But sometimes one little positive moment interrupts a very negative day.

And that matters.

The Sender Benefits Too

Here's something we don't talk about enough.

Sending kindness feels good.

When you sit down and intentionally think about someone you care about, your own energy changes.

You remember why you appreciate them.

You reconnect with gratitude.

You stop thinking about your own problems for a few minutes and focus on giving someone else joy.

That's a pretty good metaphysical return on the price of a stamp.

Making Peace With Life

Making Peace With Life doesn't always require some enormous spiritual awakening.

Sometimes it happens in tiny human moments.

A hug.

A compliment.

A phone call.

A handwritten note.

A greeting card arriving unexpectedly in the mailbox.

We spend so much time looking for massive ways to make life better that we sometimes overlook the incredibly powerful little things.

So here's my challenge.

Find someone you haven't talked to in a while.

Buy a card.

Write something meaningful inside.

Put a stamp on it.

Send it.

Don't text them beforehand.

Don't announce it.

Let the card simply appear.

Then imagine that person opening the mailbox...

Seeing their name written in your handwriting...

And smiling.

That's energy.

That's connection.

That's kindness traveling through the world in an envelope.

And maybe...

For the price of a greeting card and a stamp...

You've helped someone Make Peace With Life for a few beautiful moments.

That's a pretty good investment.