Spiritually Hungry

When a friend is in crisis, how do you show up? Every situation is different. And while you can’t fix someone, you can show up for them in a powerful, life-altering way. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, we talk about the act of holding space for friends in need. How do we know when to step in? And how do we show love? We invite you to listen in on this important conversation.“If you are a person who holds yourself back, the one thing you will be left with is regret.”– Monica BergFurther Readings:How Do You Serve a Friend in Despair? by David Brookshttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/opinion/despair-friendship-suicide.html

Do you still have questions about reincarnation? We know you do because we received more emails about episodes 124 and 126 than about any other episode we’ve ever recorded. This week on Spiritually Hungry, we sit down to answer your biggest questions about reincarnation and what it means for you and this life you’re living right now.“One of the most fundamental truths about any attainment of wisdom is that you understand how little you do understand. The more you study, the more wisdom you gain, the more vast you realize the truth is.” – Michael Berg

Have you ever met a stranger and felt instantly comfortable in their company? Or have you ever experienced a deep familiarity with someone you are just getting to know? You may have met them before. Kabbalah teaches that our souls connect and reconnect over lifetimes, and therefore, the people you encounter are part of your higher purpose. We invite you to join us as we continue our conversation about reincarnation in this episode of Spiritually Hungry.“The secret of reincarnation is to make practical and visceral the connectedness of all the souls we come in contact with every day.” – Michael Berg

Have you ever felt like the challenges you experience in life are meaningless? According to Kabbalah, every single bump in the road is there to help us evolve into something more than we are today. We invite you to join us for this live-recorded episode of Spiritually Hungry as we discuss the purpose of darkness in life.“You have the ability to say, this isn’t just a terrible thing I’m going through—there’s a purpose to this. And not only is there a purpose to this, but this is actually the purpose of life.” - Michael BergFurther Readings:Far From the Tree, by Andrew Solomon

Does life ever feel so surprising that it doesn’t seem to make any sense? We know the feeling. Nothing in life is entirely random. There are many lifetimes at play. In part 1 of this 2-part episode of Spiritually Hungry, we get into the nitty gritty of reincarnation and discuss how to go beyond simply being a “good person" so we can clear the debts of the past.“Our soul’s purpose in this world is to get back to 100% of who we actually are. The spiritual work we do as we endeavor to become a better person is what makes us greater. We keep coming back until we become 100% of ourselves.” – Michael Berg

What happens after that dramatic kiss in the rain? A romantic commitment is not the end of a love story. It’s just the beginning. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we are excited to bring you this episode of Spiritually Hungry, all about the evolution of love after a couple drives off into the sunset.“This internal work is never complete, it is ever-evolving, and our relationships are intended to be as well. Individuals evolve individually so they can evolve together.” – Monica BergFurther Readings:The Art of Loving by Erich FrommOutliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell

How do you nurture your soul? We would love to share a few simple but essential ways to give your soul the things it needs to grow and thrive. Spirituality is not a luxury for when we have extra time or energy. Rather, it can be integrated into every aspect of our lives. Join us, Monica and Michael Berg, as we talk about how to prioritize a daily spiritual practice on this episode of Spiritually Hungry.“Spirit is something that needs to be taken care of. It’s more important than any other pursuit, including the mind or the body.” – Monica BergFurther Readings:Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore

Nature is all around us. But how often do you really connect with the great outdoors? One of the most profound lessons we can learn from the natural world is the deep interconnectedness of all living things. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael discuss the unique ways nature can expand our consciousness and impact our lives. “I don’t think it’s possible to live the life we are meant to live unless we are learning from nature, experiencing the awesome expansiveness of nature, and then internalizing that into our consciousness.” – Michael BergFurther Readings:The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants by Karen Bakker

In a desire to share their truth, some people overshare and mistake it for authenticity. Not every truth needs to be shared. Authenticity is about being brave enough to be yourself and genuine enough to live according to your values. There is a time to speak up and a time for quiet reflection. In this insightful episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael discuss how to avoid the pitfalls of oversharing and remain aligned to your core beliefs.“When you are actively looking at another person and judging them or saying something negative about them, you are actively putting yourself in a place of darkness and negativity.”– Michael Berg“Prince Harry and the Value of Silence” by Patti Davishttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/opinion/prince-harry-and-the-value-of-silence.html

There are moments in life when we are struck speechless, so overwhelmed that we almost can’t process an experience. This is awe. It’s the feeling of being small in a way that also makes us feel part ofsomething larger. In this episode of Spiritually Hungry, Monica and Michael unpack the complexities of awe and why it’s such an important component of our spiritual practice. “In the deepest sense, awe takes us outside of physical selves and our ego into a connection with a much greater reality.” – Michael BergFurther Readings:Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher KeltnerThe Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life by Lisa Miller