Over the past couple years I have been working to integrate a new health regimen into my life that includes meditation, yoga and Ayurvedic health practices. However, while these practices are supposed to help me achieve balance, I’ve found that there seem to be so many things that I am supposed to do to maintain well-being that I accumulate stress when I can’t do it all. Trying to juggle a healthy lifestyle while having a 9-5 job during the week and also working everyday towards my goals and dreams seems near impossible. I find myself fretting constantly about what things are the most important for me right now in my life and I find that there are too many to complete all at once. How can we achieve health and balance while working towards our dreams at the same time without accumulating stress from trying to do it all?

I am in a dilemma. How far a person can go for one’s family? What if family members are lying to us. is it still necessary to help them financially if they are in need of money? I have supported my family ever since I have been employed. My parents are not alive anymore. My siblings are dependent on me financially but I discovered they are wasting my hard earned money and enjoying their lives. When they make financial decisions with the money I give them, without asking me beforehand, is it still my duty to support them since they are not earning any money themselves. They do not even make any effort. They tell me they will beg in streets if I do not send money. I am just fed up of their behavior but in a dharam sankat I feel that they will not have anything to eat if I do not send money.

I just read your book, “Muhammad”, which is a very interesting read, not only because of the powerful story telling skill, but also because of the awareness of the details of the place, the timing, and the way of thinking, coming from someone who was born a Muslim, but now consider myself agnostic. My question is: What was Muhammad’s true motivation? from my point of view, I think he was one of two things: 1- Someone who actually thought he saw Gabriel, God, Buraq…..etc. 2- A selfish leader who has represented the “ultimate” sales and marketing pitch and product (Fear of death and hopes for eternity). However, I might be off here, because, to play the devil’s advocate, in defense of the first motivation, I don’t think someone who saw shadows will be a great leader who people would listen to, I mean, a leader if anything should have some sense of common sense, and logic. And in defense of the second motive, if he was an evil and he knew it, then I don’t think he would have been as successful as he was for that long simply because he knows that he is not doing the right thing! So to conclude, what do you think Muhammad truly believed? I appreciate your input.

I am currently on “vacation” from work but trying to make a decision on whether to take the family somewhere on a well-deserved time off (especially mom) or really take a good look at our finances and not take a trip at all. I guess my question is, what causes more stress? The not taking real time off or the dealing with the financial strain when you come back?

I recently started becoming more self-aware, and read some information on the ego, that was very negative, and I started to have an internal battle with myself, mainly with my ego, and I am trying to find more ways to loosen the grasp of my own ego, but because I started fighting myself, I feel that I became more gripped in it. How do I return to my natural essence, and forgive myself for turning against myself?