Notes from an 87-year-old clinical psychologist
3 small acts of love that changed my heart
Dear friends,
Happy Valentine’s Day.
At eighty-seven, I’ve come to understand a profound truth about love:
It grows through action.
Not through grand gestures or a single holiday, but through small, steady expressions.
What follows is a short do-list.
3 ways I practice love in order to feel more connected and alive.
I perform one small loving act each day in order to strengthen the heart.
One gesture. One kind word. One thoughtful action.
A smile in the supermarket. A brief phone call. A moment of patience.
The difference between doing nothing and doing something is immense. One act shifts the tone of a day.I include myself in the circle of love in order to stay balanced.
Love is not only outward. It also turns inward.
A gentle touch on the arm. A few kind words spoken privately. A pause to breathe.
Taking a moment to comfort yourself isn’t selfish. It’s the same care you would offer a dear friend.
3. I reach out in order to build connection.
A simple call. A short message. A note that says, “I was thinking of you.”
Connection does not require romance. It requires sincerity.
A small effort restores warmth in places that may have grown quiet.
There is one more truth that has become clearer to me with age:
Love given helps the giver as much as the one who receives it.
When we act with love, we feel it too.
A small loving act can gently change the way we feel inside.
I don’t claim mastery of this.
I practice.
I forget.
I begin again.
Today, choose one small act of love and carry it out before the day ends.
I’d love to hear from you—reply and share the small act of love you chose today.
Golden Light,
Dr. Richard Louis Miller
A note on working together
For those who feel drawn to working together more directly, I offer a limited number of one-on-one conversations.
These are not traditional therapy sessions. They are quiet, practical conversations focused on calming the mind, easing anxiety, and working with simple tools that support steadiness in daily life.
We move at a thoughtful pace. We work with what’s present. We focus on what helps.
If you’d like to learn more about working together one-on-one, you’re welcome to reply to this email and my team will share additional details.
1-minute mind control (my latest book)
Traditional mindfulness and meditation techniques often require a huge investment of your most precious resource (time) without guarantees of results.
My own version of mindfulness—what I sometimes refer to as “mind control”—can be mastered in much less time if you commit to regular 60-90 second practice throughout the day.
Breathing. Witnessing. Changing the channel on negative thoughts.
I’ve honed these techniques over a lifetime of personal and professional practice, and now I’m sharing them with the world.
Get my new book Master Your Mind, and as a thank you for your support, I’ll give you a free 30-day subscription to our premium newsletter and exclusive content. Just reply to this email after you buy it to confirm your purchase.
My Other Books:
Psychedelic Medicine at the End of Life: Dying Without Fear (release date: November 5)
Freeing Sexuality: Psychologists, Consent Teachers, Polyamory Experts, and Sex Workers Speak Out
Psychedelic Wisdom: The Astonishing Rewards of Mind-Altering Substances
Psychedelic Medicine: The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca
Integral Psychedelic Therapy (co-edited with Jason A. Butler & Genesee Herzberg)