Happy New Year! This has been a horrible year for all the reasons I don't need to list here. Nonetheless, as I have done for quite a few years, here are some of the experiences I enjoyed this past year: what I listened to, what I read, what I watched,…
This year has been one of the most challenging years of my life. Of course, everything is relative and there are many people who faced much worse challenges than I did. As I struggled through some situations, I jotted down a number of reminders to help me have the best…
With so much suffering this year, it can feel awkward to talk (or write) about silver linings from the pandemic. Nonetheless, it can be helpful to think about them as part of a practice of gratitude. Last week, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Morning Brew newsletter solicited from their…
Last year I wrote about my primary takeaways from listening to Arthur Brooks in conversation with Simon Sinek at an event I attended. The conversation, as I outlined in a prior post, was about the way we can heal our divided world by practicing an approach of loving your enemies…
One lesson that’s been reinforced for me during the pandemic is that new experiences come with fear, uncertainty, and discomfort. The first time I went to the supermarket was unnerving. The second time was a bit easier. The third time easier still. I got into a routine, and while the…
I am a big fan of the minimalism movement. I am a long-time minimalist in many ways, though in most ways I am not nearly as minimalist as many others. I have always taken pride in being a smart consumer. Though I have more than a minimal amount of “stuff,”…
The Wall Street Journal published a really good piece explaining why being kind helps you, too. As the piece explains, “research links kindness to a wealth of physical and emotional benefits – and it’s an excellent coping skill for the COVID-19 era.” You may not be able to read the…
I recently stumbled across two posts I wrote in 2014 about parenting. I enjoyed reading those posts, which had been inspired by my eldest child’s graduation from college, and I am republishing some of that content today. Parents need to be leaders: it's leadership by example. Parents also need to…
Chadwick Boseman’s death came as a shock to the world. He had many fans, as made clear when the announcement of his passing on his Twitter account became the most retweeted post ever. Boseman was only 43 and died of colon cancer. He was very young to have been afflicted…
I’ve shared parenting suggestions here a few times. Leo Babauta, who writes on his site Zen Habits, is one of my long-time, favorite, personal development writers. Last year, he posted about some of the life lessons he has taught his (now mostly adult) kids—lessons they shared back with him on…
In 1977, when my grandfather passed away at what then seemed like the ripe old age of 73, he had what was called senility. I remember visiting my grandfather in a nursing home. I remember helping him stay on the right page at religious services—services he previously had known like…
About six weeks into sheltering-in-place, I hit a low. As someone who is able to work from home, I am well aware my low is far higher than those on unemployment, which makes me a bit reluctant to talk or write about my situation. But, as I learned many years…