Would you feel happy if you were content? Have we underestimated the power of being satisfied? The cult of perpetual happiness should be included in the DSM6 as a crippling pathology and a societal delusion perpetrated by cultural norms and insatiable ego. Instead, we are inundated with reasons to be unhappy…

There is a liminal space where all that is left to do is to wait. I struggle in limbo as an impatient imperfectionist with a severe action bias. I tend to leap rather than look, speak rather than listen, and challenge before accepting. After writing the paragraph above, I intentionally took…

I celebrate another birthday in two weeks — nothing monumental, just another trip around the sun. But, as should be the case, the arbitrary occasion has given me pause for reflection and anticipation. Amid this, I am reading three different books that all impact my examination. “ Protecting the Gift…

Do squirrels say “person” and jump from something essential to get a better look? Are they easily distracted and drawn to shiny things? Is something new more appealing than what they are currently doing (climbing, eating, chirping, smelling, ..)? Do you have problems focusing on the task at hand? Are you…

Courage; where does yours come from? Courage isn’t the opposite of fear, it is the opposite of complacency. Complacency is the bastard child of certainty and convenience. When those two get together, they sap our curiousity, commitment, and collaboration and destroy our courage by convincing us to continue clamoring confidently…

This week I celebrate all those people who I remember vividly and those who I don’t recall who made space for me on my journey. Those who challenged me, those who tolerated me, those who loved me, and those who detested what I said and how I presented myself all…

Life is meaningful at the edges. Find somewhere in between to explore today. I am delving into the vocabulary and practice of debate. Or at least some of the phrases that we critically use to undermine the arguments and logic of my opponents. Even framing others as opponents set up…

Authenticity exists in the awkward moments of our lives when we aren’t on a script or can’t rely on entrenched formulas and models. It is easy to discuss, debate, argue, or converse when I stick to my talking points and avoid being curious and vulnerable. I feel uneasy when I…

Last weekend, in a very formal, privileged venue with millionaires and billionaires celebrating each other and pumping one another’s tires, a slap was heard around the world. After the award presenter, Chris Rock, resorted to ridicule rather than humor at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith, her husband Will Smith…