As part of a conversation in episode 42 of No Stupid Questions, Stephen Dubner made mention of people who lived through—and therefore, for a period of time, adapted to—horrible situations, and then shared this hypothesis: “All of us can adapt to some degree. But with something as simple as removing sugar from your coffee, to … Read more
Too long, didn’t read. I can’t listen to hour-long podcasts. I don’t click on videos that are more than three minutes long. As a creator, I feel pressure to create content that is meaningful, that will connect with my audience, that has substance and value, and is short. If it’s too long, no one will … Read more
For a few years now, I’ve received “Notes from the Universe” in my email. Sometimes I read them and hit delete and that’s that. Sometimes I read them and smile and hit delete and that’s that. Sometimes I read them and they hit me just the right way. Or the wrong way. Or both. Here’s … Read more
Tempe Town Lake is a man-made lake not far from here where you can use a paddleboat or a kayak or go fishing. It’s also a popular location for triathlons. The water is not crystalline. When I swam in Tempe Town Lake, I couldn’t see my hand at the end of my completely outstretched arm. … Read more
In a conversation on Zoom this morning, we chatted about staying on track with work and life. A system I guess-and-checked my way into is working really well for me right now and seemed to resonate with others, so I thought I’d share it with you. Take what resonates, leave the rest. First, I made … Read more
During the summer of 2019, I got to visit my great-aunt, the twin sister of my late grandmother, my biggest fan as I grew into being a musician. Whenever I go back east, I make sure to visit Aunt Ellen. I learned on my last visit that she’s in an assisted living facility now—against her … Read more
It’s easy to see the bad parts of 2020. They’re on the news, they’re in articles, they’re in memes, they’re showing up in expected and unexpected places in our lives. For the overwhelming majority of us, there were good parts to 2020 as well, even if some of them are double-edged. For example, both of … Read more
Like everyone (I assume) in the US, we’ve been inundated with political ads. We don’t watch TV, so that helps. But the volume of postcards has been ridiculous. In particular, we received a postcard most days for several weeks, telling us the evils of one specific (not presidential) candidate. If I didn’t know the state-level … Read more
The Kid has an enormous amount of energy. To be honest, it’s exhausting. But it’s who he is and, for the most part, it’s good for him. As a general rule, we all are too content to sit. He often can when he needs to and the rest of the time? In motion. He received … Read more
First: this is my experience. It might not match yours. I’ve struggled with depression for about as long as I can remember. In relatively recent years, I’ve learned how to manage it. Mine seems to be connection-related. When I feel well-connected to important people, my brain chemicals stay happy. When I feel disconnected from people, … Read more