Most of the best things in my life have come because of leaps of faith. I took the leap of faith to skip college because I took the leap of faith to follow my philosophical convictions. I found Praxis because […]
“. . . ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them . . .” – Luke 21 Today I passed a smiling dirty man holding a side on the side of the road.His […]
There are few things that give me more confidence than insane physical exertion. There are few things that *require* more confidence in me than approaching an attractive girl and asking for her number. Today I learned that it helps to […]
“Don’t reinvent the wheel.” As a naive and inexperienced marketer, I’ve hard this many times. The implication? Follow the ways of doing things that have been laid down before you. Often this is fine advice. The reason we have giants […]
Any kind of distance running is a psychological game, and music is one of the great mental hacks. So as I’ve gotten deeper into running – and now trail running – music has been an important ally. Given that our […]
In the 20th century, the story of European imperial holdings was a story (mostly) of communism. Do you think Winston Churchill anticipated this? Rudyard Kipling? Any of the other enthusiastic imperialists of the 19th century? They may have seen themselves […]
I wonder whether scientists like Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer had any inkling in their youth that their work in physics would one day be used to produce nuclear weapons. Yet by cooperating with the government that produced these weapons, […]
This one’s for all my fellow 20-somethings (and myself). Nature is trying with all its might to make us reproduce. And that’s a good thing. Without it, we wouldn’t take nearly enough chances in love to be happy. But that […]
“If you don’t know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn . . .” Cheryl, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand I’m not an especially anxious person, but I still experience fear like anyone else. I […]
Haven’t you wondered about what it would be like to drop your career and try something different? Didn’t you have a bunch of things you “wanted to be when you grew up” that you haven’t tried (yet)? I can answer […]
Remember that high school English teacher who scared the hell out of you for the first few months, then became the coolest teacher ever for the next four years? You probably ended up liking her more than you liked the […]
I was scrolling through Twitter when I came across this thought-provoking suggestion: Imagine if everyone went on a sort of “strike” all at once: don’t work with or for anyone you think is sleazy or unfair. Don’t do any job […]
The larger a community gets, the harder it is for that community to drive things together in the same direction. Scaling pretty much guarantees division and miscommunication (as well as a few sneaky evildoers hiding among good people). It’s hard […]
This past weekend I was running down Stone Mountain at a breakneck pace, practicing something very close to parkour on the rocks of the trail. It was stupid, it was reckless, but it was everything I wanted to be when […]
“You’re not a Nazi, Jojo. You’re a ten year-old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be part of a club.” – Jojo Rabbit You know it’s a good movie when you clap spontaneously, laugh […]
There are many ways to feel happier, become more generous, and get more connected with your neighbors. And most of them are pretty simple. One of the habits I’ve picked up that enriches my life when I’m out and about […]
I have quite a lot of goals and projects and just 24 hours in the day, so I’ve had to get economical. One of my favorite ways to get the most from a day is to take on my challenges […]
Halloween is a brilliant time of year. For one day, it’s socially acceptable for anyone – from carefree child to corporate office adult – to put on a costume and be someone else. At work today, my coworkers transformed into […]
It’s fashionable to hate Facebook now, and I get it. I would like to see a social media business model that didn’t rely on the sale of data. Breaking your own privacy policy is bad. But I also know that […]
Coaches kind of suck sometimes. They yell at you. They push you. They don’t go easy. They pick out failures. Of course, this is also what makes coaches great. They fill in the unenviable role of confronting your massive ego […]
Tonight I got to attend my first house concert, and it was glorious. Where else can you watch a talented musician from the comfort of a plush chair (with snacks)? Where else can you cuddle with a dog while you […]
If you’re going to try distance running, you’ll need to become a pro at generating energy when you feel like your reserves are spent. Here are a few tried and tested ways to gain a second wind on a run” […]
How did I get into trail running? It all started with Last of the Mohicans. See, when I was growing up my Dad and I watched LOTS of historical fiction war films. This film adaptation of the French and Indian […]
Lots of folks say you should “believe in yourself.” What they fail to recognize is that belief isn’t something you can just switch on. If you haven’t proven in your past actions that you are brave, skilled, or wise, you […]
Running is a sport full of coaches. At any race, you’ll find 20 people who will freely give you advice if you ask. And in my journey as a runner, I’ve had several people who were influential in giving me […]
On my last apartment move-out, I hired a cleaning service. It was great (if pricey). The cleaning crew left the apartment looking spotless. This time I decided to “save some money” and do it myself. It just keeps coming: Scrubbing […]
In Forty Autumns, author Nina Willner tells a beautiful family history of life in a family divided by the wall between East and West Germany. Particularly interesting were the coping tactics of her family in the totalitarian socialist East Germany. […]
Have you ever tried to use finely instrumented computer? Fly a plane? Manage the sound mix of 20 microphones at a live concert? What about hitting a nail with a hammer? All of these activities involve the use of tools, […]
Today I was fascinated by one woman’s biography of 40 years of a German family’s life under East German rule. Forty Autumns is mostly about the small (heartwarming as well as heartbreaking) stories of family members trying to stay connected […]
Tonight I saw a great performance of Julius Caesar at Atlanta’s Shakespeare Tavern, which never fails to impress me with quality acting, great direction, and original humor and interpretations. This was the first Shakespeare play I ever read (gotten out […]