The Blog

I don't know if you've noticed, but the world is pretty jacked up. There's plenty of blame to go around, but the real question is, how do we fix it? Here's an idea: If there was any way we could all become a little bit more like Mister Rogers, I think we'd be on the right track. Easier said than done, I know. But making the world better is always worth a try.  I suspect even he would downplay that suggestion, pointing out that we're all special in our own way. He wouldn't want us to be more like him; he'd want us to be more like ourselves. Our best selves. If there's anything we …

[Read more...] about Trying to Make the World Better is Always Worth a Try

Mama said there'd be days like this. Sometimes when we're feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or sad, we simply need a time out.  Or pizza.  That was the prescription our midwife gave us after Lucy was born. Kim and I had come into the delivery day mentally depleted, our first child already a few weeks overdue. Then the labor itself was a marathon. After the birth, Kim almost fainted because of a drop in blood pressure. As she recovered, it was on me to put on Lucy's first diaper and figure out out to dress a four-hour-old (it's like trying to gift-wrap Jell-O) before clearing …

[Read more...] about Your Inner Check Engine Light

What makes an artist an artist? I was dubbed an artist as a kid and I held onto that label ever since. Back then, I operated under the assumption that artists were people who were good at drawing things. Eventually, I started to realize that artists came in many flavors. We could include painters, sculptors, fashion designers, photographers, poets, songwriters, musicians, actors, dancers...and the field grows. Looking at the aforementioned list, one might be tempted to reframe an artist as anyone who does creative work. Which is fair. But doesn't it require creativity to figure out a way to …

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We need to spend more time IN our comfort zones.  There, I said it. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned against all that is holy in the culture of self-improvement. Every so-called guru constantly advises us to shore up our weaknesses and do things that are out of our comfort zone. It's apparently the magic path to success, riches, and enlightenment.  And it might be robbing the world of the best we have to offer. Of course, there is a pearl of wisdom in this adage. I am an introvert, and I can credit some of the most awesome aspects of my life to the times I stretched my comfort …

[Read more...] about A Case for Embracing Your Comfort Zone