How to Stay (or Get) Inspired
"It's no coincidence that 'aspiration' means both hope and the act of breathing." Writer Ted Chiang
For years, I've kept a Google Doc with a cut-to-the-chase title, "Inspiration." It's a storage shed of quotes and
Topic
Stuff to Feel Good About!
A collection of 46 issues
The Secret Sauce for When We're Bummed
At the hardware store, I got a trash picker, the technical name for that long-handled thingamajig with little claws at the end that you use to grab soda cans, cigarette butts, shopping bags off the ground.
When I am bummed about what's happening in the world, I
Why Your Actions Matter, Even When They Don't Feel Impactful
Oak trees are ecological grand slams. They support 897 kinds of caterpillars; and a single - one! - clutch of chickadees needs 7,000 of those protein-packed caterpillars to fly the nest. Then, those caterpillar-fortified chickadees go forth to reduce our insect population, spread seeds, and pollinate the heck outta
What To Do Now
A common scene:
Between work meetings, an unassuming chap takes a quick scan of the headlines. His brow furrows. His shoulders slump. His heart is now sinking like the Titanic.
And this mere mortal, so dismayed that today's headlines are in fact worse than yesterday's, does
Two Things We Can Do to Strengthen Democracy Today
A few insights to set the mood:
"The only recognizable feature of hope is action."
Grace Paley, short story writer.
"What if the mightiest word is love?"
Elizabeth Alexander, a poet who once taught at the University of Chicago, where she met a community organizer who
How to Find Comfort in a Discomforting Season
When my Mum was diagnosed with cancer, lentil soup showed up on her porch. Friends picked her bouquets from their gardens, baked her bread from their sourdough starter, sent letters quoting Rumi and Wendell Berry, which she perched on her windowsills.
And my mother whose spine was straight and fierce
Where the Saviors Are
"K-I-D!" Coach Murphy bellowed from the pool deck at swim meets when I would ask him how our team was doing. "Don't WASTE my time with that. Go swim your heart out and get me a BETTER score."
So I'd
Ways to Win the Day Right Now
When I drove by the assisted living facility on a cold, lightless February day, a group of residents, some in wheelchairs, some with walkers, were posted on the corner waving homemade signs: "HONK FOR PEACE!"
The word win comes in part from the Old English winnan meaning to
How to Stop Giving the Powerful More Power + Build Up Our Own Instead
Years ago, I knew a woman who worked at a muscle magazine. She told me that before photoshoots, some bodybuilders would inject a kind of filler into their muscles to temporarily make them look bigger.
It's very dangerous, and very effective. It creates the appearance of strength, though
How to Meet the Chaotic Moment with Greatheartedness
Most winter Mondays, I pull into the gym parking lot a little before 5pm, grab my sneaks, and hoof it through the cold towards the glowing outdoor light by the entrance. This past Monday, though, there was no glowing outdoor light. Which was the first time I'd noticed