Recently I was in Wal*Mart, and the lady in front of me bought a whole stack of Powerball tickets. She paid cash. One shouldn't judge others, but she didn't look like she could afford her groceries. Someone wins the Powerball. Maybe it will be her. Except I once read that hitting the big payoff would …
The Anatomy of Peace: Part 2
From time to time, I will post longer articles that go into greater depth. The following post is about a 10-minute read. I will return to my usual short-format posts next week. "The Anatomy of Peace" is a series that presents a retrospective understanding of the role awareness plays in the pursuit of joy and …
An Inside Job
I grew up in a devout Christian family. My parents held firm views on most things, especially when it came to religion. They believed there were two types of people in the world; believers and non-believers. Most of the families on our block regularly attended church. We didn’t associate with those who didn’t. The United …
Change
Most of us resist change. Given that change is constant, a better strategy would be to lean into it, but it’s hard to do. Friends that were better downhill skiers than me (most) encouraged me to lean forward and point my skis downhill. That’s exactly what I was trying to prevent. Fighting gravity, I …
A Part Of Us
I have an embarrassing confession to make. At the risk of being canceled, I need to share that there is a little bit of W.C. Fields in me! The part I'm referring to concerns small children and dogs. Don't get me wrong. I like animals. Cats are my favorite. A cat will walk into a …
Zero-Sum Games
I am becoming increasingly concerned about growing divisiveness in our country. The danger of sharing my thoughts on this matter is that it ignites further political vitriol. That's the last thing I want to do. Setting ideology aside, is it possible we're becoming unhinged because the fundamental operating premise of both political parties is wrong? …
Angels Get A Better View
I believe a life well-lived balances body, mind, and Spirit. But, what does that mean for people who do not hold Spiritual beliefs? Are they excluded? The meaning of Spirit is deeply personal. Recognizing that people hold diverse beliefs, I approach Spirit in a broadly inclusive context. This will fall short for some, but is …
The Mathematics of Life
I'm one of those people who finds math difficult. In grade school, I would rather add or multiply than subtract or divide. I had trouble understanding how to take away more than you have or divide something that is whole. That's still true. It was difficult to avoid math in college. Strangely, I breezed through …
“God Is Great, Beer Is Good, and People Are Crazy”*
We are getting angrier. It's evident in the media and in our streets. I feel it myself! Singer-songwriter Paul Thorn, wrote a song titled, “What the hell is going on?" I’d like to know! My buddy Tom claims much of the blame can be placed on Covid. He says it's a crime against humanity. Not …
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Bad Self-Portraits
Recently I was listening to a Brene’ Brown podcast, and something she said caught my attention: “Fitting in is when we want to be a part of others… Belonging is when others want us to be a part of them.” I love the symmetry in that and began to wonder, which is better, to fit …