Recently, I picked up Rick Rubin’s new book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Rubin is a nine-time Grammy award-winning music producer. Rather than sharing stories of studio sessions with famous musicians, the book focuses on how to build our “creative being.” Many of the points Rubin makes strike me as valid for enriching …
Should We Be Hopeful?
Recently I met a young business manager at our neighborhood watering hole. Our discussion covered many areas, including current events and music. He was articulate and seemed to have his head screwed on straight. We quickly developed a rapport, so I asked him: “Is it just me, or are depression and anxiety epidemic among your …
Art
Lately, I’ve wondered if the unique renderings created by Dall・E2 ( the AI software that converts text to images) qualify as art? What defines art? I don’t resonate with a lot of the art I see in museums. Yet, it must be art if it’s in a museum, right? When I was a teenager, my …
The Superhero Within
Everything about me has changed, except the feeling inside of being me. I don’t feel any different now than when I was twenty-five, until I look in the mirror! How can there be so much change on the outside and so little on the inside? Welcome to the superhero within, our immutable awareness. Awareness is …
Treasure Chest 2022
Words make a difference. They influence our thoughts, which in turn become our actions. Dad had a fabulous memory. He made a life-long practice of storing meaningful things he read in his “mental treasure chest.” He was fond of reciting entries from memory, saying they brought inspiration during difficult times. I don’t have a fabulous …
No Free Lunch
I’ve stayed away from writing about economics in this blog. Business friends knew that wouldn’t last! “There’s no free lunch” is a saying every economics student learns. The saying cautions there are consequences to windfall gains. It’s always accurate. I’ll provide an example: What if someone issued you a credit card with a special provision …
Finding Peace of Mind
Most of us live in our heads, consumed by what happened yesterday or might happen tomorrow while rushing around to get things done. This creates a lot of stress. Incidents of debilitating anxiety are rising in the U.S.; one could say it's an epidemic among young adults. I recently discussed this with a young person …
ChatGPT Reviews My Blog
ChatGPT is an interactive computer software that allows one to ask questions and get human-like answers. It was launched November 30, 2022, by OpenAI, a company created by Elon Musk and Sam Altman, with assistance from Microsoft's $1 Billion investment. Since ChatGPT’s launch, its website has been overwhelmed with traffic. After several attempts, I …
A New Year’s Look On Life
I started this blog nearly three years ago during the first weeks of the pandemic lockdown. At the time, I never expected it to be a long term project. This is post number 155. To date, the blog has 13,000 views from people in 45 countries. That blows my mind! Those stats don’t exactly put …
Closing Thoughts For 2022, Part 3
As we close 2022, I’ve been reflecting on the meaning of wisdom, truth, and love. Having previously covered wisdom and truth, I turn this week to love. Love If asked to name the opposite of love, I would say isolation. Isolation goes against the natural order of things. Naturalist John Muir (1838-1914) noted, “When we …
Towards A Life Well-Lived 