My therapist recently tossed me a hypothetical. Picture this: You’re walking down the street. On the corner stands a man—just standing there, minding his business. Out of nowhere, another guy walks up and kicks him. Hard. No warning, no reason. Now, she asked me, do you feel angry for the man who got kicked? I … Read More
resistance
Stuck
If you want to do something that you’re passionate about, but you find yourself stuck in a cycle of uncertainty… Practice the process of taking one small step in the direction of your passion. Considering all the possible outcomes–plausibile and implausible–has a way of immobilizing us. And the time spent being stuck is time you … Read More
Fear, Choice, and the Journey Beyond Comfort
In the distant past, our ancestors had no choice but to fear—fear of being chased by predators, fear of starvation, fear of sickness. But today, fear is largely manufactured in our minds. Fear is a choice. Apathy is also a choice. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re not in a place where your work, … Read More
on feeling optimistic again
I came across a post in the r/self Reddit community that inspired me to write today. The OP, a 40 year old male, wrote that he had visited a college with his young daughter recently, and the experience had made him feel sadness. The idea that the beautiful and hopeful experience that is being a … Read More
Moonshots
We often start with the easy stuff. It feels productive—small wins, minimal risk, a sense of momentum—but in reality, it could be a distraction from tackling the harder challenges. As Astro Teller, Director of X (a Google company), said on Simon Sinek’s podcast, A Bit of Optimism, most people solve the easiest problems first because … Read More
Thoughts on Resistance
Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That’s why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant … Read More