Last year, my inspirational word was Everest. Earth’s highest mountain (above sea level) seemed an appropriate metaphor as I strove to conquer a new type of writing. Jumping from genre fiction to book club fiction certainly felt like a climb. What made Everest so...
Reviews of Titles I Read This Month As I start this, the next to last review column of the year, I’ve realized that there are very few bad books in this world. There are only books that are wrong for the reader. The book I find tedious may be riveting to someone else,...
A Few Thoughts About Connecting with Others Recently Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness a national epidemic. According to a study by Cigna, roughly 58% of the population report being lonely. We’re alone too much, working remotely and relying on texting...
Taking a page from Marcus Aurelius’ Mediations, I sat down and wrote the following in my journal this morning. 1.Stay True to Your Values.Let your personal ethics guide your actions. Trust Your Instincts, not Your Anxiety.Fear is real, but it is seldom based on fact....
I turned 59 yesterday. Not a milestone birthday, but dangerously close As a result, I found myself spending a good portion of this week taking stock. How do I want to spend the last decades of my life? What changes over the next twelve months to become that person?...
When my son was a young teenager, he dreamed of being an elite-level gymnast. Only one thing held him back: lack of physical ability. “Some gymnasts are strong. Some gymnasts are flexible,” his coach liked to say. “You are neither.” What my son did have was tenacity....
