As part of a book club that attracts folks at an inflection point, I’m currently reading Jim Collins’ What To Make of a Life. I’ve not read his other books, but apparently he has quite a following in the tech / business world, and the founder of this book club is a Business School professor. The book consists of a …
Limited Time Offer
I’ve tried to keep busy this week. Coffee with a friend I met in kindergarten. Dedicating at least an hour every day I’m off to creating art, the first protected time I’ve carved out for that in a long while. Meeting as part of a group that is fund-raising for an institution that means a lot to our family. Then, …
Getting Out Of My Head
I spend a lot of time thinking about what comes next. Like many aspects of my personality, this is a pathology with utility. It has served me well in personal finance. My preoccupation has resulted in early financial independence (FI), which is a boon for our family. At other times, however this laser-focus on the path ahead causes me to …
Et Tu?
I have remained close with a friend from childhood. We met in a summer university program when we were in high school. I began dating her close friend at the same time my close friend in the program began dating her. After the program ended, we began a correspondence that lasted decades – on my end, it was the single …
Compass Values
Compass values ensure decision-making is aligned with your authentic motives, mores and plans for growth. The book I am reading suggests that you can hone in on compass values by reviewing how you view life, work and your current narrative. I am not a natural at reading self-help books, and it takes repeated effort to set aside time to follow …
My Current Story
I’m in a state of transition. My kids are about to leave home, and for the past 20 years they have served as the axis around which our lives revolved. In preparation for the departure of our eldest (this autumn), I am trying to fill my time with pursuits and relationships that will sustain me once the kids are out …
Regardless Days
Monday mornings at the beach are a favorite guilty pleasure. This morning the surf report predicted a 2-3 foot swell at my local break, so I dropped my son off at school for an early class, loaded up the car and headed over. The only other person in the water was a friendly crane operator I’d met in the lineup …
Life View
I am reading the book How to Live a Meaningful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, a couple of professors at Stanford, as part of a virtual book club I belong to. The group is comprised of middle-aged professionals, some with workaholic tendencies, who are trying to navigate the next stage of life and exploring if there’s another iteration …
You Never Step In The Same River Twice
The title comes from a favorite saying from a long-time reader back in the day, and I recalled it for a couple of reasons. First, I learned that a favorite coffee house I used to frequent as a med student had shuttered back in 2022. It was a place where Robin Williams had once been spotted grabbing a pick me …
Thank You Note
[Some time ago, I came across the recommendation to write thank you letters on a regular basis as part of a gratitude practice. What follows is my first attempt.] Dear E, If you are receiving this, it probably took a few minutes of amateur internet sleuthing to track you down. Let’s get a few things straight out of the gate …