(My apologies but the first post had a bad link) This week, I’m interrupting my normal posts to make a special announcement! What is the secret to living a joyful life? Most of us don’t think about such things until life throws us a curve ball, which ultimately, it always does. The pursuit of joy … Continue reading “Special Announcement: Correction”

Until recently, I haven’t been interested in artificial intelligence (AI). It seemed too far off, too technical, and not particularly relevant to my life. It’s becoming clear I’ve had my head in the sand! Prior to his 2018 death, theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, commented: “With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon…AI is a fundamental … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence is About to Redefine the Human Experience”

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 … Continue reading “Expanding Our Creative Being”

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 … Continue reading “Should We Be Hopeful?”

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 … Continue reading “Art”

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 … Continue reading “The Superhero Within”

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 … Continue reading “Treasure Chest 2022”

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 … Continue reading “No Free Lunch”

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 … Continue reading “Finding Peace of Mind”

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 … Continue reading “ChatGPT Reviews My Blog”

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 … Continue reading “A New Year’s Look On Life”

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 … Continue reading “Closing Thoughts For 2022, Part 3”

As we close 2022, I reflect on the meaning of Wisdom, Truth, and Love as preludes to offering a new approach to expanding joy and meaning in our lives. Having previously covered wisdom, I turn this week to truth. Truth Facts may be accurate, but the ultimate truth lies beyond facts. It is obvious from … Continue reading “Closing Thoughts for 2022, Part 2”

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on today’s social/cultural environment in the context of living a meaningful and joyful life. On the surface, it often appears incompatible. The wisdom of our elders seems to have escaped us. Truth has become relativistic and unmoored. We’ve sacrificed the love of our fellow citizens for our own increasingly narrow agendas. … Continue reading “Closing Thoughts For 2022, Part 1”

In 1964, at age 23, Bob Dylan recorded “My Back Pages.” The song’s refrain caught my attention the first time I heard it! “Ah, but I was so much older then. I’m younger than that now.” I was never sure what it meant. But lately, it’s becoming clear. Dylan wrote protest anthems that helped define … Continue reading ““Younger Than That Now””

What did you want to be when you grew up? How did that turn out? I have always dreamed of being a performance artist. X never got that square! John Lennon observed, “Life is what happens while we’re busy making other plans.” That’s pretty close to the mark! Most of us find ourselves in careers … Continue reading “Courage”

Our two-year-old Granddaughter recently asked her mom, “What is reality?” We’re not sure where that came from, but it’s a profound question for a 2-year-old or anyone else for that matter to ask. The quick answer might be reality is everything we experience. But what about things that are beyond sensory experience? Mysticism is a … Continue reading “Reality”

“The quickening” is an ancient term signifying the beginning of life, the first time an expectant mother feels her baby’s kick. Modern technological advances have shifted the definition of life’s beginning closer to the time of conception. Today, a new life is sometimes defined in terms of “viability,” when a developing fetus can survive independently … Continue reading “The Quickening”

Can you be free of your mind whenever you want? “I’m depressed!” “I’m stressed out!” “I’m upset!” Sound familiar? Let’s step back for a moment and ask a simple question: Who is the I? People have pondered this question for thousands of years. “I” is usually assumed to be a product of thought, but this … Continue reading “Out Of My Mind”

I started kindergarten in the autumn of 1960. One of the first group activities our class of 30+ students learned was “duck and cover!” When the school siren sounded, we were taught to quickly get up, form a single file line, and move out of the classroom to the school’s basement. There we would crouch … Continue reading “Happiness and Hard Times”