Nudges from Nature

When I'm feeling fulfilled, warm, and giving, I'm grateful that the feeling has returned. When I'm overwhelmed, I'm grateful to know that it will pass. When I'm full of fear, anxious about the future, and uncertain about what to do, I'm grateful for the ability to look inward, knowing peace will return. When I'm burdened by life's daily challenges, I'm grateful that they are mine. When I'm alone and feeling alone, I'm grateful knowing soon I will welcome others to my home. When I'm uneasy and I don't know why, I'm grateful for the understanding and patience my wife and of my children. When I lack focus on my work, I'm grateful my habits lead me toward healthy distractions like playing guitar, baking sourdough bread, and tending to the cabbage fermenting on the counter. When I'm down, I'm grateful knowing deeply that it will pass, on its own. I'm grateful when I have no will, that there is nothing for me to do. Whet

You can't browse through a newsfeed these days without seeing some mention of anxiety and depression being at an all-time high.  While it seems to be most shocking and pervasive among kids and teens, no one is immune.  Men, women, blue collar, white collar, rich, poor. One way we seem to be addressing this as a society is from the bottom up.  It's now common to post and talk openly about the individual struggle. A colleague shares on LinkedIn. A politician openly hospitalizes himself for treatment. A pop star vlogs about a particularly challenging episode. I imagine there's quite a bit of value in these things and perhaps contribute to a collective sigh of relief, however small and however fleeting. We feel better knowing we're not the only ones, and that others that we work with, others that we admire, others that we follow, are not exempt from the increasing barrage of threats to our mental well-being. What I've noticed most in the private, one-on-one conversation

What you focus your attention on is illuminated. If you’re looking to change, to improve, to be happier, to be more productive, to soothe your depression, to ease your anxiety, or to in any way alter your daily life for the better, you must look closely at yourself. You absolutely must find time in your day to step away from the world, be quiet, be still, and turn your attention inward. This doesn't have to be meditation, though this is perhaps the most intensely directed route. It can be any activity that moves your attention from your mind to your body, and allows you the space to play and create. Gardening, painting, hiking, writing, sketching, crafting. If you've ever lost track of time doing something, look there. Like meditation, these activities naturally and inevitably invoke introspection, whether you intend them to or not. If you don’t, you’re likely to live a life less than fully lived, or perhaps you’ll be forced into the change by circumstances. Depending on how fa

Having purpose is part of being human. It may be critical to living a long and joyful life. Finding that purpose can seem like a daunting task. I believe one of the best tactics for finding one's purpose is to put aside effort and instead know that your purpose will find you . If you're struggling, find a quiet place to sit still for a little while.  Take three deep breaths, and ask these questions, either silently to yourself or out loud: Who am I? What am I to do? Where am I to go? What should I say and to whom? And then listen. And even more importantly, observe. And ask again tomorrow. And the next day. Even several times a day if you like. The universe expects you to be a conduit for its creation. Like melting snowpack at the highest peak must eventually find its way to the ocean, your purpose must eventually find you. It simply must. Be open and allow it to do so.

I first met Craig in the heyday of the dotcom boom. I interviewed him for a PR position at the high-tech startup where I was marketing director, and we became fast friends.  I hired him on the spot. In return, he invited me for dinner that night at La Barca in the Marina District of San Francisco with his roommates to celebrate. We drank pitchers of margaritas followed by many bottles of beer, and there was probably some food in there too. We were young and stayed up all night carousing around the bars of the city and playing cards back at his apartment once they closed. Craig lives in LA now. He has a two-year-old daughter, a baby mama who's a bit of a nightmare, and is lately under a tremendous amount of pressure at his job. The company is in free fall, and the new executive leadership is taking a slash-and-burn approach in a desperate attempt to turn things around. Several directors have recently left, voluntarily, including his boss -- who was handpicked and placed in the posit

Cosmic apples. If that title sounds like a creative metaphor for some kind of nutrient-dense concept for the soul, I'm sorry to disappoint. Though, who knows, perhaps the title has come to me for dual interpretation. We'll see. Cosmic Crisp is a variety of apple.  I started a die...er...a nutrition program recently on a whim. My health insurance company targeted me with an offer to join one of several health programs for free.  I abhor the health industry in America, and generally ignore anything they send me except for bills - which I review religiously (and, sorry, you should too. 85% of medical bills contain errors. It's criminal.) I don't know why this promotional email caught my attention this time, and even more surprising, I acted on it.  The basic gist of it is to eat 75% fruits and vegetables and 25% lean proteins. There's a one page list of allowed foods for phase 1, and it looked doable. And, they emphasize you can eat as much as you want, and really talk

I read so many books, I easily lose track of how I came to possess them. Friends, articles, references in other books.  I devour these recommendations and always have a stack by my bed, usually overweighted with non-fiction and increasingly related to consciousness, purpose, and various mysteries of life. I get a lot of books from my local public library. I love libraries. There's a meme circulating around about them being one of the few remaining places in our capitalistic society where you're permitted to exist without expectation the expectation to spend money. I love walking into the library and walking out with almost too much to carry. It's incredibly freeing. I've had a lifelong habit of reading about five books at once. Recently, as I've been delving deeper into the unknown, it seems like several books can meld into a single volume. My friend made the comment that books talk to each other. My cousin suggested that in certain cases, there is only one author -