“If life were a board game, moving the goalpost would be the equivalent of flipping the board and shouting, ‘New rules, everyone!’” Moving the goalpost “Moving the goalpost” is an English expression for changing the terms of an agreement midway through a contract. Imagine promising your child a dollar a week for additional household chores … Read more

“What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.” Simon Sinek, explaining the art of iteration.  Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky famously said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” In retrospect, it’s a profound statement—one that transcends the world of sports and is … Read more

The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, emphasizing the persuasive power of stories and its ability to inspire people. The NY Times piece Why we tell stories, featured this short essay by Hikaru Nakamura, one of the world’s top blitz chess players and a popular Twitch … Read more

The path to a more meaningful and fulfilling life lies in simplifying and embracing the power of intentionality. In a world brimming with abundance and distractions, we quickly lose sight of what truly matters. Many of us fall into the trap of accumulating possessions, commitments, and busyness, mistakenly believing that these are signs of effective … Read more

Many of us find the words meaning and fulfillment esoteric and highfalutin and decide to worry about it when we retire from life’s obligations —work, raising and overseeing our kids, pets, and plants—and have little else to do. Apparently, that’s not what we’re supposed to do. In 1946, Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl chronicled his experiences … Read more

Steven Wright aptly described the word progress when he said, “I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done.”  Progress journeys From the time we’re born until we die, life, for most of us, is an incessant search for progress. The details vary. As toddlers, walking a few feet without falling flat on our … Read more

People, especially the rich and famous, often get asked what they regret most. Their answers vary. Some are truthful. Others makeup stuff that sounds erudite but, in reality, is quite banal. And then there are those who say they never look back and have no regrets. Good for them, I guess. A lot of self-help … Read more

It’s actually pretty easy to be contrarian. It’s hard to be contrarian and right. Reid Hoffman. The Great Debate On June 30, 1860, seven months following the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, a debate took place at the Oxford University Museum in Oxford, England. Referred to since as The Great Debate, … Read more

Marx is quoted as saying, “I used to think that all lawyers were crooks. Then I met one who was a liar.” The quote is funny because it takes a common stereotype and turns it on its head. But more importantly, it illustrates why it’s absurd to overgeneralize about people or situations. All generalizations are … Read more

Hypocrites are those who apply to others the standards that they refuse to accept for themselves. Noam Chomsky. Show, don’t tell “Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Anton Chekov. If there is one advice every English teacher has given to their students, it is this: … Read more

Optimism is normal, but some fortunate people are more optimistic than the rest of us. If you are genetically endowed with an optimism bias, you hardly need to be told that you are a lucky person—you already feel fortunate. Daniel Kahneman. It’s been a stressful week. In hindsight, I realize I’ve brought some of this … Read more

The challenge of work-life balance is without question one of the most significant struggles faced by modern man. Stephen Covey. In 1930, as part of his Essays in Persuasion, one of the world’s most celebrated economists, John Maynard Keynes, tried to spread optimism during what was undeniably one of the most troubling times in modern … Read more

Escapism is my cardio—running away from responsibilities counts, right? American spiritual teacher, writer, and psychologist-by-training, Baba Ram Dass (1931—2019) who helped popularize Eastern philosophy and spirituality in the West was renowned for his entertaining yet profound spiritual discourses. In one of his talks, Ram Dass narrated the parable of a farmer and his horse. The … Read more

Imagine watching a video about the mind-altering benefits of meditation and then sitting down to meditate, only to realize you can’t stop thinking about the stupid thing your co-worker said, and how you would handle it next time. And then get all wound up about how unlucky you are to be stuck in the job … Read more

English philosopher Francis Bacon articulated the concept of confirmation bias before the term even existed. He said, The human understanding, when it has once adopted an opinion, draws all things … to support and agree with it. The saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is one of the oldest idioms in the … Read more

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. Henry David Thoreau. I’ll admit it. I used to be quite judgmental about other people’s habits, even when they didn’t concern me one bit. For instance, I inwardly rolled … Read more

Are greener pastures worth chasing or just an optical illusion? A 2009 article in the NY Times described how Mr. Laermer, a quintessential New Yorker, fell in love with La Quinta, a California desert town, during his work trips. So much so that he bought a vacation home there, and over time, made it his … Read more

Intellectual curiosity: the official excuse for going down the Wikipedia rabbit hole at 2 a.m. – Unknown The NY city school system had an established process to identify “bright” 10 – 12-year-old children in schools and place them in rapid advancement classes that would enable pupils to complete three years of schoolwork in two and … Read more

Here’s a quote from Audrey Hepburn on being alone. I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel. The year was 1960. As was tradition, almost three quarters of a million Americans were preparing to head … Read more