How To Really Win The Afternoon

2PM is too early to go home, isn’t it? A lot — and I mean, a lot — has been said about morning routines. I’ve been told by every self-improvement writer and their mothers to get up earlier and eat a protein-rich breakfast and to not break the fast and also kale smoothies. My view is that it’s largely smoke and mirrors because […]

How Andy Won The Game Of Life

The Shawshank Redemption is the most gripping film I’ve ever seen. It tells the story of an innocent man’s (Andy) hell in prison, his unusual friendship with an inmate and prison contraband smuggler serving a life sentence (Red), the former’s miraculous escape and the friends’ reunion as free men. My favorite scene is a very short one. It features Andy in the prison […]

The Most Important Question

In the good old days, philosophy existed for the sake of human beings. To address our deepest needs, confront our most urgent perplexities, and elevate us from misery to flourishing. It’s with great fondness that I recall the days of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, except for the fact that I wasn’t there. In those days, […]

Stop Finding Your Passion

Most people have it backwards. They think that passion precedes effort. That caring about a project comes before pouring your heart and soul into it. They’re only willing to commit if there was a prior discovery about how much they like this thing. “Offer me something I’m passionate about and I’ll show up with all of my energy, effort […]

Nothing Matters. But That’s Not What Matters

“I wake up in the middle of the night and notice tears in my eyes. … I know that I’m not depressed; not anxious; I don’t even think I’m lonely. But what’s left? I can’t put my finger on it. It feels like the whole Universe is silent — that it’s right here, everywhere, inside of me, outside of me, […]

Life Is Not A Journey, But A Meal

Let’s think about today’s most popular life advice. Focus on the process, not the results! Live in the moment! Life’s about the journey, not about the destination. The ultimate reward is the process. It’s so frequently offered as well-intended guidance that it’s becoming a meaningless cliché, stripped of its wisdom through overuse. Here’s another gem of often-expressed wisdom: […]

Goalless

I’ve never had an external writing goal. Making people think, or act, accomplishing this or that — it hardly crosses my mind. If I don’t change people’s lives, I’m fine with that too. I’m curious, so I try to figure stuff out. My fascination is the driver. I pick topics I’m excited to dig into. And I’ll spend […]

What If Unhappiness Contains The Secret To Happiness?

Maybe we should just give up the pursuit of happiness. When you go for it head-on, you will miss it. As the 19th-century philosopherJohn Stuart Mill wrote about his existential crisis: “Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on […]

Stop Prioritizing Popularity — You’ll Never Grow

I want to disable my access to my (Medium) stats. In Greek mythology, Sirens are creatures that seduce sailors with their irresistible voices, drawing them to their deaths. In Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus, passing through, instructs his sailors to plug their ears with beeswax and to tie him to the mast, leaving him there, no matter how much […]

Why Is There A Taboo On Chasing Your Dreams?

I can’t stop thinking about this Tweet. It says: I want to go far in life. So that kids with autism have me as an example of what their future could be like instead of Rainman or Sheldon. (Though I love Sheldon) Zjos is 22, has autism and suffers from depression. Just like her brother, who killed […]