Have you ever been to a symphony? Before the music begins, there’s always a few minutes where each musician tunes their instrument. Strings. Brass. Woodwinds. Drums. One by one, they make sure each instrument is in alignment with its highest potential. And then — when they all come together… WOW. It’s magic. Feel good now….
Category: essays
Why I Don’t Worry About Other People Anymore
Mind your monkey business. And feel good now. A big chunk of my stress disappeared when I started assuming that other people were just doing their best to feel good now. Otherwise, why would they be doing what they’re doing? On some level, they’ve made the calculation: “I’d rather do this than something else.” And…
What Late-Night Dungeons & Dragons Taught Me About Joy
It was just after midnight. But I was not asleep. Instead, I was sitting up in bed, shaking a 20-sided die into a plastic cup, peering at it with a mix of trepidation and excitement. The die came up 19. “YES!” I crowed with triumph. Then, narrowing my eyes in smug concentration, I began to…
The Night I Booked the Wrong Flight (and What It Taught Me)
I was so frustrated. I was trying to book a flight for my brother from Nice to Los Angeles. He was coming to Provence for a visit — for our middle brother’s birthday — and while we’d arranged his flight here, we hadn’t yet booked the flight home. As the date got closer, I started…
You Got One More Chance Today
One of the first pieces of “news” I heard today was about a 27-year-old who was shot in the United States. He had a family: a partner and several children. And in his youth, I bet he assumed he had a lot more time. But you never know. Now is all you’ve got for sure….
What a Taoist Carver Taught Me About Bliss
There’s an old Taoist story I love. Khing, the master carver, was asked by the prince to make a bell stand of precious wood. When he finished, it was so magnificent that everyone said it had to be the work of spirits. Asked for his secret, the carver said: “I am just a simple workman….
Six Years With an Exiled Angel
Six years ago, I met an exiled angel who changed my life. It was 2019. I was living in a tiny attic apartment in northern Paris. A sloping roof with one small window. A mattress tucked under it. A shower pod in the corner. A hot plate on top of a mini-fridge. A desk pressed…
How to Plant an Orchard of Bliss
Give someone an apple and they will eat for a day.Teach someone to garden and they will eat forever. Feel good now. As a vegetarian, I prefer this version of the old saying. But no matter your diet, the lesson stands: when you know how to do something for yourself, you can be self-reliant for…
Feel Good Now: No One Else Can Do It For You
Get to know yourself. And learn what makes you feel good now. Because while feel good now is simple, powerful advice you can apply to any circumstance… We don’t all feel good for the same reasons. Some people feel good reading a book.Some feel good watching a show.Some feel good eating an apple.Some feel good…
Why Parables Matter (And How Stories Change Us)
Someone recently asked me: “Could I get a version of your book Parables with just the lessons at the end?” I had been sharing how every chapter contains two parts: first a story, then a short lesson to take away. Here’s what I told them: “Without the stories, the lessons lose what makes them resonate….