My great-uncle Tom survived three near death experiences in his life. After that, he lived by a very simple set of guidelines. He never sat down and told them to me, but his attitude and actions conveyed them perfectly. He remembered that life is precious and we should do our best to cultivate a positive…
Essays & Stories
A Note from the Buffet Table
With the same brain… I can think of things that feel bad.And I can think of things that feel good. With the same body… I can move in ways that feel bad.And I can move in ways that feel good. With this same energy field… I can organize my life in patterns and flows that…
A Letter from Under the Rainbow
We were trapped. Rain poured down on the park, forcing us to huddle together.We stood at the highest corner of the hill under a cluster of trees, our backs to the wind. Baloo paced nearby. Things looked grim. Then one of us suggested,“Well… how about we play Globle?” It felt good now—laughing, using Belle’s scarf…
The Voice I Listen to Now
I woke up late today. Once, that would have made me feel bad. I would’ve had a story running through my mind about how waking up later than 6am meant I was lazy.That I had no discipline.That I wasn’t going to achieve my goals in life. I might have even spiraled into an inner monologue…
Winning by Looking Differently
I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.It was right in front of me. Feel good now. A couple days ago my brothers made the 7-hour drive from Los Angeles up to Napa, California.We’ve been hanging out, going on long walks, ordering pizza, and playing one of our favorite games…The Taskmaster Board Game. The game…
The Wisdom of Waiting
Your message for today. I opened one of my books to a random page, and this is what came out. From “The Land of the Fey” in my post-apocalyptic cowboy adventure novella The Stranger: It was broody and dark in this forest. Muffled birdcalls echoed. Somewhere, they could smell a bog. Gerardo told them they…
A Holiday Lesson from a Starship Chase
“They have missile lock!” Beep! Beep! Alarms blared through the cabin of the starship. We wove through the asteroid field as constellations smeared into streaks of light against the black of space. Behind us, three Ghost Squadron fighters closed in, blasting floating boulders apart as they pursued. Lilith chose that moment to chime in. No…
3am Reminder from a Sleepy Christmas Elf
Last night I woke up around 3am and couldn’t fall back asleep. I was thinking about the future. All the books I want to publish and share around the world…All the millions of people I want to reach with bliss…All the dreams I’m holding for the coming year… The thoughts started spinning, and my mind…
Put Down the Knife: Why Fear Is a Terrible Motivator
Put down the knife. My book Parables is the story of a young thief who becomes a noble assassin in the service of an exiled prince. And from this noble assassin, I learned a lesson that I’ve carried with me ever since: “None of us can do our best when we are afraid of a…
The Gremlin vs. The Rain (A Morning Lesson in Not Fighting Reality)
“Rain stopping in 18 minutes…” That was the forecast from the Weather app. I scowled and made my signature irritated gremlin noise. It was morning, and I wanted to brush my teeth. Since we got back to California, we’ve been staying in a lovely studio on the side of a ravine.The room is cozy, and…