SHAME – Should Have Already Mastered Everything
I’ve taken yoga classes where I felt fantastic. My flow was strong, my body moved with ease, and I left feeling like I had nailed it. But after knee surgery, everything changed. I had to relearn how to use my leg, starting with physical therapy and slow, careful steps. When I was finally able to […]
Master Pressure Like a Game
When I’m under pressure, my first instinct isn’t always the best one. I catch myself rushing, overthinking, or reacting too fast—like I’m button-mashing in a game, hoping something works. But that usually just makes things worse. (And no one likes playing with the button-smasher.) Good players don’t just hit buttons at random. They move with […]
Bounce Back Like a Game
Life doesn’t always move in a straight line. Sometimes, it feels like just when we’re climbing up, we hit a slide that sends us back down. It’s frustrating, disheartening, and often, it feels unfair. I’ve felt this in so many ways. In my 40s alone, I’ve faced open-heart surgery, a serious knee injury, and being […]
Level Up Like a Game
Some days, life feels like a series of frustrating problems, and it’s hard to know how to move forward. But what if we borrowed a mindset from games? In games, challenges are levels to beat. They’re not roadblocks—they’re opportunities to advance. When we start thinking of challenges as levels, something shifts. Instead of feeling overwhelmed […]
Direct Your Mind
Why do I keep learning how my mind works? Why do I keep practicing mindfulness exercises? What is all this effort actually doing? The more I learn about the mind, the more I see it as a tool. And like any tool, it needs to be kept clean, organized, and sharp. Here’s how I think […]
It’s Not Too Late
I’m 49 years old right now, and I’ve had the thought, “It’s too late for me.” What’s interesting is I’ve felt that way at so many points in my life—at 39, 33, 23, 17, and even earlier. Looking back, I can see that it wasn’t about my circumstances or my age. It was a feeling. […]
Start Again Today
It’s almost the New Year—or maybe it’s not. The date doesn’t matter because a new year isn’t the only fresh start we get. My birthday feels like my personal New Year. The Jewish New Year comes in the fall. The Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar and lands around late January or early February. […]
Learning to Manage Setbacks
A couple of days ago, I had an appointment to remove the cast I’ve been wearing on my hand and arm for six weeks. I’ve been counting down the days for this thing to come off. With the cast on, I can’t wash my own hair, I can’t bike (something I usually do every day), […]
Turning Struggles into Strength
What makes a story inspire us? What kinds of stories motivate us to keep going? It’s not usually the ones that go, “He was handed the company by his parents” or “She stumbled into success without trying.” We’re drawn to the stories of people who struggled, adjusted, pursued, and faced rejection over and over—yet still […]
Your Only Competition Is You
A few years ago, I signed up for a triathlon. It was labeled a sprint—a “quick race” by triathletes, with half a mile of swimming, 10 miles of biking, and 3 miles of running. For me, this was huge. I’ve never been a runner—actually, I’d call what I do jogging at best. On a bike, […]
