For better or worse and for reasons beyond my control, I am a white man. Recently I visited Central Australia. Aboriginals once inhabited all parts of Australia, but today you will find them in Central Australia and Northern Territory far more than anywhere else. Using the term Aboriginal is a vague way to describe these people. Aboriginals […]
I was 14 years old when it began. When I let people start taking pieces of me in the name of love… telling me I was too much, too feeling, too wild. I was made wrong for not wanting to box myself up in all the ways living this life asks of us. For being myself and […]
Several times on the never-ending book tour, people came up to me with multiple copies of my book for signing. “My family doesn’t understand me,” they said, “So I’m giving them your book.” “Thanks,” I always said… although I worried a little about signing books for people who didn’t necessarily want them. I learned to […]
In 2011 I was a Physical Education teacher for high risk youth. One day we were playing basketball and I was accidentally headbutted in the mouth. At the moment, I had no idea that my life would change forever. I ended up losing my front tooth and fracturing my jaw. In 2013 I ended up […]
I thought that the ability to feel more deeply would give me access to solace, that special area reserved for The Feelers. But as it turns out, I just get more adept at crying and then carrying on. Cry. Crusade. Repeat. You know? I know you know. The Feelers. The Connecteds. They always know. I opened my heart […]
Have you ever felt so angry, you didn’t think you could forgive? Forgiveness is a powerful, often misunderstood, human experience. When we have been hurt or wronged by someone, one of the most natural reactions is to feel anger. If the anger persists, it can lead to deep resentments that may affect us for years. […]
Mark Twain famously wrote, “Comparison is the death of joy.” We’re constantly told that we should all stop comparing ourselves to others. Sounds great in theory, but how can we do that? Social comparison has gotten a bad rap. The truth is, comparison is a natural human tendency. It’s one of the ways that we […]
“Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from people who didn’t intend to give them.” — Unknown I’m nervous, anxious, and unsure of myself. “Who am I to talk and give advice?” Over the past year, despite what most would consider a successful year, I’ve felt like an impostor and unworthy of anything good when it comes to […]
I just came back from a two-week long vacation to Greece. The place where I was born and raised. I walked down old streets, swam inside the blue sea and talked to the people I have known as a kid. I saw a solar eclipse and watched the orange full moon on top of the waves at […]
“Love” is one of the most wrung out and misunderstood concepts in philosophy and self-help teachings. And most pop songs (except for Prince. He could grind on the term “love” any which way and I’d say it was philosophical perfection.) If “love” is confusing, then “SELF-love” can be mystifying. So I’m pressing pause on the […]