In the past, I barely noticed spring. Sure, I was aware that flowers were blooming and days were getting longer, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. But for the past few years, spring has become much more vivid. I’ve come to find great joy in springtime. And I recently realized that my joy arises from noticing all the details of the season. I’ve likely gotten better at noticing… Read More »The Joy of Spring is in the Details
I recently had a profound realization that I now understand is a reflection of how far I’ve come in the past five years. When I was younger, back before I got sober, back when I was depressed, I used to get angry a lot. I really didn’t like my life situation, and I felt powerless to change it. In response to feeling powerless, I got angry. I got angry at… Read More »8 Unconventional Anger-Management Strategies
A couple of years ago, my friend Joel began to lose his eyesight. It was really minor at first, and the vision-loss was gradual. For the first couple of months, his eyesight was not much worse than yours or mine, so it was perfectly safe for him to keep driving. But as his eyesight continued to diminish, it became clear that someday soon he’d have to give up driving for… Read More »The Principle of Two Errors
Most of us are checking the news way more often than we normally do. It’s important to stay up to date on the coronavirus pandemic and know what you’re supposed to be doing, so checking more makes sense. But if you’re anything like me, you’re probably checking too often. Even at a moment in history when staying informed is critical, doing is still greater than watching. And most of us… Read More »Meaningful Alternatives to Checking the News