It was a bitter pill to swallow – but now that I’ve got it down, it’s not so bad. I still love life, and I’m grateful for every fucking minute I have. Music and art still excite and engage me, and I’m still in love with my soulmate after 33 years… I have a great … Read more
To a greater degree than at any point in human history, the ability to think critically seems to be our only protection against a virtual tsunami of misinformation. The ability to seek out and understand reliable information may be the defining characteristic of those who move ahead and those who get left behind. What is … Read more
We are committed to going to our job because we are paid for our work – we are motivated to do so because we must earn to provide for the necessities of life, e.g. food, clothing, and shelter. Without meeting these basic needs we can not survive. So commitment and motivation are clearly linked, but they are … Read more
For me discipline is not a problem. Focus, however, is another matter entirely. When I am committed to accomplishing a specific goal, I have very little difficulty in becoming extremely disciplined in my pursuit of it. I have a focus of intent. Without a specific goal, I tend to become very scattered in my actions … Read more
I’m not one of those people who gets upset when someone dies, unless it’s someone I cared about, or whose work touched me in some profound way. It is, after all, the final act for all of us. We’re very rarely prepared, and sometimes it comes sooner than later – but make no mistake – … Read more
“Freedom from pride or arrogance.” If one is paying attention in life, it is impossible not to be humbled on a fairly regular basis. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things – someone or something is going to hand you your ass on a platter – making it abundantly clear just how … Read more
So here I am at day 12 of my blog experiment, and I’m beginning to feel a heightened awareness of how I’m spending my time, and what sorts of things are occupying my brain. This is interesting, because it feels like I am exercising a muscle that is suddenly being called on to perform, and … Read more
I actually think it takes some balls to dare to be earnest, to boldly state your intention to try to improve something. To not use irony as a shield… Irony’s ok as long as it’s not a protective device because you’re afraid to make a statement. It’s ok to be excited about trying to make things … Read more
If I identify myself as a musician, then I guess my “day job” would be as a Registered Nurse in a New York City Emergency Room. This doesn’t seem to be an adequate description of these roles, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll go with this for the moment. It’s complicated… I love my … Read more
‘Nuff said
Do something for someone else. Seriously, I’m not being facetious. And it doesn’t have to be a big deal, either. It could be the smallest, most seemingly insignificant thing. But help somebody for no other reason than the fact that you want to. I don’t make promises I can’t keep, but I promise you that … Read more
Here’s an idea: Instead of looking for information confirming what we already believe to be true (confirmation bias), perhaps we should be looking for information that might prove our beliefs to be wrong. It is only in the absence of credible evidence refuting our beliefs that we can assume them to be true.
I like to write down things that that catch my ear or resonate with me in some way – sometimes they are provocative and make me think about life from a different perspective. This one came from the great Japanese Chef Masa Takayama, it was just something he said off the cuff while talking with Anthony Bourdain … Read more
In a world filled with so much hate, choosing to live without hate seems like a start. Treating each other with respect and being willing to listen and ponder opposing viewpoints seems reasonable and necessary. But somehow it doesn’t seem like enough. How do you fix something that seems unfixable? Choosing not to take part … Read more