It’s good to grieve. We should. Because, you know, the new normal is too new and it shouldn’t be normal, and in general things just suck right now. I won’t visit my mom to avoid any chances of getting her sick. But I visited a friend while standing over six feet away from him and…More
Monthly Archives: April 2020
This Is the Freedom You Can Hear
A choir of birds chirp outside my window each morning. And the melodies breathe a refreshing breeze into my soul that helps me face the day. It’s a simple sound, never ceasing to surprise and delight me, reminding me of something greater. Taking pleasure in the every-day moments, common yet majestic, can bring mirth even…More
Be More Unrealistic
“Let’s be realistic,” is a dream killing phrase, and I hate it. Don’t be realistic. Be foolish. Do that thing everyone says don’t do. Try that crazy idea that everyone says will fail. Go to that place everyone tells you not to go to. Failure is better than regret. With the former you learn. With…More
One Great Thing From Social Distancing
Strangers are waving at me, and I find myself waving back. They smile, and so do I. And you know what? It feels really good. In all of this we’re learning to appreciate strangers. There’s a longing for connection that we all have, especially when we’re as starved of it as we are these days.…More
Mistakes Are One of the Best Things You Can Make
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is making no mistake at all. Learning new skills, trying new things, growth, solving problems all involve some sort of failing. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes; be afraid of never making anything. See, to create, to get better at a craft, you start by making…More
How to Think When the Lockdowns Lift
The lockdowns will lift, likely soon. If they do, be patient. Don’t rush out to find normal. It’s not there. The virus still roams free. That means you shouldn’t. I won’t be seeing my mom, telling her it’s ok to go back to church. It’s not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be optimistic. We…More
Feel Connected
Be the first to initiate, text, call, zoom. Just because you’re in isolation doesn’t mean you need to be isolated. You can be connected, connecting, loved, loving. Reach out to your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors. Ask them how they’re doing. Wish them well. And the loneliness you feel will somehow feel far less lonely. You’ll…More
Three Ways to Improve Your Life, Even Now
You can improve your life, even in this pandemic. I’m not saying life’s ok. It’s not. We’ve lost much. Even with all of that, you can continue to grow, learn, rise. Here are three ways. Work Better We can all work, even if you’ve lost a job. Unemployment isn’t the end of the world.…More
The Greatest New Normal
Going to the grocery store looking like you’re about to rob the place or give someone an enema is the new normal. If you had told me two months ago that my family and I would be doing that and washing all of our food and packages before we put them away and sanitizing our…More
Grow today
Just because a pandemic is driving us all crazy doesn’t mean you can’t grow today. Try something new: Learn a new language, an unfamiliar musical instrument, paint a painting, write poetry, code, cook a strange dish, blog. Anything. Yes, it will make you feel like you have a dunce hat on, unsure of yourself, a…More
John Pa 