jlexpa

This is one of the best ways to see your pain

Pain is awful. But it can be good if you choose it to be. As if fearing the effects of a pandemic isn’t hard enough, the past several days, my wife and I have been working to manage our nine-month-old baby’s pain after his cleft palate repair surgery. And that caused me to reflect on…More

Cleft repair surgery and coronavirus—a story

It was a beautiful morning in the city, with spring in the air and magic around every corner. But for me, New York didn’t blossom in my eyes; it was different for us. I was taking our nine-month-old baby in for surgery. He had a cleft palate (and lip, but that was already repaired). A…More

Experience we all need

“Experience” is just another word for making a lot of mistakes. Everyone prizes experience. So go get it. Try things. Break things. Do things. Don’t try to be perfect. Try to be effective. Contribute. Make things. Create value. And after a while. You can say that you’ve done this or that. You’ll be experienced.More

You can win at life by doing this

Sometimes life is hard and feels impossible. But that’s when you should stop thinking about your life and focus on today. Don’t try to tackle life, that’s too much to take on all at once. That’s how you get overwhelmed, depressed, worried. Instead, just attack what you need to do at this moment: the tasks,…More

You’re more than your social media

You’re not your social media account, the number of followers you have, or the likes your post received, or didn’t. You’re not. You’re more—much more. Don’t base your feelings about yourself on your social media stats. They don’t make you inherently better or lesser than anyone else. You’re a human—not just an avatar and collection…More

Your world is changing: Dealing with Coronavirus

Quarantine, pandemic, respiratory droplets, contagious, viral (in a bad way), and death are words swirling around the media, and we shouldn’t ignore them. My family basically hasn’t left our NYC apartment for a week. My last venture out to a destination where people congregated, like a restaurant, was with a friend at a ramen shop…More

True happiness can’t be bought

The best things in life don’t come with a receipt. But all of our lives we’ve been told—no, sold—that if we buy this or that thing we will be sexy, better, satisfied, happy. But it’s not true. We’ve been duped. I remember going into stores and buying this or that article of clothing for my…More

Dealing with the fear of Coronavirus

You’re thinking about it; I’m thinking about it. Let’s talk about it. What is it? Coronavirus. A couple of nights ago, I was sitting in this ramen shop waiting for my friend, when I heard it: Coughing. Two women seated next to me coughed with this dry wheezing kind of cough. Maybe you would have…More

For your enjoyment

Don’t rush. Take your time. Meander. Roam. Wander. If you see others scurrying to and fro, don’t follow them. Don’t imitate. Go at you own pace. Actually, slow down. Notice what’s around you, the beauty, the aromas, the sky. Breathe in deeply and soak the world into your body; absorb it. Smile. Venture inward and…More

You can choose

You have the power to choose. Choose to love. Serve others. Adore yourself. Love the unlovable. Choose to play. Like a child, enjoy your this moment, all of the moments, see the world with wonder, glee, delight. Playfully move through the world. Choose to dance. Allow the music on the radio, in your mind, to…More