A life of reckless generosity & love. — A year ago today, I got a text at 7:45 AM telling me one of my closest friends was gone. It was a rite of passage: the first death of someone I loved. I didn’t tell very many people. Each time I went to tell someone, it felt like I…

Little things that made my life better this year. — 1. Time-restricted feeding (aka intermittent fasting) Inspired by the research of Dr. Satchin Panda, I set the goal at the beginning of 2018 to practice time-restricted feeding (TRF) at least 5 days a week. I aimed to consume all food/drink within an 8- or 10-hour window each day, fasting from everything except water for the remaining…

No clickbait here, just a few discoveries that made my life better. — 1. Your muscles hate you for all that computer & phone use, so get an electric neck massager. Along with daily neck stretches & torso stretches, my massager has worked wonders on my comfort & sleep. I used to only sleep through the night about once every two years; now I sleep through the night once a week, & the nights in between aren’t as bad either.

In the era of Be Yourself, I get frustrated reading quotes about authenticity because they promote a doctrine of stasis: “You’re perfect, don’t ever change.” That’s horrible advice. Do change. Do grow. Face your faults, get better. A person can be perfectly authentic, but maybe they’re authentically immature, authentically arrogant…

The story behind the first song on The Travel Size EP—& why it’s still a little uncomfortable for me to listen to — I knew The Travel Size EP would be different. Not in a redefining, new-year-new-me kind of way, but I knew it would take me on a short vacation from the human nature themes that had come to be my artistic trademark. That’s partly because, if we’re being real, the songs…

Is there a real moral difference between me saying “it hurts when you hit me” and a scientist saying “water freezes when it gets below 32°F”? — Several weeks ago, I sent an email to neuroscientist/author Sam Harris via his website’s contact form. To no one’s surprise, he didn’t respond; between publishing a new book on religious tolerance, fending off hoards of critics, and being an overall boss at conversation-starting, I’m sure he has his hands…