“What do you desire?” asks the great philosopher, Alan Watts. “What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?” We hear these words, and we recoil slightly. We’re immediately suspicious. It’s rare in our lives to encounter someone audacious enough to prompt us to consider a [...]
A friend of mine — let’s call him Huck — was walking to a tattoo parlor recently with the intention of getting some new ink, or as he might prefer to think of it, inscribing a new linguistic artifact upon the canvas of his skin. Huck had almost arrived at the tattoo shop when, in [...]
We all must breathe in order to live, but not many of us know how to really breathe. It’s a bit of a conundrum. Breathing is an automatic bodily process, so most people naturally believe it should be left alone to take care of itself. It seems counterintuitive and even ludicrous to think that something as [...]
Timothy Leary was an extraordinary man. An American psychologist and writer, Dr. Leary was an iconic figure during the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 70s. While some folks dismiss Leary as a fanatic due to his well-documented usage of and advocacy for psychedelic drugs, I think doing so is entirely foolish. Take a closer [...]
Find a way to travel abroad. This is one of the most basic pieces of advice I could give to anyone wanting to expand their view of life, themselves, and the world. I’ve written previously about why traveling abroad will be the best decision of your life and the empowering realizations you can’t afford to miss. Still, I know [...]
A few weeks ago, I boarded a massive ship — a cruise ship, to be precise — and went to Alaska with my family. After porting out of Seattle, we chugged along the Canadian coast for a few days before reaching the promised land of vibrant forests and mountain streams. Words cannot do justice to [...]
A couple days ago, I was sitting at a computer in a hot classroom in South Korea, struggling to figure out how in blue blazes to teach English to kids who don’t understand the words coming out of my mouth. Earlier that morning, I had taken the wrong bus and ended up being late for [...]
For many years, I rarely exercised. Working out was something I was forced to do in gym class. I viewed it as uncomfortable and time-consuming, low on my priority list. It’s not like I was completely sedentary, but I sure as heck didn’t go out of my way to hit the gym. When I arrived [...]
Kick, push, kick, push, coast. Kick, push, kick, push, coast. I reach the crest of a hill on my longboard and pause. The wind is a gentle hand at my back, an encouraging friend. The sun gleams in the sky, imbuing my spring-green surroundings with a delicate sparkle. I breathe deeply through my nose and smile. [...]
Think back with me for a moment. Remember when you were child, playing outdoors? Remember how you would run, jump, and gallivant around without a care in the world? You might have to strain your memory to think back to those days, but most of us spent a good deal of time outside as youngsters. [...]