In many ways the modern world is a magical place, but it also has a dense shadow.
Depression
Three months ago, a video called ‘The Innovation of Loneliness’ was released online. It proceeded to scorch in viral glory across the web, garnering 3 million+ views as of my writing this, and not without good reason. The beautifully animated four-minute mini-film provides a simple yet profound response to a poignant question: What is the connection [...]
“You’re gonna like the way you look. I guarantee it.” Everyone reading this probably recognized that opening sentence. It’s the snappy little catch phrase thrown in at the end of every Men’s Warehouse commercial. These types of ostensibly encouraging messages are a staple in the world of fashion and beauty product advertising (You can be [...]
Recently, I read an extraordinary collection of letters written by Rainer Maria Rilke, the renowned Bohemian-Austrian poet who passed away in 1926. Between 1903 and 1908, Rilke penned a series of responses to a would-be writer, offering advice on poetry and on being a sensitive individual in an often cruel and unforgiving world. These letters, [...]
Around midsummer of this year, I was undergoing an inexplicable spell of irrational guilt. These types of episodes have come to me before, but they’re infrequent, thankfully. What happens is this: some tiny aspect of who I am or a deed I’ve done (or have failed to do) bubbles up into my consciousness, and for [...]
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. [...]
We want everyone to like us, but we shouldn’t. As social creatures, we are concerned, often to a fault, with whether or not we are enjoyed, appreciated, and respected by those around us. We pander to the whims of others, hoping to please everyone (or at least find few enemies). We try to behave affably, [...]
Meditation is like a radiant, technicolor, winged steed soaring gloriously through the cosmos. Basically, it’s awesome-miraculous. Although my opening metaphor may be a bit grandiose, I used it to emphasize the most important point in this article: Meditation is a practice of extraordinary value that is literally accessible to everyone on the planet. Most people don’t [...]
Most people drift through days robotically, feeling vaguely lost and dissatisfied. They filter through the system, doing what they’ve been told to do, living out cookie-cutter lives, and distracting themselves whenever possible. This may sound like a cynical viewpoint, but I’m afraid it isn’t. I’ve definitely been one of those people for periods of time. [...]
Happiness. What a slippery concept. It’s what we’re all after, right? (At least that’s what I’m told.) But what is it? What do you imagine when you think of happiness? Perhaps you conjure up notions of a distant beach-side setting, endless relaxation, a gourmet meal, and fine wine flowing like the Thames. At the very [...]