Adventure Stories and Artist Dates

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Tolstoy wrote that “all great literature is one of two stories: a man goes on a journey, or a stranger comes to town.” 

I believe this is true of our life stories, as well. Every life-changing idea I’ve ever had about my career came to me while I was traveling. And many of the “strangers who’ve come to town” to meet me have become the most important people in my life.

Travel turns the pages of our lives, creates new chapters, gives us our most exciting stories, and turns us into the heroes of various sagas. 

This is true for me even though I’m a terrible traveler. I […]

Reasons to Create for No Reason

A few years ago I decided to write an allegorical book about a lost woman and a friendly boar. If you’re not a writer, you may not realize how odd this sounded to my agent, editors, and publishers. 

“An allegory?” they said. My proposed book wasn’t just outside my usual genre, it wasn’t in any genre at all.

“A boar?” they said. People can be so judgmental of tusked animals.

“But why?” they said. I was an established self-help author. Why throw away my time and energy on a book so odd no one would even know where to shelve it?

“No reason,” [...]

What Can You Do When Things Fall Apart

We live in a time of death and rebirth.

Over a hundred years ago, William Butler Yeats wrote in his poem “The Second Coming” that things were falling apart and that “the best lack all conviction, while the worst/ are full of passionate intensity.”

He was writing about a world ravaged by the effects of World War I and the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918, which had managed to reach just about every corner of the globe.

A century later, things are falling apart at a level Yeats couldn’t have imagined:

The “passionate intensity” of hate builds paranoid communities on the internet. Political efforts [...]

How to Turn Away from Fear

“Inspiration” has several meanings. One is simply “drawing breath.” Or it can mean having a new idea. Or it can mean being “in-spirited,” filled with peace and grace from the mystery. All these meanings are related. In fact, the word “inspiration” is a three-step recipe for ending anxiety and living joyfully in a difficult world.

How to Get Unstuck

Don’t you just hate feeling stuck? I do. I used to hate immobility so much that I ran everywhere and barely slept at night. It worked! 
Until I was about 18. Then my body broke. I developed chronic pain that left me pretty much immobile for the next decade or so.

Medicine for Your Happiness

A few months ago I began microdosing to lower my anxiety. It worked—my anxiety dropped and my enjoyment of life improved sharply. I must confess, though, that I didn’t stop with microdoses. I increased my intake. A lot. These days, I think most folks would say I’m megadosing.

RESOURCES TO STAY ON TRACK WITH YOUR MISSION AND PURPOSE

Looking for an at-a-glance list of resources to support you on your Wayfinder’s journey? You’ve come to the right place!

Here is a list of interviews, books, and blog posts I’ve compiled to help you stay on track as you seek your life’s true purpose:

The Gathering Room Podcast episodes Episode 37: Signs of New Life Episode 44: The Cure for Overwhelm Episode 123: Tracking Your Spirit Episode 131: Wired to Awaken Full Archive of The Gathering Room Podcast Interviews with Martha Life Coaching interview

Books and Writing

Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True [...]
Development Alchemy + Aim