Here’s a life-coaching session in five words: Never watch a weasel dance. 

Metaphorically speaking, that is.

You see, when weasels go hunting, they locate their favorite prey—rabbits—and then, right out in the open, perform a bizarre murder dance. They flail, they leap, they spin and somersault so frenziedly they make Olympic gymnasts look kind of sluggish.

This fascinates the rabbits, who stop and stare at the dancing weasel. They’re so amazed that they just sit there, unmoving, as the weasel jitterbugs right up to them and kills them.

We humans aren’t that mesmerized by literal weasels, but we’re susceptible to the frenzied dance [...]

Philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I believe that’s true. But right now it seems we’re not just repeating history—we’re remixing it and speeding it up.

Also (in my mind) adding a soundtrack by Leonard Cohen, who wrote in his song “The Future”: “Things are gonna slide, slide in all directions.” 

I think this is actually an understatement. But before you panic, breathe with me. Because sliding is not the same as falling apart, and chaos is not just destructive. 

If we can respond to our fears by acting wisely, and not [...]

A while ago, I made a video called “The Pyramid and the Pool” to describe what I think about changes in society. I updated that video today because it helps me feel a bit more relaxed and hopeful. Actually, a LOT more relaxed and hopeful.

For centuries, powerful and wealthy societies have taken the general shape of a pyramid. At the top, you’ve got a few powerful, wealthy people. At the bottom, the majority of people work, struggle, create value, and pass most of what they’ve made up to the privileged. This mirrors the self-centered, materialistic, judgmental aspects of [...]

Not everything I wrote for my upcoming book, Beyond Anxiety, could be included in the final manuscript. Some parts had to be cut—that’s just the nature (or culture) of publishing. However, I can still share them with you here!

Fresh from the cutting-room floor, the following is about two distinct kinds of curiosity and how to ignite the one that makes you feel good. Enjoy. 

According to psychologist Jordan Litman, curiosity comes in two flavors. One is “deprivation curiosity,” a worried need to know that stems from lacking enough information to feel safe. The other, which Litman labeled “interest curiosity,” comes [...]