Listen to this article on Spotify! Key Points: Many people feel intense stress around buying gifts during the holidays. A few years ago, I stopped buying gifts for my loved ones at Christmas and told them to do the same for me. This turns into a special gift for all of us, freedom from the … Read more
Listen to this article on Spotify! Key Points: Overall, the experiment was a success, leading to dramatically reduced phone usage and clarity around the mindlessness of a “distraction-seeking” habit that needed addressing. However, some logistical challenges highlighted the practical benefits of a smartphone. As a result of the experiment, I’ve purchased a limited-capability “Light Phone” … Read more
Listen to this article on Spotify! Key Points: A recent “at-home meditation retreat” highlighted something I’ve known for a while. I spend too much time on my phone. I experienced palpable relief and relaxation by being free of my phone, yet gradually fell back into the habit of overusing it. An article I read last … Read more
Listen to this article on Spotify! Key Points: Broadly, spiritual practice tends to follow either what’s known as the “Progressive Path,” or its counterpart, the “Direct Path.” The process of losing weight or reducing one’s body fat can be understood in a fascinatingly similar way. For both, I favor the “Direct Path,” as it helps … Read more
Listen to this article on Spotify! Key Points: Many common fitness phrases contain implicit assumptions that make it less likely the people who use them will achieve their goals. For example, most people think, “toning up” implies exercise, but the result they want depends almost entirely on nutritional changes. Precision of language can make us … Read more
Listen to this article on Spotify! Key Points: Nutritional struggles in the U.S. are painted as an individual failing when they’re more reflective of pervasive systems involving school, work, and economics. Specifically, key problems lie in what we eat, how we eat, and why we eat it. Yup, that’s all. More willpower is explicitly NOT … Read more
Listen to this article on Spotify! Estimated reading time: 9-18 minutes This week we’re taking a massive departure from the heaviness and headiness of the last two weeks. No existential, philosophical questions about meaning and purpose or life and death today. Nope, we’re going to focus on something so specific, so niche, that it’s actually … Read more