I know it’s the start of the year, so we’re all gagging on the “fresh start effect”—research shows how powerful it is to use new beginnings to wipe the slate clean and become the person we want to be with the benefit of a fresh start. But I’m kind of into endings, so ... let’s...

Can I throw a wee little wrench into all the resolution planning you’ve been doing? Oh good, thank you. I was worried you’d be a bit defensive about it. Instead of planning all the things you’re going to do this year...all the ways you’re going to be on, can I aggressively, with teeth bared humbly...

Congratulations for not dying in 2023! 61 million people weren’t so lucky and ended up...ending. So you won the Life Lottery last year, and I hope you raised a glass of something at New Year's Eve to celebrate Still Being Alive. But wait—we can do better than that, right? Better than “Still Being Alive”? Better...

Oh, how we take the people in our lives for granted! I wrote about this topic a few weeks ago and was instantly flooded with your tales of whoops and woe. I touched a nerve and now I want to do it all over again—not entirely because I’m a horrible human, but because it’s helpful...

Guess what happens when you mate two of the biggest MVPs in the self-improvement world together? Specifically the heavy hitters of “being present in the moment” and “gratitude,” left alone in a hotel room overnight with a fully stocked minibar? A) A tacky portmanteau named “mindfultude” B) A pernicious STD C) A lovechild called “noticing”...

‘Tis the season to give and receive meaningless gifts built for one purpose: trashing regifting. That hibiscus-banana-Febreeze scented candle you received from Mindy at the office holiday mixer? That puppy has made the rounds before your grubby hands ripped it open. And if you plan on wrapping that monstrosity back up and putting it under...

Get comfy! We’re gathering here for another story time installment of “Darn It, I Almost Died! Phew—I Didn’t.” (We might need to workshop that title.) This is a doozie of a true story from a friend of mine. Please pay attention to your feelings as you read about his experience, because I will ask you...

Do you have a fear of being forgotten after you’ve cashed in your chips at the casino table of life? Research reveals that many adults report a fear of obliteration. This comes as no surprise; in about 100 years (or waaay less) for most of us, it’s realistic to surmise that no one will ever...

Surely you’ve heard of phantom limb syndrome? You know—the perception of pain or discomfort in a limb that’s no longer there? Apparently 80% of people with amputated appendages report phantom pain, and it goes something like this: “Oooh, my old tennis elbow is really flaring up today.” “Yeah but Ralph, you don’t have an elbow...

It’s True or False time! True or False: You put off calling/ Zooming/ visiting an old friend/ boss/ mentor/ family member because you assume you can just connect with them “later.” If you answered True, you are so fabulously human, and we shall bond in our gory take-things-for-granted humanity together here. We suck, but we...

You know there are different kinds of regrets, right? Different flavors of “ugh,” if you will. Exhibit 1.0: "The Regret Coiff" There are regrets of commission: stupid things we said or did that we wish we hadn’t (like my hair in grade nine; see exhibit 1.0) These regrets tend to fade over time as we...

I did a decidedly weird thing when my Grandmother was 100: I sat down and interviewed her, right there in the dining room of her retirement home, with my voice memo app recording her answers to my ~748 questions over a soft-foods lunch. She handled the interrogation interview like a champ! We all knew she...