In one of Jerry Seinfeld’s stand ups, he jokes about the intensity of boredom as a kid and how adults exhibit superpower strength every day just by demonstrating the ability to stand up straight when experiencing boredom. Being bored would literally make his body slump until he eventually wound up flat on the ground in the middle of the wallpaper store with his mom.

As a child I recall my mother having a yellow post-it pad next to the telephone. It would be perfectly flush with the edge of her desk calendar, task items written in precise Catholic school cursive. Instead of crossing something off the list, she would tear off the top sheet and rewrite a new list so that even the list itself was presentable and neat. I always wondered when the list would end. When would the post-it pad cease to exist?

I view the beginning of a new age as my "new year" instead of January 1. Reflection has always been a big part of my life. I find so much joy in noticing growth. The past few years, I've been using the Desire Map to hone in on what I want to create as I walk into a fresh year. In this workbook, the intent is to cultivate how you want to feel in your life before you set your goals, as most goals are usually made because we think we will feel a certain way once we achieve them.

The horse is galloping. They're clearly in a rush to get somewhere. Another man on the side of the road says "Where are you going?!" and the man on the horse says "I don't know! Ask the horse!"There are hundreds of koans, or riddles, used in Zen Buddhism to challenge our everyday way of thinking and help spark some form of enlightenment and this one definitely got me thinking.

I place the group of students in a circle. They're seated, eyes closed, left hand face down on their left knee, right hand face up on their right knee. The only direction they're given is to not open their eyes. That's it. I then walk around and place an ice cube in their open right hand and let the group know that we'll be sitting for an indeterminate amount of time, reminding them that the only request is they keep their eyes closed. It is fascinating to watch the response.

Malibu. The land of world class beaches. What I've heard described as the Hamptons of LA. Where mountains meet the seaside and celebrities go to escape the Hollywood hustle. At least that's what I always thought. As a midwesterner who still holds these types of destinations in the light of novelty, I am astounded by their proximity and the great fortune I have in being able to visit them, even in covid era.