One of the benefits of being older (and, on some days, feeling old) is that I’ve seen a few market cycles: the 1987 crash, the first Gulf War in 1990, the dot-com bubble and crash, 9/11, and the 2008 Great Recession. When these market dislocations happen, I get concerned. But, I don’t panic. Financially, I
Category: Brain hacking
Streamlining
Maybe, it’s because I’m over 50 now. Maybe, it’s because my older children are no longer children and are quite persuasive. But, I’m finding myself streamlining. One of our children, for example, has given up red meat to combat climate change. Another child has become a vegetarian for ethical reasons. And, over time, our family
Simple Thanksgivings
I recently wrote about “simple Sundays.” I’m now a believer in simple holidays, too. For many years, my Thanksgiving schedule looked like this: Awake at 4 am to make cinnamon rolls from scratch Cook up bacon and other dishes and have breakfast ready for the family and guests Feed the family and guests Begin cooking
‘Choice Overload’
Recently, I listened to an interesting podcast about “choice overload” (link here). Dr. Laurie Santos explains what the data show: making too many decisions creates unhappiness. The paradox of choice is that more choice can lead to a latter realization that “less is more,” that choice today may lead you to less choice. Some years
Versions
I think people are a lot like software versions. As we grow, change, and develop, we become a different version of ourselves. We can take the best parts of v. 1.0, leave behind the worse parts, and add on new “features” for v. 2.0. Sometimes, the change is voluntary, due to a new job, going
A New Hope
Here’s to hope, love and friendship. I write that because I last week saw Robert Waldinger speak at a leader development course. As I’ve written before (here), a very famous study concluded that there is a major driver of happiness: friends and family. It is not fame, money or status. Well, as luck would have