Not all races age at the same rate. — How would you like to live to be over 100 years old? My guess is that many of you would say, “it would depend on my quality of life.” …

I thought I was being a good conversationalist—but it turns out, I was dominating the conversation — Virtually all of us have unknowingly irritated other people with some type of irksome behavior at various points in our lives. On the extreme end, there are narcissists and egomaniacs who irritate the hell out of everyone around them with absolutely no regard for other peoples’ feelings or needs. But…

In 1997, I found myself in “Old Folsom,” a violent maximum-security prison in northern California. Even though I’d been a drug dealer and grew up in violent environments, I still had to endure the learning curve of prison. Being in prison for the first time is like being thrown into…

From prison — to working in technology — and back to prison. — I’ve had a crazy, exciting, dramatic, and fulfilling life. I’ve been to some of the darkest places in this world but have also experienced a tremendous amount of love, compassion, and kindness. In the Beginning My mom adopted me when I was one-day old and she was 56-years-old. She was the most compassionate…

Shifting demographics, awareness, and personal beliefs are changing the narrative of Medical Aid-in-dying. — On a cold California night in the early 1990s, my aunt Nadine suffered a massive stroke. Half of her body was permanently paralyzed. She could barely talk, required 24-hour medical attention, and all rehabilitative efforts to restore her movement and mobility failed. …

We sometimes learn valuable lessons in the most unlikely ways. — NOTE: names have been changed in this story to protect the identities of certain individuals. Sometimes people randomly appear in our lives, and our interactions with them change how we see the world. This is what happened when a young, gay man entered my life and the lives of some…

Living a comfortable life oftentimes has hidden costs — Many people in industrialized societies are enjoying the most prosperous times in human history. Most of us have jobs, the internet, cars, air conditioning, more TV channels than we can watch, and more food than we can eat. …

Sometimes our biggest challenges are paths to growth and success. — In early 2000, I started a new semester at a community college. I’d been out of prison 2 years and college was challenging. The pressure of taking 15 units was intense. I struggled through the first few public speaking ordeals in 2 classes, but it was getting a lot harder…

Kindness really is contagious. — Cheryl was a beautiful and very friendly sex worker who regularly stayed at the Crest Motel, a seedy, oftentimes violent establishment that my mom managed for seven long years. Cheryl liked me because I was a harmless, 11-year-old boy who would never hurt her, unlike other males in her life…