No, I Didn’t Train With Monks — Solitude seems like a complex subject. On one hand, some people recommend avoiding it like the plague, saying that it causes anxiety, depression, and a boring life. There is much truth behind that too, because it’s hard to imagine having a meaningful life without being connected with other humans. There…

It’s Not Actually That Weird… — Success in any walk of life is dependent on a number of interdependent factors. One of the most important, but often overlooked factors, is that of environment. Successful people have a tendency to place themselves in environments that are conductive to their success. Film makers go to LA, stock brokers…

On Overcoming My Worst Fear — My worst fear has always been emptiness. Well, not emptiness, but rather the lack of purpose in my life. A meaningless life. Vain action. Fake relationships. Too much time and nothing to do with it. I’ve been searching for a meaningful, fulfilling life, and have been dreading the possibility that…

Why am I Anxious? — I hate feeling anxious. The subtle and hard-to-identify feelings of stress, helplessness, and self-doubt. It makes breathing hard, and comes at times when I would least expect it. For the past year, I have been thinking about where it comes from, what it is, and how to lift myself above…

And I’m Proud of it — You don’t have to look far to find articles on the internet that shame Millennials for the way they live their lives. Entitled, vegans, achievement-driven, resistant to authority, environmentally sensitive, tech-savvy nerds. Millennials are punching-bags for prior generations. The sheer number of articles on the internet that put Millennials down…

For athletes, rest and recovery are very different things — a distinction that can help you avoid burnout in your own life — It’s been a long day. Billy just got home from a hectic day at work, and the first thing he wants to do is flop down on the couch, turn on some mindless sitcom on Netflix, and stare straight ahead without moving for a few hours. There’s nothing wrong with…

I’ve Become Comfortable With Not Knowing — Every once in a while I find myself struggling to leave home for a trip. I have plenty of time, a car, and spotify premium, but for some reason, I am always daunted by the simple step of leaving home. I’m a foreigner living in Japan, and pretty much everything…

“The Soul of Japan” — A couple months ago, I took the opportunity to drive down to Wakayama Prefecture in Japan. It’s not a particularly well known prefecture, so all of the Japanese citizens that I discussed my trip with were surprised that I was driving all the way down there instead of going to…

Exploring the Secrets of Personal Influence in a Bathtub — I live in the mountains of Japan. In Japan, there is a custom of public bathing at a place called the onsen. You can go to a local onsen and share a luxurious hot tub with a group of naked strangers. It may sound weird, but I love it. Steam…