Last week, I flew to Massachusetts to visit my 94-year grandmother in the hospital. Let me tell you about this amazing woman. Barbara, Auntie B, or Gramma to us grandkids, was born in 1930 to first-generation Newfoundlanders. (No wonder I love the music of ​Alan Doyle​ (and ​Great Big Sea​), it’s in my DNA!) Gramma was a preschool teacher for 22...

I know you’re overcomplicating things, because everybody does. Including me, the nerd who studies this stuff for a living. I shared a quick story the other day on ​Threads​ (and ​Instagram​): A few thousand people resonated, and I couldn’t help but chuckle ​at the replies​. Magdalena jokingly said it best: When life asks me to juggle chainsaws...

We have two choices for how we spend the rest of 2024: Path A: Coast and say “I’ll start back up in January.” Path B: Treat it like a Beta Test for 2025. Our brains are going to try and convince us to pick Path A. I want you to pick Path B. Here’s how Beta Testing works: We’re going to experiment with our lives and find out what we want to...

For the first time in 10+ years, I rewatched my 2012 TEDx talk: “​Nerd Fitness and Resetting the Game of Life.​” My first thought: “Whoa, Steve. Those are some EPIC sideburns.” My next thought: “Bold choice with the striped shirt, jeans, and flip flops!” Then I gave myself some grace. I’m deeply uncomfortable with the spotlight. I hate public speaking....

For a long time, I took a lot of pride in never needing to rely on other people. I am a conflict-avoidant people-pleaser, so I would often pride myself on NEVER allowing myself to rely on others. I certainly wouldn’t let myself burden somebody else with my struggles. I jokingly shared how I felt about ​asking for help the other day on Instagram​:...

Nick Cave has taken over my life for the past month. Mr. Cave has been putting out music since the mid 1980s with his band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He’s also a writer, screenwriter, poet, and all-around interesting dude. His band’s most famous song, “​Red Right Hand​,” serves as the theme song for the show Peaky Blinders, which I have been watching...