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Mental Health

Good Guys and Bad Guys

There are no good guys and bad guys. We’ll start with the punchline. I’ve tried really hard to divide the world into them. It would be easier if people were all good or all bad. EVIL VS VIRTUE. CRUEL VS KIND. LOVE VS HATE. JUSTICE VS INJUSTICE. None of these dichotomies are real. Often cruelty comes from (…)

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Take Care of Your Self

Self-help is a notoriously garbage category, so I wanted to share some of the books I have on my “approved” list as we enter into gifting season. These books are rooted in strong data and credible expertise, without being so heavy and academic that they are unintelligible.  If you are looking for information on psychology (…)

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Can You “Make” Someone Feel Something?

One of the core principles of Stoicism is accepting responsibility. Accepting responsibility for how you feel, what you did, and what happened. “Blame yourself or blame no one.” – Mr. Marcus Aurelius is famous for having said. As someone who over-indexes on self-blame, I have a bone to pick with Mr. Aurelius on this one. (…)

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Times Are Heavy But We Need Not Be

We called my grandmother Mimi. Mimi used to say she’d need a nap after talking to me because I talked too fast and the topics were heavy. I’m comfortable in heavy. It’s my happy place because I have lots of questions and I can’t find answers in the superficial stuff. Yes, sure, the weather is (…)

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Let It Be Worth Your Time

It’s Charlotte Brontë’s fault. The first third of Jane Eyre is unbearably boring and then – out of nowhere – you cannot put it down. As a result, I’m committed to slogging through books I should quit on because just maybe they’ll redeem themselves two-quarters of the way through. That is why my inability to (…)

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friends around a table working casually and talking having fun

We’re Connected But Not Connecting

The older I get the more important friendship feels and the less attended to it becomes. It got me wondering: what is friendship?  Is knowing how you like your coffee, friendship? Is it picking you up from the airport? What about remembering your mom’s name? Or inviting you to happy hour after work? I have a (…)

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therapy copywriting

Why People Who Go To Therapy Become Better Copywriters

During the previous run of The Copy Workshop, I thought a live fireside chat with a professional copywriter would help invigorate the classroom, so I invited my friend, Carolynn, to speak to students. And while traditional speakers give tips, tricks, frameworks, and takeaways – Carolynn gave us the opening scene of The Godfather. [To find out (…)

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Going On a Newsletter Sabbatical

Over the last 5 years, few things have brought me more joy than these Thursdays with you. Our debates about what is or isn’t true, the safe container to think in public, the testing of ideas. I love being in the public sphere and you have given me the space to do what I love: (…)

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