In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day earlier this week, I want to share a powerful empathy exercise that took place just after Dr. King’s passing. I’m surprised I had not heard about it before recently reading about it. It was controversial because, as you will see, it was…
I recently read an article about people who don't take to the idea of focusing on happiness. I went to post a comment, but encountered a tech glitch and it didn't get posted. The following is the comment I intended to post: I have learned a great deal, about a great many…
One of the best things I watched on TV this year was the HBO miniseries, Show Me a Hero. It was a bit long (six hours) and it was a bit slow, but the takeaways from the show were worth every minute. As I said in this blog post, seeing the…
My daughters loved reading “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. They also loved the movie. I watched it recently, after happening upon it on a cable TV movie channel. I thought it was very good. (If you don’t want to watch a movie that will make you cry,…
I was talking with my friend Jeff about the way I cannot get myself self to spend a ton of money on a fancy restaurant. He is very willing to spend a lot of money on a particularly good meal. Once in a blue moon I enjoy a super fancy…
I've been blessed to spend time in a bunch of wonderful countries. Whether it was short stays during vacations or the long backpacking trip I took after graduating college in 1984, travel abroad has been one of the most enriching, enjoyable, and memorable experiences of my life. I have learned…
Just over two years ago, after seeing the movie Fruitvale Station, and coincidentally, around the same time, reading the book The New Jim Crow, I wrote a blog post about the importance of seeing the humanity in people, and how that relates to being a leader. ("Be a Leader" is one of the Six…
When you reach a certain age (in my case, it was in my mid-40s), parents of friends begin to have health problems and/or pass away. Over the past 10 years, I’ve been to many funerals, including several very recently. I nearly always cry, but I also frequently smile, and often…
Henry Klein and I met about 20 years ago. We were living in the same town and met on a men's softball team we played on together. Henry is an attorney and a couple of years after we met him, when Marcie and I wanted to create wills, mostly to…
This is a guest post by Ashley Hardway Ever since I can remember, I have been using humor to alleviate anxieties in relationships and in life situations that would otherwise be overwhelming to me. Some people, like my own mother, do not understand how I can make light of things…
Last year, when Marcie and I celebrated our 25th anniversary, I published an article in the Six Simple Rules newsletter with my thoughts about marriage, and about divorce (and happiness). A version of the article was published on the new Love Fairy site, a sister site to Purpose Fairy, where…
This is a guest post by Julie Singer, who teaches us, among other things, something we've discussed before: one of the great sources of happiness is helping others. As a college student, at times you can feel like you have no control over anything. It may be your emotions, your…