Show Your Gratitude With a Thank You Jar

It’s November 1 and that means the Thank You Jar has returned. Chris and I have a Thanksgiving tradition that we’ve been doing for so many years I’ve forgotten where the idea originally came from. This tradition makes us feel connected as a family and truly grateful for all the good things in our lives.…

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You’re Not Fooling Anyone

“Hey, have you taken this class before?” I was standing outside the aerobics studio at my gym waiting for my favorite step aerobics class to begin. I turned toward the sound of the voice and was surprised by what I saw. The young lady was probably in her mid-20s. She had blond cornrows with pink…

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Being Mindful of Other Cultures

Sometimes I forget that the world doesn’t revolve around me. On Sunday, Chris and I were leaving our apartment to go out for lunch when we noticed police officers blocking off a lot of local streets with metal barriers. The sidewalks were crowded with people carrying folding chairs and coolers. What was going on? Slowly,…

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Imma Let You Finish

Me and Kanye West have something in common. And I mean besides our vast fortunes and legions of fans. We’re both interrupters. I try to be polite when I have conversations with people, but there’s always a little voice inside of me that is aching to blurt out something. It’s so bad that I actually…

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Funner Ways to Motivate Your Inner Athlete

When I was in 5th grade, I wrote a poem that rhymed the word summer with the word funner. My teacher helpfully informed me that funner wasn’t a real word, but he gave me permission to use it because I had “artistic license.” Now I think of something being funner if it’s edgy fun or…

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How to Stay Sweet in a Sour World

“You’re always so happy.” I get that a lot, and it’s true. I am happy…much happier than most people I know. These days, it’s unusual to find someone whose baseline is happiness. What I mean by baseline is the most common state the person is in. If you walked into your coworker’s office without knocking…

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Lessons From the Farmers Market

On the weekends, Chris and I like to go to the farmers market on the Embarcadero by the Ferry Building. I’m always finding something new to try. Have you ever eaten a pluot? I’d never seen them before moving to California (they’re a cross between a plum and an apricot). Pluots are absolutely delicious, fresh,…

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