Here’s one undeniable way to discover yours. — You’re looking to find purpose—a reason to get up in the morning or a career to fulfill your heart and soul. I know the feeling. You try this and try that for a little while, only to be disappointed you don’t fall in love right away. “When will my calling…

And how to put them into practice. — Discovering what you need to improve your life and then taking steps to actually do it are two different things entirely. No one would argue values like practicing self-love, having confidence, and pride in yourself are essential for a fulfilling life. So, why can’t most of us figure out how…

It’s about more than feeling grateful to be alive. — This article isn’t just about how precious life is—you know that already. Going through the experience I’m about to tell you that happened because of my own lousy judgment helped me discover how to look at life and might help you too. Here’s what started me down this road. One…

Her “Blaccent” needs to go, but should I cancel her? — When I watched Awkwafina, aka Nora Lum, in the film Crazy Rich Asians, I laughed and thought the outlandish character she played using a New York-style “Blaccent” was a lot of fun as long as it was for that character alone. Surely, she wouldn’t continue playing roles as an Asian…

Put on some clothes. You’re outside, dammit! — Dear relaxed Rick, Robes are for wearing indoors. Walking a dog every morning can feel like a chore, but will you please stop going out only in your blue robe and flip-flops? Your pale legs and male hubris hurt my eyes and stain my soul. Every morning as I try…

If your child gets it, your time could be near. — My eleven-year-old daughter tested positive for covid a week ago. Fortunately, she’s vaccinated, so her symptoms were mild—but she definitely had them. Her first three days were filled with sore throat, fever, and headaches, making relaxing at home difficult. …

Making babies isn’t easy when you have out-of-date thinking. — Japan’s population needs to grow faster, or it will cease to exist. At least, this is what billionaire Elon Musk believes. Japanese people need to start making more babies for the country to survive. I agree, but I think it’s more complicated. Living in Japan for several years as an…

Share your work for free as often as you can. — Writing only for money is a waste of time. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to earn dollars for your articles or sell millions of copies of your book—it shouldn’t be your main goal, though. As a writer, teacher, and cartoonist, I’ve spent the past twenty years making money from what…

Getting rid of the garbage in your mind without hesitation makes a huge difference. — Did he just dump his entire lunch onto the street? I recently visited London for the first time and fell in love with the city and its people. There’s a charm that grabbed me, and history, with a bit of clotted cream on the side, keeping it on my mind…