Stop comparing yourself to other peoples’ perfect plans and perfect pictures and perfect workouts. Ninety-nine percent of that stuff is performative and fake. The road to genuine excellence and well-being is windy and messy and often boring. This is just how it goes. Embrace it.

Parents: most important thing is car ride home. Winning is a real thing. Losing is too. So is celebrating success and realizing areas for improvement. But most important is showing love regardless and reminding your kid their performance IS transient and is NOT their identity.

With COVID-19 fueling an already bad social isolation and belonging problem, I fear "metaverse" technologies will ride the momentum and make things much worse. Nothing replaces feeling someone's hand. The energy in a room. Lifting weights off the ground. Running on a trail.

Non-dual thinking is the ability to hold competing ideas at the same time. It is rare and important. Some examples: Art AND science Hard work AND rest. Self-discipline AND self-compassion. Solitude AND community. Mind AND body. Happiness AND sadness. Strength AND flexibility.

Joe Biden, a boy who was bullied because he couldn't speak, whose life was upended by such trauma and loss, who suffered despair that took him to the brink of suicide, is now president-elect of the United States. Wow. Just wow. Those out there struggling: be patient, keep going.