Lasting Happiness and the Hedonic Treadmill
Change, contentment, and finding joy in the everyday.
A Thousand Sunsets
Beginning college felt like a big restart for me. I was a newly minted nineteen-year-old, and I was in a new city and institution. I'd never done college before. I'd never done Iowa before. Adulthood was set out before me like a buffet, and the drumbeat
Fortune Telling
How can humility and patience reshape our work, relationships, and rest? Unwrap a future of unhurried love.
Habits of Healing: Self-Consent and Embracing the Unexpected
On a blustery Des Moines afternoon, I noticed two women walking along a quiet
side street in our neighborhood. The older of the two appeared to be struggling
awkwardly with new crutches. She stumbled and stabbed and danced with the
precariousness of a newborn fawn as she stammered forward. Her
Growth & Disappointment
It’s one thing to know that failure is a part of success, but it’s another thing
altogether to keep going when things really get tough. If you’re anything like
me, it’s easy for success to go to your head and failure to go to your heart.
Holy Consumers
Have you ever noticed how slowly people eat at fancy restaurants? Maybe it’s because the portions are small. Perhaps they’re doing math in their heads to see if they can still afford dessert? I’m certain everyone has their reasons for pacing themselves, but I tend to think
Face to Face
This past week I had a moment of joy that I didn’t expect. I pulled up to my usual Starbucks and stuffed my mask into my pocket just in case. It was time to trade in my Pfizer double shot for one of the espresso variety. I glanced at