Mastodon Mastodon

…on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam—our pale blue dot.

It’s hard to find a more eloquent, humbling, and ultimately empowering statement than the inspired words of Carl Sagan. If you’ve had a bad day recently or need some perspective on your life, here it is. Watch. Listen. In the vastness of space and the immensity of time, revel in the joy of sharing a … Read more

Leaving the Conservation Lands Foundation

Yesterday was my last day at the Conservation Lands Foundation. In my nearly six years on staff, we quickly built an effective national organization, developed and supported a vibrant network of grassroots advocates across the West, helped set a strong policy vision for system, and elevated the profile of the National Conservation Lands, among many … Read more

Steve Jobs has some advice for you

Steve Jobs died today.

I’m not usually a fan of corporate behemoths, but there was always something special about the way Apple—no, make that Steve Jobs—went about changing the world. You don’t need much more proof of the impact he had on the tech industry, or the last generation or two, or the world today than the overwhelming outpouring of emotion after his death. If you were online, you knew. He was the entrepreneur of our generation, and one of the all-time great innovators and visionaries. The 60s/70s had NASA, and the 80s/90s/00s had Steve Jobs.

No matter whether you’re a fanboy or a hater, it’s hard not to argue that Steve’s passing leaves a huge hole in our culture’s soul. Steve and Apple certainly left an indelible mark on my life. He will be missed.

Perhaps one of his more poignant moments came during his Stanford commencement address. I’ve watched this video at least a dozen times over the years. The advice he gives is even more moving today than when I heard it last.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Watch the entire speech above (or read the transcript). Either way, I promise that it will be well worth your time.

So let’s go make sure we all have our “one more thing” moment. There’s no sense in waiting.

101 things

A recap of my 101 Things in 1001 Days project

The 101 list was an experiment to see if I would accomplish more than I would with New Year’s resolutions. I did. I figured that the longer time period and longer list of potential projects would allow me more flexibility in achieving the goals I had set forth. It also did.

Seeing Flogging Molly on St Patrick’s Day

When I think back over my life, I often find that while I’ve done some cool things, I’ve also failed to participate in the common high school and college activities. Not drinking or doing drugs, having long-term relationships (thereby skipping the dating scene), and working and volunteering frequently pushed my life in a different direction … Read more

My Aunt Lucy turns 102 this week

My Aunt Lucy is turning 102 next week. Ok, so she’s technically my great-aunt or cousin twice removed or something, but we all just call her Aunt Lucy. She’s one of the sweetest and most energetic people you could meet, and I really wish I could be there to celebrate the occasion with her. She … Read more

What this photo from 1989 says about loyalty

I value loyalty. I hadn’t ever thought of myself as being an especially loyal guy until a friend raised it as one of my personal qualities a couple of years ago. I reflexively disagreed, but upon further reflection and discussion realized that it was probably an accurate statement. Hey, sometimes it takes you a few … Read more

Shaving Sipapu

Our dog Sipapu needs to be shaved regularly, or else we end up with a house of hair. We’ve tried doing it ourselves with the $30 dollar clippers from Target without even a hint of success. So, we’ve been bringing ‘Papu down, much to his dismay, to PetsMart to get groomed. For $60 a pop. … Read more