Gregory Loewen

At 67 years old, I think I’m finally starting to understand myself. For most of my life, I believed there was something wrong with me. My mother used to call me lazy. My teachers would tell me I had “so much potential if only I applied myself.” I look at the graveyard of business ideas behind me. I was endlessly energized by creating things — new ventures, concepts, experiences, brands, stories. The beginning stages lit me up. But once the excitement settled into structure, maintenance, or...

(from our forthcoming book, Unreasonable Happiness ) Most mornings, it’s decaf by the fire and a scroll through the news of the world. The news tries to light me up; I practice not taking the bait. One simple question keeps me steady: Is this mine to carry, or mine to witness? If a story touches my family, my street, or a community I’m part of—and there’s a clear step I can take today—it’s mine to carry . I make the call, send the donation, sign up, or put a date on the calendar. Then I close...

In an earlier post, I wrote about how easily we can mistake our own beliefs for truths. We polish them, defend them, and carry them...