Editor’s Comment:  I like to think my life was “saved” by Amy Skerry and Paul Gellman who led me to meditation practice back in the 1990s.  The stress of starting a business while raising a family had led me to physical maladies that were anxiety-induced.  For eight years I sat most days and attended group meditation weekly.  Now, many years later I can come to the moment, particularly in times of greatest stress just by noticing my anxiety and actions that result from the clutter.  Jon Kabat-Zinn was one teacher and I’ve long recommended his books, retreats and audios on the subject but I will now add this great book to my collection.  It’s more thorough than anything I’ve read and keeps things western and simple.  If you struggle with anxiety, consider meditation; if you struggle with meditation, read this book.  As the authors point out, meditation is not something to “do well”, in fact I still struggle with monkey mind when I sit.  But it’s life changing just to notice your mind and where it’s taking you.

This last in this series of “things I know for sure” is that no person can become what they want to be without a written plan.

Editor’s Comments: The joy of reading Lewis’ latest book is that obscure details are made interesting. That is, the author takes us into three fairly unknown and misunderstood departments of our federal government and – in context of the current administration – teaches us a lot of what’s at stake in each. Like most people I’ve viewed federal workers as bureaucrats, at best. Lewis however dives into specific lives and careers of fed workers that are quite honorable. Did you ever wonder what Agriculture, Commerce and Energy Departments really do? Nope, me either. But as one of the book reviewers wrote of Fifth Risk: “Lewis has a reputation for taking fairly arcane subjects — high finance, sovereign debt, baseball statistics, behavioral economics — and making them not just accessible but entertaining.” Indeed he does.

“Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself.”

Editor’s comment: As with every fad and trend I’ve witnessed, there are a lot of fakers in the early years of growth. ESG Investing (Environmental, Social and Governance) is another of those places. This Bloomberg article takes a deep dive into the methods by which some ESG funds have become more marketing than truth.

Editor’s Comment: Editor’s comment: This Christmas, I reviewed over 100 songs my daughter Caitlin has given me over time (she started creating Daddy Mixes when she was 14) and picked my 18 favorite to give back to her as a “Best of Caitlin Mix”. This was one of my favorites since I am so often “lost in my mind”.

In 66 years I’ve learned that I can only do what I love to do if (and only if) I’m willing to also do the things least appealing to me.  Here’s just a few of those things.

"As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear."