Question of the Day (Inspired by the Red-headed Stranger)

I’m currently reading The Tao of Willie:  A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart, with “Willie” being the great Willie Nelson, musician and songwriter extraordinaire. As you might guess from the title, the book, coauthored by Nelson and Turk Pipkin, elucidates the singer’s philosophy of life, which was strongly influenced by Buddhist and Taoist tenets, and includes lots of autobiographical details. In one of … Continue reading Question of the Day (Inspired by the Red-headed Stranger)

Wise & Shine Podcasts in 2023

In October of last year, Wise & Shine started a podcast.  In the weeks ahead, we’ll be recording new episodes for your listening pleasure.  Tuesday will be the day we publish new podcasts to the site.  If you haven’t already done so, please have a listen to our recordings from 2022. We are interested in hearing from readers and experts who’d like to be a part … Continue reading Wise & Shine Podcasts in 2023

New Podcast:  What Can the World Learn from Africa?

In the latest installment of the Wise & Shine podcast, I talk with Billy Osogo—one of our writers and a brilliant young man who lives in Nairobi, Kenya—about what the world can learn from Africa.  In Billy’s very insightful response, he tells me about “Ubuntu” and a variety of other subjects.  Have a listen and enjoy! Continue reading New Podcast:  What Can the World Learn from Africa?

I Said Goodbye to a Great Man

It’s that time of year again when my mind goes back to December of 2003, exactly nineteen years ago now, when I had one of the most profound experiences of my life.  A bit earlier in that year, in May of 2003 to be exact, my maternal grandfather, a real-life cowboy and a man I called “Pawpaw,” fell seriously ill.  He was eighty-six years old … Continue reading I Said Goodbye to a Great Man

To The One

In the barren lands of earth, our gestures of gratitude can often seem hollow and trite–an obligatory Thank You note written here; a box of chocolates given there; handshakes, hugs, and gift cards, though well intended, can also prove lacking. The worst, of course, is when someone’s precious gifts of time, effort, and heart are overlooked and entirely taken for granted. There comes a time–and that … Continue reading To The One

close up photo of a condenser microphone

New Podcast Today!

Hi!  We’ve just posted a new episode of the Wise & Shine podcast.  Have a listen as I talk with the uber-talented and insightful Art Russell.  In this podcast, we attempt to answer the question “What’s Really Important?”  Thanks for tuning in!  Continue reading New Podcast Today!

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“We Know What We Are, But Know Not What We May Be”

Who Am I? Depends Who You Ask Barring a few Zen Masters, all of us spend virtually every waking moment (and every non-waking moment) in our own heads. These accommodations may strike you as lightless prison cells, bright, soft palaces, or something in between, depending on your moods and/or medications. Hamlet claimed, “I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of … Continue reading “We Know What We Are, But Know Not What We May Be”

The best habit of all

Hello on a Tuesday! I hope everyone is off to a great start for the week! We talk a lot about what the best habits are to make our lives better. ‘How do I become more productive?’, ‘How can I be happier?’ are some of the questions we hear and probably ask ourselves a lot (knowingly or subconsciously). Let’s do some brainstorming: if we were … Continue reading The best habit of all

HOW TO DECLUTTER

Salaam aleikum! Last time I wrote to this beautiful audience we were pointlessly overthinking. A lot has happened since then. For starters, we just concluded a protracted general elections in my home country Kenya. This event takes place every five years here and is one of the most mentally and emotionally gruelling periods. Away from the ballot, I have lost some opportunities and gained others. … Continue reading HOW TO DECLUTTER

Why Sports Help Me

Not me doing sports, obviously. That’s bizarre and more than a little disquieting to even picture. But for many people, sports, or more precisely, following a particular sport, team, or player, is something for which they feel a deep abiding passion. For me, it’s baseball. And even though I’m about to relate something specific to me, I think many people have had moments like this … Continue reading Why Sports Help Me

Projects and Podcasts

Happy Saturday, all!  I struggled this week.  I wrote three or four pages on a topic that I thought would become a blog I could publish today or tomorrow, only to discover that I needed to hold off on posting it.  Midway into the piece, I realized that my ideas hadn’t yet ripened and thus I’d be sharing something a mite inedible (perhaps even bitterly … Continue reading Projects and Podcasts

loving diverse couple having fun in new own home

I’m Back

When Micheal Jordan returned from the NBA after an extended hiatus his publicity manager was unsure how they should announce the news. So, he wrote a number of press releases for Micheal to choose from. But Jordan didn’t like any of them. He said, “I’ll do it myself.” before picking up a pen and writing down the following message, “I’m back.” That was it. The … Continue reading I’m Back

The Great Unveiling

Hi, all.  Listen up.  The Pointless Overthinking management team has been as busy as a bunch of elves during the early days of December.  We’ve been working behind the scenes to make major revisions to the site.  Some of them have already been made manifest.  However, many others, including a renaming of the website, are still in the offing, so check back over the next … Continue reading The Great Unveiling

Death, Daughters & Kiddie Rides: A Lesson

When they were young, my kids really loved the kiddie rides at Funland in Rehoboth Beach DE. It’s extra special there because many of the rides have been maintained for several generations. As a kid, I rode and loved some of the same rides my daughters did. One of our favorites was one we called The Cars. It’s the typical kiddie ride set-up; glittery-painted sports … Continue reading Death, Daughters & Kiddie Rides: A Lesson