Knowing yourself is life’s greatest puzzle. After almost ten decades on this planet, I am still constantly locking pieces and learning that some don’t quite fit. It’s truly a never-ending story that is both frustrating and rewarding. Who am I? It’s not an easy question to answer. Experiences, genetics, thoughts, behaviors, and a multitude of other attributes are what many people use to define themselves. A few people believe we don’t exist, and what people believe us to be is simply a character on the stage of life. ...

Existential threats are plentiful in the modern age. Once upon a time, humans could count their threats on one hand. The threats of antiquity were tangible and easy to understand. Wild animals, poisonous lifeforms, a nearby village, and sharp rocks were the threats of the day. In the modern era, we can indulge in the fear of losing all our wealth at the drop of a hat, a nuclear bomb dropping, a worldwide pandemic, and a multitude of other threats we read about in the news. I wonder what this is doing to human psychology. ...

A vessel is what I am. I’m part of a complex system of connections in a world of connections. Like the roots of a tree, my existence depends on how deep it goes. Have my roots dug far enough to understand the world I live in? Never, for more roots do not take away from the tree. One can learn so much about themselves by understanding the balanced existence of a tree. ...

I traveled a breathless eternity to find peace. I have arrived tempered by the desperate scars of a life lived. I am grounded like a thousand-year-old tree. I am finally one with the universe. I let go, like a stream around a small hill. I watch the small pools of water turning dark from the mud. The dam of the Earth is broken, and my soul is set free. It feels like a street corner carnival ride, spinning in earnest towards the balanced center of everything. ...

I don’t know how to start. I’m adding a few more bytes to the Internet. We humans have come a long way since the early hard drives of the 80s to the 1 million exabytes stored on the Internet at large. There are 4.4 million blog posts made per day. What makes anyone think that adding another post will make any difference? What Is Purpose? I like to start with a definition. It grounds me and fills me with purpose. ...