Dear Friends,
I wrote my first R2L blog on March 1, 2000! For most of those 22 years I have written every Sunday night. In the last 2 years, I’ve gotten erratic. And I have been radio-silent for the past couple of months.
So, what’s up? Well, I have been thinking, reading and writing a ton. But just not a good fit for R2L. So:
- I expect R2L will return but will remain sporadic for now. Do put me on a safe sender’s list. I’ve lost so many readers to over-active spam filters
. (Meanwhile, the searchable archives are always available!) - I am working on a podcast that will be called Better Halves – interviewing people who have created amazing personal and professional pairs. We expect a launch in the first half of 2023.
- I am working on a book that pulls together my best thinking and research. It has the very sexy and equally pithy working title: A Unified Theory of Being and Becoming through Essential Relationships.
- I am building out my YouTube channel and expect to re-launch in Q1 2023. If you like short video pieces, stay tuned.
I mentioned reading. If you are looking for a great book for yourself or a gift, as yes the holidays approach, here are five that I highly recommend:
| Verlyn Klinkenborg, Several Short Sentences About Writing | Awesome for aspiring or achieving writers. As you’d expect: beautifully sculpted, a bit philosophical. |
| Arthur Brooks, From Strength to Strength | If you’re 50-70 years old or love someone who is, this book is amazing. I’ve sent it to some friends, and everyone has been taken by his sober but then liberating view of aging with strength and purpose. Great for what he calls “strivers,” people whose work has been central to their identity. |
| David Epstein, Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World | Super for 20-somethings or 30-somethings. If you like Gladwell, you’ll love the way this book flows. And the cool and encouraging idea is that being on the single fast-track is neither necessary nor very helpful. |
| Gregory Boyle, The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness | Which is Gregory Boyle more: funny, profound, inspiring or hopeful? The link here points to all of his books, because they are all 5-star, amazing stories of his work with gang members in Los Angeles. They’re timeless stories and lessons, but The Whole Language is most recent and relevant. He reads his own books, and he’s a great reader. Go Audible on this one. |
| Susan Cain, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole | Cain’s great book was on the power of introversion. She’s so insightful about linking the personal and the cultural. This is a must for you or your relatives-friends who are “deep,” who have the artistic soul. |