PinnedMember-onlyYour Second (or third, or fourth) Marriage Will Also FailYou must address the common denominator — So you’ve failed at marriage. Maybe more than once. I get it — it’s hard enough the first time, and statistics routinely suggest that it never gets easier the more times you try it. Marriages end. Kind of a lot, actually. There is some evidence that the divorce rate has…Relationships3 min readRelationships3 min read
Published in Unfaithful: Perspectives on the Third-Party Relationship·PinnedMember-onlyAutopsy of a Dead MarriageThe ultimate cause of death was surprising — The Atlantic Ocean unfolded under my wings as I made my way home from war. I think we were around halfway back to American soil when my marriage breathed its last. Iraq had beaten the hell out of me for nearly 15 months, but I knew the worst was yet…Relationships10 min readRelationships10 min read
Published in DataDrivenInvestor·Nov 11Member-onlyStop Writing For the MoneyIt will only break your heart — Money is cruel. It is heartless. And when it comes to earning it through writing — especially online — it loves to play hard to get. So why do we chase it? Why do we make money the point of doing this online writing thing? I mean, apart from the…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Published in Anyone Can Write Online·Nov 6Member-onlyHow Did You Come to Writing?This is my story… — Fulfilling destiny can be messy. Life is already this massive workload of learning, screwing up, gaining, losing, and struggle — before you even consider the cost of being what you were born to be. This isn’t another piece about life being a journey and not a destination, but it is…Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Published in The Orange Journal·Oct 27Member-onlyYou’re Only Here Until You’re NotMake better decisions while you are — Birth and death are just the bookends of life. What happens in between those two profound events is what defines us. I know how painfully unnecessary my saying that sounds, but it’s an important point. Here’s why. Birth is just the beginning. “Wow, Frank! You’re really slinging the depth with…Decision Making5 min readDecision Making5 min read
Published in Anyone Can Write Online·Oct 23Member-onlyWading Into the Niche DebateMy view on this is colored by my experience — Stop putting yourself in a tight little box with your writing. The tighter the box, the more limited your success as far as I’m concerned. I’ve seen a lot of pieces on pro- and anti-niche writing around here lately. Tim Denning says it’s not necessary. Dave McClure says it is…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Published in The Orange Journal·Oct 19Member-onlyFind the Blessing in Your Bullsh*tThere is always at least one — I swear to God, if one more thing happens… We all hit those times in life when things aren’t going well. And it isn’t just one thing — it’s a list of them that seems to fly at your face all at once. Life can really tax your resilience and your ability to crisis multitask sometimes. When that happens…Life Lessons5 min readLife Lessons5 min read
Published in The Orange Journal·Oct 13Member-onlyForgive That Person Before They DieOr, you know, before you do — They hurt you. Badly. Like, to a level that your whole life is kind of wrapped around it. You feel stuck, and you know that your life is less-than because of this thing. …Forgiveness4 min readForgiveness4 min read
Published in Anyone Can Write Online·Oct 12Member-onlyMy Book Is Breadcrumbing MeI’ve been stuck on the intro for two weeks — Ever have a fantastic idea that gives you that fluttery feeling in your stomach? Sweaty palms? An obsessive desire to create and change the world? Ever sit down to do it and find that the idea, as powerful as it is in your soul, just won’t translate to actual words…Writing3 min readWriting3 min read
Oct 7Member-onlyMy Son May Be a SociopathHe puts ketchup on grilled chicken — My seven-year-old is weird. I get it — all kids are — but he goes next-level sometimes. Especially when it comes to food. I had him at my house all last summer while his mom did military duty, and she warned me before he came that I should load up…Parenting3 min readParenting3 min read
