(1) What are the major differences between life as an expat and life in the States? (2) What are the biggest benefits of being back home/living in the US? (3) What are the biggest drawbacks of being back home/living in the US? (4) Do you think your time spent living abroad has helped you in your transition back to the States, and if so, how? (5) Would you ever consider living abroad again, and if so, where would you consider (or not consider) living? (6) Do you think it’s better to raise a child in the US or someplace else and why do you think so? (7) How would your evaluate your own, and the people around you’s, work-life balance and overall level of happiness in the US? (8) What’s your opinion of the US economy generally, and your situation specifically? (9) What’s your opinion about the level of polarization in the US right now and do you think it is as divided as many say it is? (10) What does the term “American Dream” mean to you and do you think it’s still alive/possible to achieve?

(1) A writer (2) A feeler (3) A thinker (4) A conversationalist (5) A problem solver (6) An American (7) A Texan (8) A teacher (9) A coach (10) An optimist

A moniker should mean something. This is what mine means to me.

It is a human urge to classify, group and distinguish, but there are far more thing that we share, namely the experiences and emotions that fill each our days, and it’s high time we looked at our neighbors as more similar than different.

We all, each and every person out there, has it in us to control the person that we are and the life that we lead. The first step in that arduously amazing process is to stop pointing the finger at other’s and start looking in the mirror to understand where that control lies.

Solutions to life’s ailments are rarely found on the extremities of viewpoints, but more commonly in that magically reasonable Goldilocks zone. Yet somehow we continue to accept the irrational ranting of the polar opposites as the norm, and this must change.

The hardest thing you’ll ever do is admitting when you’re wrong, but only slightly less difficult is taking the first step, and that is stepping out of your echo chamber, abandoning your confirmation bias and opening your mind to the possibility that you’ve made a mistake. As painful as it may be, it’s what we owe to ourselves and to humanity in order to move forward.

We all need to stop finding offense in opinions that differ, summon that inner elephant-like exterior and get busy with the most important of responsibilities that we have to one another, and to humanity, solving problems through uncomfortable yet cordial discourse.

Stop thinking so much just about yourself, what you need/want, and remember you are part of something bigger, grander and more complex. Go through life appreciating and acknowledging the beauty and horror of what it means to be human, and act with thoughtful compassion.

Starting a new series of 10 podcasts on the flaws in people (myself included) & society that make my blood boil! Don’t worry, Bob and the gang will be back in January to calm me down, but until then…buckle up!