“Find your passion” is also... well, bullshit.

We tell young people to "find their passion" as if there's a vast forest before them, and somewhere among the millions of trees stands the one perfect specimen that will unlock their life's purpose.

This metaphor used to paralyze me more than inspire.

Most eighteen-year-olds' genuine passions involve ha... See more

Meaning emerges not from avoiding struggle but from choosing struggle that serves something larger than yourself.

And to extend this: I see people online constantly lamenting that they can't make or keep friends in adulthood, as if friendship is something that just happens to you rather than something you actively create. This, too, requires intentional effort. Want to get invited to dinner parties? Start throwing them. Menu planning, grocery runs, washing dis... See more

Consider the parents who will tell you, with tears in their eyes, that having children is the most meaningful thing they've ever done. Ask these same people about sleepless nights with colicky babies, teenage rebellion, college tuition anxiety, or the daily negotiations over screen time and vegetables. They won't deny the work... they'll tell you i... See more