The key to a peaceful life is taking control of your wishes. One extreme is trying to make all your wishes true. That way you are unfocused, constantly drawn away from important things and in danger of losing what really matters in life, like health or family bliss for example. The other extreme is trying to achieve nirvana or the state without wishes. Nirvana is the minute before dying in your last incarnation, so take it easy – you can have some wishes, just make sure you don’t overdo it. Some things are not meant to be, thus you should let go of some wishes. Another common mistake is having...

This time I have really great news! My BIO is one of 11 life stories of people with bipolar disorder, published in the new edition of Bipolar Disorder for Dummies. Read more on Joe Kraynak’s blog.

This autumn there is an abundance of mushrooms growing in the woods, waiting for us to be picked. I have been encouraged by many people and when finally even a local bus-driver asked me, if I had been to the woods to pick some, I decided to start. My procrastination was due to a fear that was half real (inedible mushrooms are dangerous!), but also half surreal, for there are many experienced mushroom-pickers in the neighborhood who can help. The day the bus-driver asked me about my mushroom-picking activities I was still unsure about whom to ask if she/he could check the specimen I would have...

When I was younger I believed the myth that writers do not really work. And that their explanation »I am looking for an inspiration« is just an excuse for not working. How wrong I was! Today that I work as a writer, I must confess that three quarters of my time actually consist of looking for an inspiration and only one quarter of the time I actually write. In addition to that, I must confess that I very rarely get inspired behind the computer screen. I have to get out. I used to get more inspiration in the woods, but now I get more inspired down town, among medieval architecture and when running...

I noticed near a school that an architect designed an octagonal bench and even planted a tree in the middle of the octagonal to indicate the way of sitting on that bench. The bench is a closed circle, which means that one would automatically sit down showing his/her back to all others that might also care to sit down. The tree planted in the middle of the circle was making absolutely sure that the bench-users would ‘get the message’. Now, the architect forgot that kids are very natural in comparison to adults and being social is one of the natural characteristics of human beings. The first...