Essays

My book, Life is What You Make It, has been received very well. It’s been translated into over 15 languages and sold over a half a million copies. But every time I’m asked to speak about it, there’s a small part of me that just can’t get behind the title.

For many of us, it’s true. We’re defined by the choices we make and the stories we believe. Wrong turns become unpredicted life lessons that help us find our way. Seemingly impossible odds become just the thing that propels us into …

I wrote my latest song, Room Enough, at the end of the summer and last week’s blog that accompanied it was written just as I was nearing the end of what I think I’ll call – and try to replicate again – a summer of “being”. There was not a lot of “doing” going on.

It took a little time to get used to. But we are, in fact, human “beings”. So it was interesting to live up to the name. A lot of the experience was optimized by our recent move to the country from New York City. …

When I was young, I remember being awestruck at the massive power of the Saturn V rocket as it lifted astronauts into space toward the moon. It took so much effort to get that rocket off the ground. But then I would see animations of what would happen once the stages had been cast off and just the top of the rocket, the Command and Service Modules, were in space. The maneuvering looked effortless.

Specifically, it took over 7.5 million pounds of thrust to get to the first 220,000 feet. Once in …