Jacob Schnee

Laying out my personal manifesto to help clarify life and things

It's easy to appreciate when good things happen. It's harder but more satisfying to appreciate when things don't happen. I recently experienced a wonderful thing that didn't happen. I felt the loving design of the microwave that didn't beep.

When I was young I thought weightlifting was about the muscles. After weightlifting for some years, golly jeepers was I missing the point. I'm often struck by some new realization of how weightlifting has made my life better. I've developed a deep gratitude for the practice. As someone who has battled chronic pain, I'll begin with the most important benefit weightlifting has given me: a huge decrease in my everyday pain.

We were dining at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Just enjoying some dolmas, hummus, tabouli, baba ganoush, all the delicious fixin's. Then I caught a glimpse of it: my new favorite shirt.

It seems gospel that a writing habit is up there with good sleep and daily exercise as a foundational habit for life, no matter who you are or what you do. But why? How does writing make life so much better for so many people? I can only report on how it works for me, and hope it might bring you the joy, contentment, meaning, and fulfillment it has me.

Your fear of looking stupid is holding you back. Socially, romantically, intellectually, and otherwise. Take some steps to look stupid today. You just might realize it was the best thing you ever did for yourself.

20 years into the practice, pausing to posit why exactly meditation is so refreshing for the mind, body and spirit.

Reason #71839 why local libraries are the friggin' best: live homework help. For free! All afternoon and night. Pure magic, I say.

Here's a fast and easy way to make the world better, which costs virtually nothing: Give more praise to the people in your life.

That thing you don't like about yourself or your spouse just needs a little love and understanding. (And fine, yes, it needs some work too.)

It's January. Time to say "yes" to new things, right? But what if instead, now were the perfect time to embrace the merciful beauty of "no"?

I started teaching myself piano. Why? Music connects where words can't.

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Make it shorter.

Do you want to improve life for others? If you didn't answer 'yes' then I applaud not only your honesty but your self-awareness. You may...

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