The Living Flame
The Aliveness Journal

Writing for the third act of life

Notes on outgrowing the aging default, coming home to your body, and staying vitally alive. New writing most weeks. I'm glad you're here.

June 18, 2026

Why do I feel like I'm not living up to my potential?

That nagging sense that there's more of you than you're living is not a flaw. It's information, and it's pointing at a gap worth exploring.

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June 15, 2026

Is the decline story about aging actually true?

A hummingbird in the rain, a wedding at 69, and a Yale study that found a positive view of aging can add seven and a half years to your life. Why the forecast of decline is not your destiny.

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June 8, 2026

Why does other people's disapproval hurt so much?

If one person's quiet displeasure can make you feel sick inside, it usually isn't really about today. The distinction that changes everything.

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June 1, 2026

Is it ever too late to start over?

At 69 I became a bride, and I've been waking up ever since feeling born again. On love later in life, a new name, and why the door to something new never really closes.

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May 28, 2026

Why does reaching a goal sometimes feel empty?

Ever hit a big goal and felt strangely flat? SMART goals are built to be measured. HEART goals are built to be true. The difference, and a practice to tell which is which.

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Begin with a week of radiant mornings

Seven short meditations, each starting with your hand over your heart, five minutes or less. A free, gentle place to start feeling the real you again.

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