On My Mind

Warning: Young adults trying to make sense of life and all the stuff it throws at us below.

30 Lessons at 30 photo
I haven’t been 30 that long, but I know that I like it a lot more than I liked being 20.
The Case Against Hustle photo
You might be surprised to learn that I work no more than 45 hours per week at a startup. You might also be surprised to learn that I don’t feel the slightest bit guilty about it.
resolution
Easily attainable New Year’s resolutions for 2019.
How this Grinch Came to Hate Christmas photo
I am as excited for Christmas as someone expecting their next root-canal, or Tax Day.
When everything seems fine, but it’s not photo
Those who know me would say I’m smiley about 99.9 percent of the time, but even I have rough patches.
What’s so funny about cancer photo
Cancer ‘previvor’ Caitlin Brodnick shares her BRCA journey
Dust Yourself Off and Rush Again photo 1
Today was the day I would receive my bid and tomorrow night I would be initiated into the fraternity. I was sure of it.
social data sharing
Why I’m not afraid to share my social data, and you shouldn’t be either
The Next Best Years of Your Life photo
Here’s what advice I have for all of you who just traded in your caps and gowns for your first real summer of adulthood
Why I tell people I’m from Chicago photo2
When I’m on vacation, I’ve learned that being from Chicago is a very advantageous conversation starter.
A Letter to a Friend Going through a Tough Time photo
So, here’s the thing -- I’ve been told I’m pretty good at advice from people. Who knows? I just dish it like I see it.
5 Tips for Navigating a Quarter-Life Crisis photo
Between paying off student debt, job-hopping, swiping left and right for love and more, quarter-life crises can often be difficult to manage.
Failure is (Sometimes) an Option photo
In my early- to mid-20s, I grew to despise failure.
A Ruby of Meaning photo 1
Recently, my great-aunt reminded me that faith in something, even if it's a piece of jewelry, can carry people through tough situations.
4 Things I Learned from My Recent Job Search photo
If your 2018 resolutions also include a new job, here's what I learned that could help make your resume more desirable than your JSwipe profile.
Let’s Fail photo
What I mean by failing more is that I want to try more things I’m actually interested in. The fact is I don’t do that often enough.
Making the world photo
My mom, who started her career in broadcast radio in the early 1970s at the height of women's lib, would tell me that sexual harassment in the workplace used to be totally different.
My Sister, Who Refuses to Fail photo 1
For those of you that have a sister, you know that things are not always perfect. You stole stuff from each other, you fought, but in the end, you are good friends. Well that’s me and Steph.
Halloween teenager
Lessons learned from my final trick-or-treating hurrah at age 17.
To Whomever this May Concern photo
I want to start by saying to anyone I know that I have wronged or hurt in any regard that I am sorry.
That Sunday Night Feeling photo
Do you suffer from the “Sunday Night Blues?” Does three-quarters of your weekend always feel great, but the last quarter feel un-great?
Owning every candle on our cake photo
Personally, I've been contemplating age a lot this year because I'm turning a number ending in "0"—and starting with "4"—at the end of the year.
Three Regrets from My Early 20s photo
When I look back at the decisions and accomplishments of my early 20s -- and I have been doing that a lot lately -- I feel a bit melancholy. The results do not reflect the life I wanted for myself by this time.
Bring it on, 33 photo
As my birthday approaches, I’m reflecting back on a year of true highs and devastating lows
The Lost Awe of Flying photo
Many people have lost their infatuation with the art of flying, so I wanted to remind others and myself of the beauty of airplanes.
Safe at Second Base photo 1
I recently underwent a preventative double mastectomy without shedding a tear (not that there is anything wrong with crying). Instead, I gracefully yet forcefully punched breast cancer in the face.
Summers That Made Me Stronger photo
Of my challenging childhood, summer memories are the ones I hold most dear
Stepping forward photo
Have you had the joy of watching a baby walk for the first time?
Bump the Lamp photo
Despite not looking for a personal motto, one recently found me, and it has cast a shadow right in front of my eyes for almost my entire life.
Finding Community in Tumultuous Times photo
What does it mean to be a part of a community? The ecosystems that surround me, the ones I’m outside of looking in, the communities I’ll never understand.
lauren schmidt 27
Self-growth is, of course, a process, but as I reflected on the recent years, it became clear how countless lessons seemed to shape my progression from early 20s to late 20s.
Don’t Go Chasing Wi-Fi photo
I’m blindly walking, waiving my cellphone in the air like I’m trying to catch the alien signal of the century -- except I’m in a mall … in Dallas, Texas. Got the visual? Great.
Lia and Adam Western Wall

The ups and downs of our flights to and from Tel Aviv reminded me that airlines and airports are very special places, where people tolerate much more than they would in the real world.

Carving out space for quiet photo
The discord sweeping the country has inspired many of us to speak out. Staying silent, as the Jewish people know all too well, can lead to danger.
Time flies photo
This April marks 10 years since my wife and I went on our first date. Time has moved in such a fashion that it feels like I blinked and now it’s 2017.
brightest night

 As I journey toward the brighter tomorrow, it seems mainstream media and culture are embracing those feelings that once made me loom over the chasm over oblivion.  

30 Things I Did Do Before 30 photo
To be frank, I’m not 30 for another four months. But to be Adam, I wanted to start making myself feel good about this because that list of “30 Things I Will Do Before 30” I wrote is getting out of reach.
10 Ways to Be Thankful Beyond Thanksgiving photo
I’ve thought of 10 simple, quick ways to give thanks year-round. Your challenge is to do 5 out of 10.
Uber Convenient photo
Let me preface this with: I do not work at or for Uber. I am not affiliated with Uber in any way. I just love writing about impressive companies.
Picking a Career at 17 photo
If you really think about it, you kind of need to know what you want to do for the rest of your life by the time you're a senior in high school -- at 17 years old.
Drip Drop photo
Doing our part to help the Flint water crisis
adam alarm
Just like in a game of roulette, there are no do-overs. Believe me, I’ve tried. But what if I told you that I didn’t actually want some do-overs?
‘You are beautiful’ photo
There's a scene in the summer film comedy Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising in which two sorority pledges attend their first fraternity party, and are disgusted by the frat brothers' focus on getting young co-eds into bed.
My Chicago Summer Bucket List photo
Here’s an ambitious list of what I want to accomplish before the leaves start changing colors.
Six Ways to Savor the Chicago Summer photo 1
Guys, this won’t last past September. We all know that. That means we have another month and a half, at most, to squeeze what we can out of the Chicago summer.
Why I (((Echo))) and So Should You photo 1
If you follow Jewish writers on Twitter, you might have noticed recently that some have put parentheses around their own names. While I wish it were the symbol for a virtual hug, it is actually a protest of a symbol that the Anti-Defamation League now considers hate speech.
Thank You to My Really Old Gym Shoes photo
A few weeks ago, a ridiculous thought occurred to me. I could not remember the last time I bought new gym shoes.
My 29-Hour Birthday photo

I’ve never been big on birthdays. I’m usually normal size.

Mission complete photo

My Grandpa Max passed away this spring -- on his 93rd birthday. According to Jewish wisdom, dying on the same day that you're born is a blessing. In fact, Moses was said to have died on his 120th birthday. The Talmud teaches us that God calculates and completes the lifespan of a righteous person.

30 Things I Will Do Before 30 photo

I’m 28 years old, going on 29. Right after that (a year, not immediately), I turn the big 29 plus 1.

Three Things I Wish I’d Known Before Graduating College photo

Trading textbooks for timesheets and “Two-Dollar Tuesday” for networking and fundraisers has provided me with a different perspective.


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