What’s Next

For anyone asking what comes after the title, the paycheck, or the plan.

Below are 395 what's next posts from Tim. Use the filters to find what you are looking for within this category.

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Architects of Our Own Growth
QuoteWhat's NextBuilder

Architects of Our Own Growth

By Raffaello Palandri

September 29, 2025

"With discipline, we become the architects of our own growth, forging a path where inner development is not a consequence of circumstance but a deliberate journey toward wisdom and fulfillment." ...
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Breakup With Everything
SongWhat's NextSeeker

Breakup With Everything

By Michael Franti & Spearhead

August 29, 2025

Editor’s Note: Here’s a lovely song sent me by my son, Kevin.  One old acoustic guitar and one voice with feeling. Favorite lyric: “If it’s love that you lost, Or...
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Know Why You’re Living
QuoteWhat's NextBuilderMentorSeeker

Know Why You’re Living

By David Brooks

August 5, 2025

“Over the past 30 years, people have tried to fill the hole in their soul by seeking to derive a sense of righteousness through their political identities. And when you...
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Alone
SongTim's StoryWhat's NextSeeker

Alone

By Trampled by Turtles

August 1, 2025

Editor’s Note: The opening lyrics are precisely what my father said many, many, many times to my siblings and me.  It’s haunting to hear his admonition again and the song...
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How the Light Gets In
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How the Light Gets In

By Leonard Cohen

July 1, 2025

“ The birds they sang At the break of day Start again I heard them say Don't dwell on what has passed away Or what is yet to be Ah,...
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Where Were You Born?
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Where Were You Born?

By Tim McCarthy

June 3, 2025

My friend said, "I was born on third base." For those who don't follow baseball, that means he started life just one step away from scoring - with significant advantages...
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Long As I Can See The Light
SongWhat's NextBuilderMentorSeeker

Long As I Can See The Light

By John Fogerty

April 28, 2025

Editor’s Note: A recent article about “alternatives to “doomscrolling” suggested reading posts to songs on youtube.com as an option to getting trapped in the chaos of other media. Sounded weird...
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Learned to Do
QuoteLeadershipWhat's NextBuilder

Learned to Do

By Deepak Malhotra

February 3, 2025

“You, Zed, are asking them to be. But they have only learned to do ." ---Deepak Malhotra, from “I Moved Your Cheese”
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Write or Speak Your History
PostTim's StoryWhat's NextMentor

Write or Speak Your History

By Tim McCarthy

December 30, 2024

My dear friend, Mardy Grothe, often inspires me with his weekly blog, which you can subscribe to at www.drmardy.com. Mardy has spent much of his life collecting and publishing books...
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Hope for a Great Sea-Change
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Hope for a Great Sea-Change

By Seamus Heaney

December 30, 2024

"So hope for a great sea-change On the far side of revenge. Believe that a further shore Is reachable from here. Believe in miracles And cures and healing wells. Hope...
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I am a Rock
SongWhat's NextSeeker

I am a Rock

By Paul Simon

December 23, 2024

Editor’s note: Simon wrote many of the poems/songs that affected my development as a young man. This is a lovely cry for relationships and meaning using the metaphor of one...
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When Breath Becomes Air
BookWhat's NextSeeker

When Breath Becomes Air

By Paul Kalanithi Editor

October 31, 2024

Book of The Month: "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi Editor’s note: Don’t read this if death freaks you out. If you’re excited about “running through the tape”, like...
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The Nickel Boys
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The Nickel Boys

By Colson Whitehead Editor

September 30, 2024

Book of The Month: "The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead Editor’s note: This is the third Whitehead book I’ve featured. After enjoying his fictional character portrayals of 1970’s Harlem, I...
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Old Man
SongWhat's NextMentor

Old Man

By Neil Young

September 30, 2024

Song of the Month:  “Old Man” by Neil Young Editor’s note: Befitting this month’s topic, here’s an oldie from my college days. Favorite lyric: “Old man, take a look at...
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Here’s to Life
QuoteWhat's NextMentor

Here’s to Life

By Richard Lederer

September 30, 2024

  Now that I am full of years and white of hair and the evening star glows in the sky, I know that as my life accumulates, I am surprised...
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The View at 72
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The View at 72

By Tim McCarthy

September 30, 2024

This month I will celebrate 72 years on earth. Here are a few notes on the view from here. There is only one thing I do not like about being...
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Rating Your Playfulness
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Rating Your Playfulness

By Tim McCarthy

September 3, 2024

A spiritual writer I admire, Regina Brett, wrote “play like you mean it” in her recent blog and it got me thinking about rating my own skills for playfulness.  Score...
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Growing Sideways
SongWhat's NextSeeker

Growing Sideways

By Noah Kahan

September 3, 2024

Song of the Month:  “Growing Sideways” by Noah Kahan Editor’s Note:   I love great turns of phrases, especially when the discussion is self-discovery.  This Noah Kahan song is his...
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The Doctor Is In
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The Doctor Is In

By Tim McCarthy

August 6, 2024

Alice and the kids have long teased me as the Dr. with no MD. Children of medical doctors often believe we are experts just by having watched our dads ply...
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Paradox
QuoteWhat's NextSeeker

Paradox

By Kai Cheng Thom

August 6, 2024

Paradox is where enlightenment is born—it’s not about resolving or conquering paradox by choosing one side; rather, it’s in the tension of more than one truth being true that a...
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Fear is Self-Imposed
QuoteWhat's NextBuilder

Fear is Self-Imposed

By Jocelyn McCauley

July 1, 2024

Fear is self-imposed, meaning it doesn’t exist, you create it, and you can destroy it. I love fear because behind every fear is a person you want to be. ---Jocelyn...
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