Wounded but Alive

Projection

The Person You’re Talking to Might Not Exist

Andy Chaleff on June 12, 2026

A quiet 1979 film about a misunderstood gardener reveals how often we relate to people we’ve invented rather than the ones in front of us.

A quiet 1979 film about a misunderstood gardener reveals how often we relate to people we’ve invented rather than the ones in front of us.

Behavioral Finance

You've Given Your Power to Money, but You Can Take It Back

Andy Chaleff on March 12, 2026

What my father’s will taught me about control, projection, and the unconscious meanings we assign to money.

What my father’s will taught me about control, projection, and the unconscious meanings we assign to money.

Happiness

What Happiness Feels Like (Once You Stop Trying to Find It)

Andy Chaleff on November 21, 2025

Personal Perspective: After losing my mother at 18, I spent decades chasing happiness. Yet happiness appears not when we pursue it, but when we stop running from what scares us.

Personal Perspective: After losing my mother at 18, I spent decades chasing happiness. Yet happiness appears not when we pursue it, but when we stop running from what scares us.

Grief

How Writing Saved Me After My Mentor Died

Andy Chaleff on October 29, 2025

When my mentor died suddenly, I had no idea what to do next. I started writing and discovered that telling the story of my pain was the only way to make sense of it.

When my mentor died suddenly, I had no idea what to do next. I started writing and discovered that telling the story of my pain was the only way to make sense of it.

Bipolar Disorder

How My Father's Bipolar Disorder Made Me a Better Manager

Andy Chaleff on October 9, 2025

Growing up with my father's unpredictable rage taught me to read people with unusual accuracy. That childhood survival skill became my greatest strength.

Growing up with my father's unpredictable rage taught me to read people with unusual accuracy. That childhood survival skill became my greatest strength.

Gratitude

The Letter That Rewired My Brain

Andy Chaleff on September 29, 2025

Hours after my mother read my thank-you letter, she was killed by a drunk driver. That experience changed everything I knew about unexpressed love—and brain science.

Hours after my mother read my thank-you letter, she was killed by a drunk driver. That experience changed everything I knew about unexpressed love—and brain science.

Personal Perspectives

How I Learned to Stop Panicking and Love the End of the World

Andy Chaleff on September 20, 2025

Making peace with the inevitable can help us manage our fears and embrace the present.

Making peace with the inevitable can help us manage our fears and embrace the present.