Archive • Jeremy N. Smith • Buttondown

because

March 5, 2026

Dear friends, Beware the word “because.” Like this: I feel angry because… That’s a mistake. And this: I feel angry because you… That’s a disaster. *** I feel...

uncomfortable

February 26, 2026

Dear friends, Do you ever feel bad or uncomfortable? Or are you ever around anyone else who feels bad or uncomfortable? If so, how’s that going? Because,...

insecure

February 19, 2026

Dear friends, On my desk I keep this brilliant definition I once read of being “insecure”: “INSECURE. General or personal insecurity occurs when we are...

tomorrow/The Plane Wants to Fly

February 5, 2026

Friends— Just a reminder: please join me live via Zoom TOMORROW, Friday, February 6, at 9 a.m. PT/10 a.m. MT/11 a.m. CT/noon ET. That’s when I’m hosting a...

The Plane Wants to Fly

February 2, 2026

Dear friends, Want to up your adventure this year, make time for a new hobby, or just feel more comfortable and confident when you travel? Join me live via...

knurl

January 15, 2026

Friends, Do you know what “knurl” is? Three months ago I’d never heard the word. That’s because I’d never touched a barbell—or done any other kind of...

retrospect

December 30, 2025

Dear friends— Lots of people make new year’s resolutions. I do something a little different. I write myself a letter, dated a year or more in the future....

floss

December 4, 2025

Friends— A few months ago, I went to the dentist. I didn’t have any cavities. It looked like my gums had receded, though. And there was plaque buildup...

flower pot

November 18, 2025

Friends— Almost twenty years ago, my wife Crissie and I were walking and talking in San Francisco. We’d just gotten married, and this was a weekend stop...

surprise

November 6, 2025

Dear friends, What makes a conversation successful? For me, one thing: The other person surprised me—and themselves. *** That surprise is why not to write...

steps

October 23, 2025

Dear friends— I live two blocks from a mountain. I can see the peak from my front steps. What if I stood there and tried to jump to the top? I wouldn’t make...

ask

October 9, 2025

Dear friends— Twenty-three years ago, I fell in love at first sight. Like: her laugh echoed in my ears. Like: I lay on my living room couch, moaning her name...