I assigned myself Homework for Life back in 2012 as a means of finding more stories to tell onstage. I was running out of new stories to tell, so in an effort to generate more content, I assigned myself Homework for Life.

As an elementary school teacher, I am prone to solving problems via homework.

My hope was to find one new story per month — 12 new stories per year — but something much more amazing happened.

I discovered that my life was filled with stories. As I continued doing Homework for Life, day after day, never missing a day, I began to see my life in a new and profound light. I realized that I was experiencing meaningful moments all the time:

Big and small moments that I had previously failed to see, or, when I did see them, would forget them within a week. This is sadly how we live our lives. We leave our most precious things — our memories — behind, failing to hold onto them like we should.

No more.

Homework for Life taught me that our lives have more depth and breadth and meaning than I ever could have imagined. I found more stories than I have time to tell — an endless list of moments to take to the stage. But more importantly, I found a way to see, hold onto, and remember my life that has brought me happiness, insight, wisdom, and moments to share with friends, family, and the world.

Homework for Life has slowed down time. Given my appreciation for every day. Helped me to see patterns in my life. Allowed me to relive the years of my life with joy, surprise, and a sense of purpose.

Five minutes a day has changed my life.

It has changed the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Now it can change yours, too.