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Month: May 2026

Open Up [Poem]

Published on May 12, 2026

My deck is bare
Tables and chairs hibernating
So I lay on the wood
The rough presses into my head
My legs relax; crossed
Loafers; no socks
Pants rolled to knee pits
Face bakes in the sun
Hoping the heat will help
Raise the dough of my imagination
Create something more crisp
Cause some kind of oven spring
Of good ideas
Of better actions
Than the fluff I’ve been thinking to take

…Because I’m thinking about last night
And meeting you
And how much it took for me
To not break eye contact
To not slouch or turn away
To keep everything calm
In control and progressing smoothly
As you leaned into my little world
Eyes wide; smile unbelievable
Bigger than any I’ve ever seen
And oh, how I mean that genuinely
When all of a sudden
My ear starts to ring…
As if an oven timer was telling me
Times up; get up; open up

…Or that maybe
Or maybe not…
She was thinking of me too
The heat on my skin sharpens
The words appear more clearly
But is it really time?
Or is it still premature?
Will what’s been cooking be enough?
Or will it be somehow off?
I lay back down
Let the rough press back into my head
Cross my legs and lay my arms
Surrender to a hopeful sun
The oven gets closed
…All I know is well done

P.s. You can read my other poems here.

On The Importance Of Defining “Your Best Life”

Published on May 11, 2026

In order for yesterday’s strategy to work, however, there needs to be some honest conversation and inner work done around “living my best life.”

Because if “living my best life” is used as an excuse to live your most comfortable, distracted, instant-gratification-style life… then not only do I think you won’t find the best relationship of your life… but I don’t think you’ll find your best life.

Living your best life should actually look much like the opposite of the above.

It should look a little scary—like skydiving, or signing up for a dance class, or going up and talking to the person you find attractive. It should look present—like dinner with friends minus the phones, or walks surrounded by nature, or time spent alone meditating or creating or reading. It should look like an ongoing investment into the future—like healthy eating, or mindful movement, or skill-building from a place of beginner’s mind.

When you lean into that zone of discomfort and can keep your nervous system calm and ego quiet enough to proceed forward from that space consistently…

…Then, yes.

…The rest, I imagine, will take care of itself.

Love That

Published on May 10, 2026

Are you dating anyone?

“…No.”

Are you actively looking for a relationship?

“I’m actively looking to live my best life. The rest I imagine will take care of itself.”

Love that.

Get Your Tribe Right

Published on May 9, 2026

Yesterday, a martial arts student of mine gave a research presentation at his local high school.

He had been researching and preparing this presentation for around eight months and was focused on how martial arts affects self-esteem and personal growth.

And one of his key findings was the role that community and the “martial arts family environment” played. His original hypothesis was focused on testing the effects of martial arts training on the individual, but the sweeping majority of people he interviewed mentioned the power, importance, and impact of the other martial artists.

It’s just another reminder that it’s not necessarily what you do… but who you’re able to do it with.

As another example, when I was in school, whoever my favorite teacher was and whichever class had my friends (and cutest girls) in it—was my favorite class. It wasn’t the subject matter that made the big difference per se… it was the people.

And the same is true for many things in life. Get your tribe right… and the rest usually takes care of itself.

The Dishes Will Never Be Done

Published on May 8, 2026

I do this thing where I’ll purposely leave a dish or two unwashed in the sink after washing the rest.

It reminds me that the dishes will never be done. And to be okay with that. And to just keep showing up to do them at the designated time each day.

No surprises. No frustrations. Just an expected chore.

Might sound stupid, but it works for me.

Life Is Coming From You, Not At You

Published on May 6, 2026

…To illustrate this, watch this video of a guy interact with his dogs at a low vibration and then at a high vibration.

The dogs have no idea what he’s saying (and neither do we)… but there’s definitely a version that both the dogs and I (and maybe you) would prefer to be around… who we’d prefer to give back to… who we’d prefer to help out and present opportunities to…

Two questions to consider: what helps you raise your vibration better than just about anything else? How can you increase the frequency of this in your life?

Who’s Going To Give Others What You Want Them To Have?

Published on May 5, 2026

It’s very hard to give what you don’t have.

This is obvious from a material standpoint, but maybe less so from an emotional one.

If I want my children to have money, but I don’t have any money to give them, the money I want them to get won’t be coming from me—and I have to figure out another way.

The same is true for joy. If I want the people around me to feel joyous, but I don’t have any joy to give them… the joy I want them to exhibit isn’t going to come from me… and I have to figure out another way.

And maybe “another way” is to ask someone else to give it to them… or teach them how to make/create it themself… or hire someone else to teach them how…

…Or, of course, you could figure out how to get joy / money yourself so that you can give it to them after all.

And instead of trying to use (whether consciously or unconsciously) broke to create money or misery to create joy or hate to create love… you can turn the focus of your attention around and back to the source. Back to the place you can control. Back to you, your life, and your own inner workings so that what you most want for others can (finally) start coming from you.