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Category: Archives

The full collection of explorations.

When Death Pulls Up A Chair

Published on January 6, 2025

“There’s something sobering about moments when mortality decides to pull up a chair and join you for a chat. It doesn’t matter who you are, how much kale you’ve eaten, or whether you can still squeeze into your high school jeans on your 60th birthday. (Spoiler Alert: I cannot). Mortality reminds us that we’re all just passing through, and none of us gets to skip the check-out line. Death doesn’t discriminate. But here’s the twist: Mortality isn’t here to ruin the party. It’s here to remind us to live.” ~ Craig Misewicz

When mortality pulls up a chair… join in for the chat.

In our society, there’s too much walking away, hiding from, and shoving our heads in the sand.

Death gets hidden in hospital rooms and long-term care facilities. It gets sanitized by medical professionals and dressed up by funeral homes. It gets outsourced to a few so that the rest can live without being reminded…

But, being reminded is precisely the point.

Death doesn’t discriminate and none of us get to skip the check-out line.

And if we pretend like it does and we might… we’re in for an abrupt awakening.

Because at some point, we won’t be able to walk away, hide from, or shove our head in the sand any longer. We’re going to be forced to have that chat. And when we do… when we finally wake up… there might not be much time left.

See having that chat doesn’t take away from life—it adds to it.

…It reminds us of our priorities and of what really matters. It gives us the push we might need to do those things. It reminds us… to live.

90% – 95% Of Our Daily Thoughts Are… Repetitive?!

Published on January 5, 2025

The other day I heard mention that on average people have between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day—of which, 90% to 95% are repetitive.

I did a little research and didn’t see much by way of concrete evidence (how does one even obtain anything concrete on such a subjective and fluid topic?), but something inside me definitely resonated.

My own experience tells me that thoughts are repeated until the open loop is closed (i.e. “I can’t forget to do this later…” or “What am I going to do about this problem…” or “I wonder what people think of me?” etc).

And my own experience tells me that learning how to close open loops is absolutely key to better mental health (because how is living in the same thoughts every day not maddening?)…

The good news is that closing open loops is actually quite simple:

1. Write things down. If your brain knows the thought is saved somewhere, it’ll let it go. If it thinks it has to remember it, it’ll repeat the thought indefinitely.

2. Work problems out. Busy is the modern day disease that contributes to more mental health issues than most people want to admit. Why? Because busy prevents you from doing the inner work and creating the space that’s necessary to close open loops.

3. Practice doing nothing. What’s crazy is that most of us have zero awareness of our thoughts. We’re simply lost in the mix. Doing nothing allows you to practice watching your thoughts… so you can notice what’s happening upstairs… so you can identify what loops even need closing.

The other news is that is it simple… yes. Easy? Maybe not. Worth it? Undoubtedly.

A Lesson From My Dad On His 70th Birthday

Published on January 3, 2025

Tonight, there was a celebration for my dad’s 70th birthday.

And right before it was time for cake, I gave a short speech highlighting seven things I learned from him.

The first six were concrete lessons—things he said or did that really helped me navigate life in a better way.

The last lesson, however, was one that only just started making sense to me tonight as I was preparing the speech.

And it’s the one line he has said time and again that he wants to have engraved on his tombstone: “I was only here for the cake.”

I’ve thought about this line on and off over the years and have pretty quickly submitted to mystery—leaving the expression as an open loop that I could curiously ponder from time to time.

And then when I imagined looking around at this celebration of my dad’s 70th revolution around the sun: eating good food, sipping champagne, and having cake… it started to make sense.

Because in many ways, cake was not something that was given to my dad throughout his life—cake was something he had to work really damn hard for.

And so as we were all sharing each other’s company and enjoying a wonderful night out, I concluded my speech by encouraging everyone to… eat the damn cake.

Because life happens fast—and if we can’t enjoy the cake every now and again, what are we working so damn hard for?

HBD, Dad. And cheers to many more lessons and beautiful years :)

P.s. You can read my complete speech here: 7 Lessons From My Dad, Read To Him At His 70th Birthday Party.

Live And In-Person For Life

Published on January 2, 2025

At some point on his journey, Matteo Milleri decided he wanted to start producing music. Which began as experimentation and eventually graduated to profession. Throughout that time, in addition to working incredibly hard to build a unique sound… he decided to start expanding and reimagining the visual landscape for his live performances as well—resulting in increasingly breath-taking, awe inspiring artistic expressions with each successive show. And so set the stage for Anyma.

Because just as he was out in front, pushing the boundaries of live audio-visual performances, the completion of the world’s largest and highest resolution interior and exterior LED screen was coming to a completion—The Sphere in Las Vegas. And breath-taking, awe inspiring audiovisual performances were high in demand. And who better to book than the person who was out in front… taking risks… taking initiative… elevating the bar of the industry as a whole and giving the art their all…? This is how The End of Genesys at The Sphere was born.

…And damn, what a breath-taking, awe-inspiring audiovisual masterpiece of a live and in-person experience it was. One that simply can’t be explained in words or paper-sized pictures or videos (here’s my puny attempt).

…As it should be, my fellow life traveler.

…As it should be.

Inner Work Prompt: What live and in-person experiences will you prioritize this year?

Optimize Your Signal For 2025

Published on January 1, 2025

There are messages all around us.

More being broadcasted, pinged, and pushed than ever before.

Like a radio, we need to tune into the signal we most want to hear and quiet the rest of the noise.

Don’t get it twisted, the messages shouldn’t be what’s in question…

How you’re building and programming your radio should be.

Inner Work Prompt: What signal(s) are you tuned into on your social media accounts? What about via TV shows? What about via conversation? …And how can you upgrade these signals you’re tuned into?

Maybe Finish Lines Aren’t Helping…

Published on December 31, 2024

When you think about goals as finish lines… you line up on a start line and prepare to race.

…Because that’s what we’re wired to do when there are finish lines involved.

But when you think about your goals as the construction of masterpieces… suddenly racing gets removed from the equation altogether.

…Because taking our time, pouring from our soul, and demanding from its construction our best is what we’re wired to do when “masterpiece” is involved.

P.s. Just lay the next brick.

Hate Is A Virus

Published on December 29, 2024

Here’s the thing: with each decision, we’re either contributing to the problem or contributing to the solution.

When dealing with the virus that is hate, we need to remember that not only is it easily transmittable (especially in today’s world) from others to you… but it’s just as easily transmittable from you to others.

See a lot of people think to themselves, I’m only one person… what can I do? And this is the transmittability of the virus speaking. Because if it can infect you, it knows it’ll infect many others.

But if you can take on the role of the white blood cell and stand up to hate… be an example of overflowing love… and let the transmittability of the cure do the speaking… you’re not just protecting yourself from the sickness that is hate… you’re doing it for the countless others who won’t get exposed from you, too.

P.s. Stop the hate.