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Category: Archives

The full collection of explorations.

Day 2,000

Published on June 22, 2025

Today marks 2,000 days of daily writing.

And in each of those days… with only few exceptions… the daily writing was one of the—if not the—most important parts of my day. It’s ranked right up there with exercise, reading, building, and serving…

And nothing, not any of the above mentioned items or anything otherwise, has helped me grow as a person more than these daily reflective pieces. Especially when I think in terms of mental clarity, self awareness, emotional intelligence, general council, and public speaking…

The fact that these pieces have maybe helped others along the way is a bonus.

2,000 days ago, I decided simply to share my thoughts on a quote. And I did so again the next day. And the day after that. And each day, I renewed this simple decision with the intent of doing inward exploration and packaging it in a way that might serve others. And slowly, it evolved into what it is today.

My offering for you today, on this landmark day for me, is a simple one: invest in yourself daily. Simple is better than complex. Direction is more important than speed. And inner work should be prioritize over outward consumption. Package it in a way that serves others only as a bonus and as a secondary intent. And fight like hell to keep the streak alive.

…Because what you’re really fighting to keep alive: is the prospect of realizing the greatest version of yourself. Which only is and only ever has been realized one day forward at a time.

Life “Problems”

Published on June 22, 2025

Nothing will give life “problems” perspective like hearing a good friend with Stage 4 cancer—eyes swollen with tears—say, “I am just so thankful for each day…”

I hope this is never something you have to hear.

But, if you imagine you did, like I did, you might leave this short reading with a life perspective that’s costing somebody else the threat of their life to gain.

…And all you need to do is shut up the noise… and really hear.

Interrupt Annoying Thinking

Published on June 20, 2025

Sitting down to write today, I stared at my screen for around thirty minutes.

…Not a single word typed.

My mind wandered… thinking of people, chores, tasks… and seemed to keep coming back to a task I was dreading that I’d have to do later in the day.

Thirty minutes of thinking about it was enough.

So I reminded myself that, if I wanted to have different, higher quality outputs (in thinking), I needed to interrupt that pattern with new, fresh inputs.

So I read through a few pages of a few books and finished a few thought provoking emails…

And no sooner than when I read those last few words, the idea for this post popped to mind.

Sick of an output? Change the inputs.

Buy For Time Instead

Published on June 19, 2025

Many people like to express their wealth in space—by buying large houses with gigantic rooms on huge plots of land.

But space without time is wasteful.

Real wealth is expressed in time—by having freedom over your calendar to spend large chunks of time doing as you please (in the space you’ve afforded).

Before you buy space… and negatively effect your available time (larger overhead, more maintenance, excessive fees, etc)… maybe you should find ways to buy for time instead.

Sitting First Class Daily

Published on June 18, 2025

People will pay thousands and thousands of dollars for a comfortable seat in an airplane. And, generally speaking, will cherish every moment of it when they think about what they might’ve had to sit in in comparison.

What if you could channel that same appreciation when you sit in a comfortable seat in your house or at work? Generally speaking, the seats you sit in daily are probably more comfortable than even the nicest ones on some airlines…

Appreciation is an attitude. It’s a mindset. It’s a perspective. And you don’t have to pay thousands and thousands of dollars to obtain it. Generally speaking, all you need to do is… change your mind.

My Toilet Is Broken

Published on June 17, 2025

Speaking of gratitude, my toilet is broken.

It won’t stop running and YouTube wasn’t helping, so I’m manually opening and closing the stop valve after each use—which is now leaking when open—and my plumber won’t be here until Friday.

It’s incredible how much we can get used to modern miracles and how removed they can get from our consciousness day-in and day-out.

Like, I can’t tell you the last time I stopped and felt gratitude for having a working toilet.

Imagine how different the day might be if we were able to notice and actually appreciate even 10% of the modern miracles we’ve unknowingly been taking for granted?

…Imagine how different the day might be if that percent jumped to 20? Or 30?

Imagine if you replaced 10-30% of your anxious or worrisome thoughts with gratitude and presence instead…

Might be worth trying to do throughout this very day.

Don’t Take These Two Things For Granted…

Published on June 17, 2025

I experienced a powerful moment of gratitude today after having spoken to two parents in the martial arts school I teach at.

One of them was telling me that after finally getting his medications correct, he was able to take a deep breath for the first time in about a month and a half.

…A month and a half.

And another one, who was sitting next to him, was telling me about her foot surgery and how her plans of halving the estimated recovery time, was actually looking more like it was going to be double what was estimated… and that, after getting her other foot done, she wouldn’t be able to walk normally again until around summer next year.

…Summer next year.

We’re talking about breathing and walking here.

Two things I know I take for granted more than I’d like to admit.

But, at least in that moment and maybe this one right now, I didn’t.

I walked a little more mindfully and took a deliberate and fulfilling couple of deep breaths.

…Something maybe you can try and do throughout your day today, too.