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Category: Living Well

Smiling And Calm

Published on October 31, 2026

Don’t worry so much about living a good life…

And focus more exclusively on living a good day.

Think of “good” in terms of what would make your 8-year-old self smile and your 80-year-old self feel proud.

Working your body to the bone might be great for the retirement that’ll cover your living expenses when you’re 80… but your 8-year-old self is going to be bored and upset.

Ignoring worldly responsibilities and chasing pleasure after pleasure might make your 8-year-old self laugh and cheer… but your 80-year-old self is going to struggle and frown.

Live your life in balance of these two “guardian angels.”

Work hard; play hard.

Or maybe better said: work smart; play smart.

Laying your head on your pillow at the end of a well balanced day, where both of your guardian angles are smiling and calm… is almost certainly a fool-proof way to make it to your final laying… smiling and calm.

Encoded Depth

Published on October 26, 2026

I don’t understand a lot of poetry I read.

And I think many times, it’s because meaning is encoded. And decoding doesn’t just happen after one pass of the words.

There’s an intentionality with just about everything in poetry. From specific word choice, to word count per line, to line length, to rhythmic structure, to breaks/punctuation/capitalization, and so on…

In other words: what poetry might be missing in length, it adds in encoded depth.

And to the most careful and keen of readers… that depth may be uncovered and enjoyed in full.

And to those who give the poem a once-over, scratch their head, and simply move on with their day… confusion will be what they’re left full of.

And you know what…?

It feels to me that the same is very much true for life…

P.s. Trying to decode some meaning? You can check out my poems here.

Stuck Between Staying In And Going Out

Published on October 26, 2026

Yesterday, I found myself sitting stuck between the idea of staying in or going out… and I spent upwards of 30 minutes staring out my front window trying to decide which path to take.

See I was tired from the day and am always down for a relaxing night in. But I also had the chance to go see an incredible DJ play two hours away from where I live—which was an event I had been thinking about on and off for several weeks leading up to the day.

And when the moment came to make the call… I couldn’t decide. And the longer I waited, the more stuck I felt.

…Until I had the following thought: there will be a time when I won’t even be able to entertain this as an option anymore. And staying in will just be the default.

And with that… I gathered up the energy I had, bought the ticket last minute, packed up a toothbrush and some power bars, and hit the road.

I know for sure it would’ve been something I would’ve regretted if I didn’t go. And if you ever find yourself stuck in a similar situation… maybe a similar line of thinking can help you get to where your life’s limited energy has the potential to take you… before it’s too late.

The Thrill

Published on October 22, 2026

There’s the thrill of a roller coaster… and there’s the thrill of hearing someone say, “I love you”—in an I see you kind of way.

There’s the thrill of buying the latest luxury item… and there’s the thrill of walking barefoot in the sand—free of desire.

There’s the thrill of sexual pleasure… and there’s the thrill of sitting in a rocking chair, next to a life partner, reflecting on the pleasures of having done life with them.

I hope you get to experience both in life.

And maybe even more so, I hope when the time is right, you’re able to move from the former in the above examples, to the latter.

Because it’s the latter… yes… it’s the latter, indeed… that holds a depth to the thrill that even the highest roller coaster drop could never compare.

Ready Ahead

Published on October 21, 2026

One of the most important resources in a martial arts school, are the martial arts instructors.

And one of the limiting mindsets I’ve recently uncovered in myself is: when an instructor is needed, It’s only then that I’ll start training a new instructor.

But, once an instructor is needed, it’s often too late and too rushed to get them adequately trained.

And so rather than waiting for someone to say, we need someone—a new goal I have is to start preparing instructors well before they’re needed.

…And the need for instructors, I suspect, will only continue to grow in proportion.

Doing Good Irrespective Of Impact Size

Published on October 13, 2026

I saved a bee this morning.

It was stuck in my window. Moving quite slowly. Seemingly near the end of its life.

I got a cup and paper towel.

I guided the bee into the cup and used the paper towel to keep it inside while I walked downstairs to let it outside.

Once outside, I let off the paper towel by a tree so that it could walk onto a branch.

To my delight, it flew away as soon as it sensed fresh air.

It took me less than three minutes to do this.

Will this action change the world?

No.

…Not in any grand way at least.

But will this being-willing-to-do-something-for-the-greater-good-irrespective-of-impact-size attitude change the world?

…I’d say in more ways than the number of dollars on this earth.

Life Is Not Moving Anywhere

Published on October 6, 2026

“Life is not moving anywhere. It is simply dancing here.” ~ Osho

And if you’re waiting to do all of your dancing until some “down the line” part of your timeline…

…It might be too late when you finally realize—the dancing was available here all along.