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Category: Living Well

Beginner Presence

Published on March 31, 2023

There is an intimate connection between learning something new and presence.

Lately, I’ve been finding myself entering deep, meditative-type states when doing tasks that are completely novel to my normal routine.

I’ve been learning new martial art styles, playing organized basketball, doing Baptiste yoga… and in each situation find that because I have to hyper focus on the minutiae, my mind empties of all other thoughts.

When I’m carefully coordinating strikes with blades in my hands, or trying to read the defense as I lead an offensive play on the court, or try and move my body in accordance with a class of perfectly in-sync seemingly preprogrammed yoga robots… it’s as though there isn’t enough computing room for anything else.

  • I can’t strike precisely AND think about business stats.
  • I can’t dribble or shoot accurately AND think about people problems.
  • I can’t yoga flow AND worry about upcoming events.

It’s when I’m in that fully immersed space, as a beginner, where I’m able to keenly focus on what’s happening, where I am, through all of my senses. Which, coincidentally, leaves me in a much better place to handle whatever was on my mind before as it gives my brain a rest, a recharge, and a boost into the rest of the day.

Would recommend.

Inner Calibration

Published on March 22, 2023

Imagine you had a GPS system that slowly lost its calibration.

When freshly updated, it’s precise to the centimeter.

But, when left ignored too long, it starts deviating in miles.

This is how our inner GPS system works. It’s not a calibrate “once-and-done” kind of system. It’s more like your smart phone and needs frequent software updates to keep it precise and up-to-date.

Now, you don’t need to do every single update (I know I don’t). But, if you skip too many update opportunities… that’s when centimeters start turning into feet which start turning into meters with start turning into miles…

The difference between outdated phones and inner GPS systems is you won’t be able to notice an outdated inner compass as easily. The only way to check the inner calibration of your compass is to do careful and deliberate inner work. Which is, in many ways, counter-modern-culture.

If you can’t remember the last time you calibrated, it’s likely you’ve skewed off course—and possibly in a big way. How much can only ever be determined by you.

This isn’t to say that inner calibration is needed every day—but, it sure doesn’t hurt to do some calibration daily.

The bottom line to meditate on today is this: inner calibration needs to be a regular priority—are you making it one? …Because the destination of your life depends on it.

P.s. Need help calibrating your inner compass? The guide I recently created, The Art of Forward, can help.

Amor Fati

Published on March 21, 2023

Amor fati means “love of fate” or “love of one’s fate.”

My question for you is: Can you fall in love with your fate?

Not the fate that lies in the future, but the fate that has already revealed itself to you today; up until this point; in this moment.

And not just the fate that reveals present moments that are easy to enjoy, but also those that are misery-inducing and hard.

…Can you fall in love with that fate?

The thing about love is you can’t be selective with it because that isn’t how love works.

Love is unconditional. Love is kind. Love is overflowing, ever shining, and always trying to find its way into the darkness—it’s precisely what isn’t selective in who/what it radiates outward towards.

Because the thing about hating your fate is that it’ll lead to a ton of internal argument, inner resistance, and unnecessary suffering. Hating your fate is the person who:

  • Gets flipped off in traffic and spends the rest of the day pissed off.
  • Gets reprimanded and spends months holding a grudge.
  • Gets dumped and spends years self-demeaning and self-sabotaging.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have feelings—quite the opposite.

It’s to say meet each challenge with love rather than hate; embrace what arises rather than exasperate it; accept what’s out of your control (middle fingers, getting reprimanded/dumped, behavior of others, etc.) and focus on controlling what’s inside of it (e.g. how you respond).

Can you meet each present moment—your fate—with love rather than hate?

I suspect, those who can, will carve for themselves a life path that is night-and-day different from those who can’t (or choose not to).

The Path To Comfortable

Published on March 20, 2023

The more comfortable you can get with entering into uncomfortable physical challenges… The more comfortable your body will become.

The more comfortable you can get with entering into uncomfortable feelings/emotions… The more comfortable your mental health will become.

The more comfortable you can get with entering into uncomfortable conversations… The more comfortable your relationships will become.

The more comfortable you can get with entering into uncomfortable solitude/stillness… The more comfortable your spirit will become.

And the same is true with how comfortable you can get with entering into uncomfortable (appropriate) situations in general… The more comfortable your life will become.

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Not Special

Published on March 7, 2023

It’s in recognizing that I am imperfect that the foundation of my practice is formed.

  • If I don’t choose exercise… I know I’ll choose gluttony.
  • If I don’t choose reading… I know I’ll default to screen time.
  • If I don’t choose writing… I know I’ll excuse my poor thinking.
  • If I don’t choose sleeping… I know I’ll lean on caffeine.
  • If I don’t choose courage… I know I’ll find clever ways to hide.

What fuels my daily practice isn’t some special force. It’s precisely the knowing that I’m not special—that I am no more immune to the temptations of the world than others—that fuels me.

I know for a fact that if I don’t make time for the things I listed above… I’ll undoubtedly choose what’s most appealing to my lazy/ ignorant/ unclear/ tired/ fearful self.

I know this because I’ve lived it. And because I’ve lived it and have felt deeply the long-term consequences of my many imperfect decisions… I am able to see more clearly in the now and iterate towards better.

Never perfect is the goal. Always improving is the path. Not as imperfect as before is the winning metric.

…And that’s the foundation that I know I can keep building on.

P.s. If you like that I choose writing… you can support my future work by grabbing me a coffee here. :)

Move To Recharge

Published on March 1, 2023

Inner work can be exhausting.

Like changing a car’s battery.

But, once it’s done… it provides a source of sustainable energy that far exceeds what an almost dead battery could ever provide. As it is when we introspectively explore and update/change a fundamental component of our inner workings—exhausting at first, life-giving later.

Which isn’t to say inner work is a one-and-done process.

Like a car’s battery, it still needs to be recharged—which happens, counterintuitively enough, via driving. This works the same for us when we move our bodies, minds, and spirits by exercising, writing, meditating, etc. Movement, as it turns out, is how we keep ourselves charged—not depleted—with energy.

To be clear, we still need to sleep—this isn’t the kind of energy we’re talking about. What we’re talking about is the energy you get to use inside of your days after sleep—your vitality.

And if you want to raise your vibration and engage with more enthusiasm, you’ll have to invest a solid chuck of energy upfront. There is no way around this. But, once you do, and you give yourself a full night of sleep for it take, you’ll rise with a higher baseline of energy that wasn’t accessible before… that you can use to move and recharge even more… that you can use to FULLY engage with life.

P.s. I asked: How much awake time do you spend each day unplugged? Hoping the answer(s) might get you to have a think…

Spontaneous Favors Easy

Published on February 27, 2023

Today I am reminded that if it’s not in my plan for the day…

And I leave the decision to be made in the moment based on “how I feel”…

I’m going to choose the easy route.

…Almost every time.

I’m way better at choosing the hard(er) route when it’s already locked into my day.

P.s. I am going to start uploading quotes from Inner Work by Robert A. Johnson to MoveMe Quotes (in case you’d like to get a copy and read along as I do).