Matt Hogan's Blog

Re-Racking Emotional Weight

Published on October 26, 2022

The weight from our past can be cripplingly heavy.

What we must remember, however, is that just as we can set down the heavy weight we pick up at the gym… so, too, can we set down the emotional weight we pick up throughout life.

We simply need to give ourselves the means (writing, talking, meditating), space, and permission to do so.

Imagine having to carry weight from the gym with you for an entire day—and not getting to put it down once. This is what your mind is experiencing except on a week/ month/ year/ decade level!

Sit; settle; relax; release; unload; unpack; talk; tremble; cry; confront; let go; let it flow.

…It’s time to re-rack some of that emotional weight you’ve been carrying for too long.

P.s. I’ll be hosting a LIVE chat Thursday (10/26) at 1:30pm EST on The Art of Mastering Your Mind to Scale In Business. I’d love to have you join if you’re free/interested.

BIG Reactions From small Happenings

Published on October 25, 2022

BIG reactions from small happenings—both positive and negative—are events worth exploring (both in yourself and others).

BIG positive reactions (from small happenings) is a sign of emotional maturity—those who have done inner work.

Finding awe in the mundane
Expressing deep gratitude for small efforts
Sitting joyfully for no specific reason at all

BIG negative reactions (from small happenings) is a sign of emotional immaturity—those who are avoiding inner work.

Having a complete meltdown over a petty comment
Cultivating hate/resentment over silly, honest mistakes
Erupting in anger over a trivial gesture

If you find yourself having a disproportionately large reaction to something small… use it as an opportunity to explore your inner workings. Challenge yourself to set the huge reaction aside (if negative) and channel your inner curiosity instead.

Remember: big reactions don’t just come from nowhere.

They must stem from some deeper rooted source. The huge reactions, in many cases, are just distractions and coverups for what’s trying to remain unseen and in the background. But, the longer you ignore it (and allow the distractions to distract you), the worse it’ll get.

Because things don’t get better until you get better, eh?

Questions worth asking yourself when a disproportionate reaction arises:

Where is this reaction really coming from (i.e. is this anger or grief)?
What emotion/experience/idea is really underneath this big reaction (i.e. is this intense present-moment gratitude coming from a near-death experience)?
Why is this reaction being triggered now, at this time, in this way (i.e. what can I learn from this instance that will help me better address future, similar instances)?

To Heal

Published on October 24, 2022

A gentle reminder: the goal isn’t “healed,” it’s “to heal.”

Meaning, healing is an ongoing process—it isn’t something we complete.

If we take a few moments each day to:

Feel
Write
Reflect

We’ll be well on our way.

It’s when we set out to heal all of it that we become crippled with overwhelm, self-doubt, and fear.

P.s. For more on this topic, you can read my 20+ other 1-minute entries on healing here.

Ego vs Self Presence

Published on October 23, 2022

Not all presence is created equal.

The goal is to be present with the Self in charge—so we can:

Feel our feelings
Embrace fleeting moments
Free ourselves from overthinking

The goal is NOT to be present with Ego in charge. It turns our present focus into obtaining:

Immediate desires
Comfort zones
Excuses

Ego presence burdens our future self. Self presence sends our future self beautiful gifts.

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

To: You | From: Me

Published on October 22, 2022

I look at each of these daily writing pieces as gifts.

And not only am I trying to improve the quality of these gifts each day, but I’m trying to get better at identifying who they’re for.

Because like gifts that you might buy during the Holiday season, you don’t just buy arbitrary gifts for random people—even if they’re high quality.

You buy specific gifts for specific people. It’s the specificity—the inside joke(s) they reference, the shared experiences you’ve had with the recipient, the common ground you and the receiver share—that makes them special.

Today, I revised my mission statement from: “Helping you confront life: for better mental health; for healing; for personal growth” to “Helping busy people do inner work: for better mental health; for healing; for personal growth.”

Why do I share this with you?

Because you, too, have gifts to share inside. Gifts that you might be trying to go viral sharing that you might be better off pointing to specific people. People who, rather than getting a generic, trendy, commonplace gift—might much prefer a thoughtful, deeply rooted, made-for-them type gift.

A gift that is reflective of your unique life experiences, feelings, and thoughts—that’s given specifically to those people who resonate with that type of message.

I’ve realized that it’s busy people I’m talking to when I write these. People who feel like they don’t have time for themselves. People who probably need inner work the most.

Who might your gifts be for?

P.s. I was interviewed in a LIVE space today focused on writing and how it can help you with your personal growth journey. There were tons of nuggets shared.

Until Perfect

Published on October 21, 2022

Many people see “good enough” as the enemy.

But, “good enough” is precisely what gets you to publish; to produce; to share.

Without “good enough”—when does anything ever reach completion?

The real enemy is “until perfect.”

Perfect is a forever fleeting finish line that moves further from us the more we learn and grow. Which, hopefully, will be for the rest of our lives.

This, in a nutshell, is the perfectionist’s paradox.

The place where the desire to do it better is constantly met with an increase in competence which forever perpetuates the things we’re working on into the future (because we can do what we’ve done better now that we’re better and so we do it again until we’ve grown and gotten better all over again). Did you catch that?

This is precisely why so many beautiful creations haven’t been published; produced; or shared.

…Don’t let this be you.

Eventually, you must accept that what you’ve done is “good enough.”

And what’s more is this… whoever said typos/ mistakes/ issues with your creations are inherently a bad thing?

What if, as Catherine Toops points out on Twitter, “…your typos are just a trail of inspiration for writers who want to believe they can do what you’ve done?”

Maybe sharing imperfect work is inherently better than “perfect” work?

I know I light up when I catch a professional writer’s typo(s).

Not because it’s a mistake… but, because it’s a sign that they’re human.

And maybe I can actually do what they’ve done, too.

Getting To 10

Published on October 20, 2022

My desire to workout, on a scale from 1-10, was at a solid 4 this morning.

The resistance was real.

Showing up anyway got me to a 5.
Foam rolling/ stretching got me to a 6.
Playing the right music got me to a 7.
Finishing my first set got me to an 8.

And before I knew it… I was done.

…And feeling like a 10.

P.s. Know someone who may enjoy reading these? This is me kindly asking if you’d forward it to them :) …Did you get this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here :)

Matt Hogan's Blog Posts