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Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Facilitating The Successful And The Fools

Published on September 5, 2021

Let’s not forget: fools can say and do things that provide value—and highly successful people can say and do things that are dumb .

Don’t let your overall perception of a person define how you think about everything they ever say and do.

Accept and challenge each statement and action in its own right—free of your predispositions and past judgements.

Be the person who can admit when they are acting out of character—both in good ways and in bad.

It’s incredibly easy to do the opposite. But, being the person who can admit when a person is acting out of character, may very well be the facilitation they need.

What Causes Your Effects?

Published on September 3, 2021

You cannot have an effect without a cause.

Your actions are an effect.

If you don’t like your actions: look closer at what’s causing them.

The real cause(s) might not be as obvious as you initially think.

You might be short towards a coffee shop employee because you didn’t get a good night sleep.

Or you might be short towards a coffee shop employee because of a grudge you’ve been building towards a loved one—which inadvertently has been causing you to lose sleep and your temper.

Being proactive in understanding your causes is the secret to having more clearly understood effects.

Like You Mean It

Published on September 3, 2021

Back up. Chin up. Eyes straight ahead.

When you speak? Speak loud and clear.

Presentation is important. Delivery is important.

When you do these things, the exact same words said in the exact same context hit completely differently.

And your words, the ones you so carefully chose, will stand to reach their full potential.

What a shame to see them end up otherwise.

Care-More-Ness

Published on September 1, 2021

Freedom doesn’t come from care-less-ness (doing what you want, when you want to).

Freedom comes from care-more-ness (doing what you should, when you know it’s time to).

Because while it’s true that you are free to do whatever you want, you are NOT free from the consequences of those decisions.

Go ahead and rob a bank—you’re free to try. But, that’ll be the end of your freedom for a while.

Only those who care-more earn the type of freedom that allows them to do what they want, when they want to.

  • The more you care for your body, the more free your movement becomes.
  • The more you care for you mind, the more free your thinking becomes.
  • The more you care for your relationships, the more liberating those relationships become.

And so it is for the opposite of the above mentioned examples.

But, what about vices?

Caring more for drama, drugs, and distractions definitely doesn’t lead to freedom. Which is why caring more is about prioritizing the things you know you should be caring more about. Things like having vulnerable conversation, experientially living, and thinking deeply.

A destination that ends with more freedom, never starts with less caring.

Our Art

Published on August 31, 2021 
The picture you paint in your mind
as you read the words I arrange
is the art we create together

The Greatest Gift

Published on August 30, 2021

One of the greatest gifts you can give to another is freedom.

And I’m not talking about the kinds of gifts that are given on birthdays. I’m talking about gifts that are given with the intent of bettering another person’s life.

Freedom can be gifted to another in many forms. Some examples might include: Freedom for self-expression; freedom from obligations; freedom to explore uninterruptedly. And each is incredibly powerful.

As I return from vacation, I’m reminded of these gifts.

  • My mom gifted me the freedom from my household obligations. She cared for my dog and kept the house in order.
  • My coworkers gifted me the freedom to explore uninterruptedly. They kept the school running, serviced our students, and managed the day-to-day operations without interrupting my time away.
  • And while I was away, someone I knew made a life-changing announcement about their identity—and virtually all of the people who we’re both connected to embraced this announcement with nothing but love and encouragement. Being immersed in this type of freedom for self-expression is unbelievably empowering.

Here’s the thing: these gifts were given out of turn, without expectation of return, and with love. Which is precisely why they mean so much.

If you only give people gifts when you’re “supposed” to, so that you can get some type of return, and/or out of obligation—it might come as no surprise that that’s what’s reciprocated and for the exchange to feel lackluster and superficial.

Remember this as you think about the people you love most.

Two Kinds Of Travel

Published on August 29, 2021 
The first
Everybody knows of
Dreams of
Lusts over
Forever plans for
That reveals small pockets
During hard to find time

It’s the second
The less talked about
The less sexy
The kind that happens
From the confines of a chair
That reveals entirety
During time that's always been there