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Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Chasing Sunsets

Published on April 14, 2024

I can vividly remember times when I would—after sensing a good sunset coming on—hop in my car and drive to the best local viewpoints to try and see it from the most perfect spots.

Once in a while, I nailed it.

Oftentimes, I ended up doing way more chasing than I ever did seeing.

And it wasn’t uncommon for me to miss the sunset altogether as I hastily hunted for better and better spots.

Now, when I sense a good sunset coming on, I try to find the nearest viewpoint, catch a seat, and maximize the viewing time.

Because ultimately, I think what sunsets demand—the reason we’re drawn to them so much—is our presence. They pull us away from our screens (sometimes), out from our drama, and allow us to fixate our complete attention on something awe inspiring.

…And by foolishly chasing after “perfect” spots to be present… we miss so much of the presence—the gift the sunset was supposed to provide in the first place—that was available to us the entire time.

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

Don’t Let Your Strength Weaken The Ones Around You

Published on April 13, 2024

Sometimes (oftentimes) the best thing you can do to help the people around you grow… is less.

…Yes, lead by example.

…Yes, do for others what you would want done for you.

…Yes, offer support, take initiative, and maintain a strong work ethic.

But, also…

…Share the hard(er) work, large(r) opportunities, and high(er) pressure situations.

…Give people space to explore, experiment, and figure things out on their own.

…Allow people to struggle and mess up and fail.

Growth happens outside our zones of comfort. And if we keep the people around us too comfortable (by doing much of the uncomfortable work)—contrary to what we might see as a service to them—what we’re actually doing to them is a disservice.

Because while being comfortable is what we think we want in any given moment (and what we might think we want from the people around us/working with us)… what we actually want is to do something we can be proud of… something that challenged us and made us better… something that helped us realize our potential.

And sometimes (oftentimes) that only happens when the stronger people around us… do less.

P.s. Borrowing Strength Builds Weakness – A Lesson From My 104 Year Old Grandmother

The Stay Dry Mentality

Published on April 12, 2024

Last night it was pouring.

Buckets of water falling from the sky mixed with trash can toppling winds.

It would’ve been so easy for me to excuse myself from taking my dog on her daily walk.

But, we went anyway.

And I decided to completely surrender to the weather.

I didn’t try to dodge raindrops. I didn’t try to fight the wind. I didn’t try to jump the puddles.

I let myself feel it all.

I let myself feel the foundation of life as it washed across my face… the puddles we once knew so intimately as kids as they swallowed my shoes… the unrelenting, unforgiving power of nature’s wind as it thrashed me in every which direction like a rag doll being guided by a two year old.

At some point along our way in life and for some reason, we adopt a stay-dry mentality… of avoiding contact with the rain at all costs and shielding ourselves from the very nature from which we were born. And I think it affects us.

Not only from a visceral standpoint… but from a metaphorical one as well.

Be Karma

Published on April 11, 2024

Today, I went to get the next phase of my tattoo done.

At the beginning of the appointment, my tattoo artist said he’d be right back and stepped out of the shop.

A minute later, he came back in and said he had to go back out and help an elderly gentlemen.

And about fifteen minutes after that, he returned with a drenched shirt and several apologies.

He told me he went outside to get a piece of gum and an elderly man asked him for help crossing the street and getting to the convenience store.

So, my tattoo artist obliged—not knowing it would take him as long as it did or that he’d get as wet as he did.

None-the-less, it was a great deed and we had a couple good laughs about it when he returned.

Some people might’ve gotten annoyed by this and complained about the fact that they were made to wait fifteen minutes.

But, what I tried to do was give him an even bigger tip at the end of our session than I think I otherwise would’ve.

Because when you have a chance to be karma—I say take it. Particularly when it comes to rewarding the good deeds people have done. And even better if you can do it anonymously.

I have no doubt that the universe would’ve taken care of him in due time—my tattoo artist is a really good dude. But, if I could’ve expedited the process a little, why not?

…Something maybe you can help us do more of, too?

P.s. 101 Ways you can help us “recalibrate” the world.

Using Reflection To Steer Your Ship

Published on April 10, 2024

The interesting thing about writing every day is that it makes you more keenly aware of how interesting or mundane your day-to-day thinking is.

When I don’t have something immediately saved in my mind to write about, I’ll rotate my computer chair 90 degrees, kick up my feet onto the adjacent couch, peer out the large window my dog uses as a TV screen, and let my mind wander for ideas.

It’s in those moments that I’ll notice something unique that springs forward or, on the other end of the spectrum, a mundanity that’s lingered for longer than its anticipated stay.

And it’s in those moments that I try and either capture those unique moments so as to better understand them (so I can keep moving my life in the direction of those ideas) or adjust my life strategy so as to flush out those redundant, dull thoughts and pump in new, raw experiences for my mind to freshly chew on.

Without these moments of daily reflection, I can see how easy it would be for me to get lost in the daily hustle and bustle and not even realize how mundane/repetitive my daily experience might be. Leaving me so consumed with daily tasks that I have no time to steer my life’s ship.

…And I fear there’s quite a few people out there who are so zoomed in on their busyness that they’ve forgotten to check on the steering wheel of their ship. If that’s you, take this as your reminder to kick up your feet and stare out the window for a while… it’s more important than you might think.

Simplifying Exercise

Published on April 9, 2024

Not all exercises are created equal.

Doing general cardio vs bodyweight exercises vs light-moderate resistance training vs plyometrics vs heavy lifting all produce different kinds of results.

And if you’ve ever done any research into it—it can all be quite overwhelming and confusing on which is better and which is worse for different types of people in different types of unique circumstances.

…But, never let the type of exercise or the specific exercises you might choose stop you from doing the most important thing: exercising.

Something is always better than nothing. And you don’t need to have an elaborately optimized routine in order to get the majority of the benefits from exercising. You just need to do it.

And consider this: I find that certain exercises lead to increased mental resistance over others, yet work the same body parts. For example, I’ve found that I’m allergic to deadlifts. And so, rather than stop exercising my back altogether, I’ve substituted in lower back bodyweight exercises and moderate resistance training strategies instead.

…Would heavy deadlifts lead to more overall benefits? Possibly.

But, if I can get 80% of the benefits with what feels to me to be 80% less mental resistance—it’s an easy win for me. Both now and long-term (the most important term to consider when it comes to lifestyle habits).

And so I pass the question off to you: what would make exercise simpler for you and less misery inducing and more enjoyable overall?

P.s. I finished uploading quotes from The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. You can read my 31 favorites here.

Remembering What You (Really) Want

Published on April 8, 2024

A person with a lot of money, a person with a medium amount of money, and a person with a little money all laugh hysterically at a joke that’s told… is one person’s laughter more real than the others?

…I’d argue no. Laughter is laughter is laughter.

An extremely attractive person, a medium attractive person, and a not-so-attractive person all dance joyfully and uncaringly on a dance floor… is one person’s joy more real than the others?

…I’d argue no. Joy is joy is joy.

A person with a million followers, a person with 10K followers, and a person with 1 follower all feel butterflies when they see the one they love… is one person’s love more real than the others?

…I’d argue no. Love is love is love.

Once you realize what you’re really after are emotional experiences, and not so much material purchases or vanity metrics… suddenly the game you’ve been playing changes.

All of a sudden, you can change your strategy from adding zeros to your bank account to surrounding yourself with people who make you laugh hysterically; from making yourself look more attractive to making yourself look for more dancing opportunities; from getting more followers to like you to spending more time fully immersed with the one(s) you love.

Don’t get it twisted.

What you’ve been looking for has been available to you this whole time.

…We’ve simply been led to believe otherwise because it’s good for somebody else’s business.