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Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Lung Access

Published on January 26, 2023

Dear busy person,

Before you check your phone throughout the day, commit to taking a long, deep breath first. Remind yourself that you are more than your notifications. That your phone is there to serve you; not enslave you. That being calm and centered is available to you in each moment—in each breath—just as the internet is (worth acknowledging the weight of that statement). You just have to choose lung access instead of always defaulting immediately to thumb access.

Sincerely,

Your inner work person

Tangible Confidence

Published on January 25, 2023

If you lack confidence, it’s not something you can just pull from thin air or positive thinking.

Confidence is something that is built tangibly—in reality.

It’s something that requires a stacking of little successes that slowly… slowly… build a track record we can start to believe in.

If we have never done a thing successfully—ever—even in a small way, of course we’ll have a crippling lack of confidence.

Confidence comes when we get out of our head and get focused on doing more in the world—one small, aligned success at a time.

P.s. I asked: What gets you to do the thing you know you need to do when you REALLY DON’T want to do it? I hope the replies help. :)

It’s Not Personal

Published on January 24, 2023

If you want to learn how to not take things personally…

Simply meditate on the times when you did something that another took personally that was completely unintentional, misunderstood, or misconstrued. Times when you:

  • Took your anger out on somebody who had nothing to do with what you were angry at.
  • Underwent intense periods of growth/ change that made you less available and more distant to those you used to spend time with.
  • Expressed an opinion that hurt/offended the person you were sharing it with, when you had a completely different person/ type of person in mind.

I think we’ve all been there.

The all-too-often shared reality we face as humans is that we often act selfishly before we think selflessly. We get consumed in being the center of our own worlds and forget about how our actions might affect the world of others.

The truth is: rarely does anything we do have to do with anybody other than ourselves and how we’re feeling.

So, when somebody does something that feels personal, remember, it most likely has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.

P.s. Have you been taking these posts personally (in a good way)? You can support my ongoing work by getting me a coffee here :)

Happiness via Subtraction

Published on January 23, 2023

When we remove:

  • Fear of judgment
  • Superfluous desires
  • Unrealistic expectations
  • Depressive mental environments
  • Obsessive needs to be happier *than*

What’s left is what was always there—the happiness we once knew that was slowly buried by modern and corrupt influences.

The way to add happiness to our lives isn’t via more… it’s via less.

P.s. I started uploading quotes from Will by Will Smith to MoveMe Quotes. If you’d like to read along, you can get the book here. And you can read the insights I upload for free here.

Pay Yourself First

Published on January 22, 2023

You will never be able to give others enough of your time/energy/attention—they’ll always gladly demand and accept more.

This is where prioritizing others over yourself crashes and burns.

There will never be “left over” time/energy/attention. “Extra” is an illusion. The demands of others is a bottomless pit.

Pay yourself in time/energy/attention FIRST. Then, when full, give extra or what you have left over to others.

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

Task Direction

Published on January 21, 2023

In all that you do, question deeply the direction each task points you in.

While it may feel obvious that we want to be pointed towards “success,” “fulfillment,” “realized potential”…

The things we do each day often act in opposition to those seemingly obvious goals. When you look closely, what you might realize is that:

  • “Success tasks” often point you away from family.
  • “Fulfillment tasks” often point you away from yourself.
  • “Realized potential tasks” often point you away from skill building.

Repeat after me: no action without confirmed direction.

P.s. If you want to ensure the actions of your life are pointed in the right direction (and you don’t arrive at a later point in your life with regret), I created a guide that you can get here.

Mind I.D.

Published on January 20, 2023

When I see “Spam likely” pop up on my Caller I.D.—I don’t answer.

This choice saves me time/ energy/ and attention that can be invested in far more useful ways.

The real hack, though, is training your gut to start popping up “Spam Likely” in your mind’s eye for in real life and digital interactions.

  • Somebody give you a weird vibe, but you’re not quite sure why? Spam likely.
  • Somebody reach out with a request that makes you feel uncomfortable? Spam likely.
  • Somebody in the same room as you who’s triggering your nervous system? Spam likely.

Here’s the thing about spam: it’s everywhere and isn’t going anywhere.

That said, remember: how you choose to respond can quite literally make or break your days.