Category: Thinking Clearly

Don’t Let Your Story Stop You From Authoring Your Life

Published on November 2, 2026

Sometimes in life you’re asked to do something that conflicts with an internal story you’ve come to believe.

…Like to publicly speak when you’ve told yourself you’re “not a public speaker.”

And while you might even have a poignant reason from which a story like that originated, what you have to remember is that you’re the author and the story is still being written.

This becomes particularly useful when you realize you’re at a fork in your life’s road. And you can author a story that simply reinforces what you’ve always done which ensures you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten. Or you can author a story that helps you lean in that other direction… towards different… towards better.

Which doesn’t have to be any harder than:

I’m not a public speaker, but if I prepare and practice, I know I’ll be able to rise to this occasion.
I’m not a public speaker, but I can certainly speak about this topic, and it’s important for me to do so, so I’m going to try my best.
I’m not a public speaker, and that’s okay… I’ll simply lean into this nervous energy and let emotion fill my words with a color that’ll make a more memorable impression.
I’m not a public speaker—especially not when compared to the greats or the company I keep… but speaking publicly isn’t a competition… it’s an opportunity to share a gift… and I should be honored to have the opportunity to share my gift with the people I’m being asked to share it with.
Or… quite simply: I’m not a public speaker… yet.

The Damn Cats Won’t Let Them Sleep

Published on October 30, 2026

One of my students stayed late after martial arts class last night and vented to me about many of the life problems they’re facing.

All justifiable ventings, too. This wasn’t complaining or gossip.

Towards the end, after about 30-minutes of sharing heavy, grief-causing, out-of-their-control life situations… they made one final comment about their cats.

…And how on top of everything else they had just mentioned, the damn cats won’t let them sleep.

If they’re locked out of the room, they’ll paw the bottom of the door and rattle it and mew until they’re let in.

If they’re let in, they’ll knock stuff over, crawl all over them while they’re sleeping, and mew before the sun comes up because they want to be fed.

To which I said, you know what?

…This is something you shouldn’t compromise on.

And if that means fixing the door so it doesn’t rattle… using ear plugs… getting a white noise machine… and locking the cats out of the room… then so be it.

Life is hard enough as is.

As was evidently outlined in the 30-minute vent session leading up to this point.

But what makes life absolutely intolerable and miserable is being intolerant and miserable because of an ongoing lack of sleep.

If you’re going to take on the relentless and unforgiving blows of life… the least you can do is get a full night of sleep so you can take it on with a full energy charge.

…Or at least do everything in your power to facilitate it.

…Starting, yes, with the cats.

Dwelling In Harmony

Published on October 28, 2026

What is inner peace but the act of dwelling in harmony?

And what is harmony, but a living feeling of balance?

One of the reasons I think we modern humans find it so hard to dwell peacefully… is that we live in a world of stimulants and irritants designed to do precisely the opposite—throw us off balance.

The ploy is simple: peacefully dwelling humans don’t feel any particular urge(s) to buy anything. So make them feel ugly… make them feel inferior… make them feel left out…

…And what just so happens to pop up on the other side of those campaigns? The product or service you can buy that’ll fix the very problem they created for you in the first place.

The modern day path to success—if we define success as dwelling in harmony—should be (1) to eliminate as many of those polarizing and irritating campaigns from our perception as possible and (2) to include as many of the opposite as we can find.

…Then, we can finally begin the (inner) work of balancing what’s already been polarized and irritated thus far. Leaving us… eventually… feeling more neutral… more present… and more peaceful in the small moments that make up the majority of our lives.

What Does My Camera Roll Say About Me?

Published on October 28, 2026

I have heard it said that camera roll communicates priority. Because moments you consider important or remarkable within the context of your life—you capture.

If your camera roll is filled with family cheesing, friends posing, and animals wildin’ out… it’d be pretty easy to see how they would be considered important.

If your camera roll is filled with watercolor skies, natural scenery, and breath-taking landscapes… you might say the outdoors are important to you.

If you camera roll is filled with crowd-filled venues, ecstatic dancing, and roller coaster beat drops… you can see how music, dance, and experience would be seen as important.

…But what if your camera roll is filled with something else? Something that, if you were to list out your top priorities right now, wasn’t on your list? Something that you would actually not want people to reference and use as insight into what’s important to you in life?

What if all that was filled in your camera roll was pictures and videos… of you? What do you think that communicates? How would that make you feel? There’s no right or wrong answer… just an idea worth contemplating.

Problem Pointers and Problem Passers

Published on October 20, 2026

Pointing out problems is about the lowest form of helpful as it comes.

Anybody can point out problems.

The world and everybody’s micro-world are each and all littered with them.

Pointing at all of the “litter” shows that you can at least see it—and maybe even you care. Heck, maybe you’re even able to spot the hard-to-find litter. The litter that’s camouflaged that only a true professional is able to find. Great. Identifying the problem is the first step towards solving the problem.

Left at that, though? It’s not exactly helpful.

A level above that might be the problem-solver. This is the person who not only identifies the problem, but takes action towards solving it. It’s the person who sees the litter and then goes and picks it up. This is helpful. Much more helpful than just pointing it out and making it somebody else’s problem.

Left at that, though? And it’s only a matter of time before the litter is back and the action needs to be repeated.

A level above that, what I might say is the peak level, is the solutionist. The solutionist is the one who identifies the problem, takes action towards not only solving the problem, but solving the cause of the problem. Solutionists fix systems. They figure out what’s leading to the litter and come up with a solution that not only addresses the current litter, but prevents future litter from accumulating.

In a world of problem pointers and problem passers… be a solutionist.

And if you can’t be a solutionist… at least be a problem-solver.

Because yes, we’re aware of the litter. And no, you pointing at it isn’t what’s needed.

“That’s A Tomorrow Problem”

Published on October 13, 2026

Saying this as a mantra to yourself is an excellent strategy when there’s nothing else you’re going to do about solving the problem today.

Because worrying about a problem there’s nothing else you’re going to do about today is a waste of time and precious energy.

When I was recently camping in an RV, for example, I discovered the battery died 2-days into a 3-day trip. I knew what I had to do to jump it, knew who I could call if it didn’t work, and checked to make sure I had everything figured out.

Knowing I didn’t want to risk it dying a second time (which would’ve made it a worse and a more limited situation), I decided I didn’t need to jump it that day (I wasn’t going anywhere) and told myself, “That’s a tomorrow problem.”

…And I went back to enjoying the trip.

Another example is when I’m exhausted and faced with work that needs to be done. Is forcing myself to get it done then really necessary or needlessly wasting time and energy in a counterproductive work-state when I could be resting, recharging, and refueling for a fresh attack at the problem the next day?

Don’t confuse this with needless procrastination.

If it can and should be done today, then you can and should do it.

For getting things done is an excellent strategy for eliminating worry about getting those things done—better than putting it off until tomorrow ever is.

The question is: within which realm does this problem fall? And let your time and space dedicated to inner work help illuminate the answer you need to hear.

Digestion Time

Published on October 5, 2026

After a couple days of being too busy to write, I always try to give myself space to… digest.

A lot happens throughout a typical day and when I’m at my busiest? …A lot can be an understatement.

Time to write, for me, is digesting time. It’s when I stop consuming information in any of its forms and just sit with what’s already been consumed. Because just as it is with eating food, too much consumption and not enough digestion leads to problems.

…Problems that you may knowingly or unknowingly have because of a lack of built in digestion time.

…And what does digestion time look like for me, you ask?

Sitting on my couch.

And switching my mentality from within my thoughts to watcher of my thoughts.

…And I just try to notice things. Experiences that stand out. Highlights that keep replaying. Pain points that keep throbbing. Open loops that keep looping. Curious happenings that warrant following.

And after about 30 minutes to an hour of that… I write about it. And I almost always feel a whole lot better.

…Maybe give it a try?