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Category: Thinking Clearly

Avoiding Fear Is Avoiding Your Potential

Published on November 24, 2025

This past weekend, the martial arts association I’m a part of hosted a tournament for 500+ local and out of state competitors.

…And I don’t think a single one of them wasn’t nervous about competing.

From the outside looking in, as a spectator, it might seem as though many of the people who stepped into the ring were, in fact, without nerves… but, I can assure you, it’s almost never the case.

What happens is the competitors feel the nerves… and then get into the ring anyway.

Which is precisely what courage is: feeling fear and doing the thing anyway.

And it’s so important to remember this—especially when we’re confronted with a fear-inducing opportunity in our lives. Because while choosing to be a spectator will dissipate the fear… it also dissipates the courage you stand to build.

See what happens when you choose to step into the fear is you challenge and flex your courage muscle which, by and by, increases your fear tolerance and ability to manage your physiological response.

…Something that’s undoubtedly correlated to what’s required for you—us—to live and lead your—our—best lives.

Illegally Parked Car

Published on November 23, 2025

The other day, a mom came into the martial arts school I teach at and asked if she could speak with me.

I told her, “Absolutely” and after a few minutes of welcoming new clients in, saying goodbye to those leaving, answering quick questions from both on their way, handling a few transactions, and solving a few problems—I signaled her in the lobby and walked her into an office.

When we sat down, she smiled and told me that she came in with a hot head and was ready to yell at whoever she could corner in an office. She explained that there was a car parked illegally in the lot that was causing chaos during one of the school’s peak class transition times—which was frustrating not just in itself, but because it wasn’t the first time.

…But, she continued by saying, after watching how calmly I managed the chaotic busyness in those few minutes inside the school—her anger was gone. She told me that it gave her perspective on the circumstance and reminded her that while it was frustrating, it didn’t have to create frustration and anger inside her—her daughter made it safely to class, the illegally parked car was moved, and everybody continued on with their day safely.

It was such a refreshing conversation and just an excellent reminder to not only maintain perspective, but to always deploy calm as a strategy for problem solving. The opposite almost always only becomes another compounded problem that needs solving.

Answering Tough Questions

Published on November 18, 2025

Today I completed a questionnaire to help a fellow martial artist with a research project which explores the correlation between tournament participation and personal growth in martial arts.

It took me about an hour to complete and let me tell you… it challenged me mentally in the same way a one-hour sparring match would’ve challenged me physically. Answering these questions was tough—like many things in martial arts—which is precisely why we do them.

…Because on the other side of tough things… is a tough(er) self.

Here are some of the questions I fought over:

  • What has been your biggest challenge so far in your training?
  • What is your proudest moment?
  • Was there ever a moment when you felt like quitting? What made you stay?
  • How has martial arts changed you—mentally or emotionally?
  • What lessons do you take out of martial arts into the world?
  • How do you compare yourself to others, whether in class or at tournaments?
  • How do you push yourself past mental and physical limits?
  • Has someone ever changed your mindset at martial arts? If yes, explain that experience.
  • How do you measure progress, beyond belt rankings and trophies?
  • What does the word respect mean to you in martial arts?
  • What role does teamwork play in martial arts?
  • How do you handle conflicts/disagreements with teammates/instructors?
  • Where do you see yourself in martial arts, 5 years from now?
  • If you could look back at your past self, what advice would you give?
  • How do you think martial arts will continue to shape you, physically, mentally and emotionally?

…When’s the last time you pushed yourself to honestly answer tough questions? Maybe it’s something you might consider doing today?

Water Lines [Poem]

Published on November 14, 2025

Trust is trust
And cheating is cheating
Until someone you trust cheats
And someone who cheated
Becomes someone you trust

Oh, the ease
Of a life black-and-white
One can only dream
As infinite hues
Storm down, thrash, flood

Tread, paddle, stroke
Head above water
Choose, wait, contemplate
Let the universe decide?

No—blame the rulebook!
Draw lines in the sand
Except you touch only water
The last gone
Before the next is begun

It’s just you
Your experiences reflected on
Your heart and mind
People you want to be like
Your intuition, actions, time

Paint your own picture
Make freakin’ water lines
Build, break, reformulate
Surf, surrender—rise.

P.s. You can read my other poems here.

3 Ways I’ve Been Using AI (And One Way I Still Refuse To)

Published on November 11, 2025
  • I use Claude to answer my random curiosities / summarize large or complex problems/questions. For example, I asked Claude recently to summarize who and what will be on my voting card on Election Day. This was quite helpful, even though it was a pretty small election year. I’ve also asked it about the government shutdown, international conflicts, news rumors, and so much more and it always delivers.
  • I use Koupon to find all of the best deals online—even the hidden coupon code ones—so I don’t have to waste time, energy, or money. It’s like shopping on an app where only discounted items show… my kind of shopping for sure.
  • I use Jerry to quickly shop and compare car insurance coverage options for me. It lists all of their competing prices and what the coverage includes. So. Much. Easier. Than calling every single company every year to keep my coverage price competitive. It also has an option to track how you drive and reward you for safe driving.
  • I don’t use AI for Writing. This is a personal choice. I like the struggle… the fight… the challenge of figuring it out for myself: What do I think? How can I best share these thoughts? What personal stories/experiences/anecdotes can I incorporate? This isn’t to say using AI to help brainstorm ideas, create rough drafts, and edit like a college professor aren’t extremely useful tools. It’s simply to say: doing the inner work and building the skill(s) are higher priorities for me.

My question(s) for you are (1) how have you been using AI? and (2) what are you prioritizing in the age of AI? Send me a reply :)

What Happens When You Put Yourself On The Hook…

Published on November 9, 2025

Today, I was booked to teach a martial arts seminar.

The seminar was specifically for advanced students from across and within the association I’m a part of.

And one of the beliefs I had leading up to the seminar was, “I don’t hold anything back as a teacher… I always give my students my best… there isn’t any information I’ve been holding out on them…”

And in retrospect, I realize this was a limiting belief that held me back from promoting the event as good as I could’ve.

Because leading up to the event… I didn’t just sit in contentment with teaching what I already had… I researched, developed, and trained skills, drills, and ideas that I hadn’t taught before.

It was the seminar that put me on the hook to present new information. And that vacuum created an energy that sucked me down several rabbit holes of martial arts training videos that allowed me to do exactly that.

The point being, put yourself on the hook more often. Use it as a fuel to propel you to rise to the occasion and deliver in a way that’s beyond what you’re used to.

…And as you’re coming up to that presentation day, trust in your future self’s delivery. The more you put yourself on the hook… and hype up your future self… the more you’ll push your present self to rise.

Walking The Line Between Pressure And Fun

Published on November 8, 2025

Today I watched a Hot Ones interview of Luka Dončić.

If you don’t know, he’s an incredible NBA basketball player.

In addition to that, he’s building an incredible foundation, The Luca Dončić Foundation—which focuses on creating a more positive and joyful environment for youth sports, particularly basketball, by addressing issues like excessive pressure and providing better support systems for young athletes.

And just tonight, as I was leading my martial arts demo team through our choreographed performance (that we have to show in two weeks), I felt myself walking this line between excessive pressure and maintaining a positive and joyful environment.

Because while, yes, being competitive and adding pressure to training pushes us to realize our full potential…

…That holds true only if we don’t quit because we aren’t having fun anymore.

Don’t miss the forest for the trees… don’t let the trophies supersede original joy and just plain having fun.