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Category: Thinking Clearly

So… Many… Keys…

Published on February 18, 2025

When I think about learning piano… it feels daunting.

Like… there are so… many… keys…

But, then I remembered how good I am at typing.

…And how much smaller a key is on a keyboard vs a key on a piano.

…And it came back to me how I once felt daunted at the prospect of learning how to type without looking and with more than two fingers.

…And I realized that, today, I can type lightning fast, without looking, and with all of my fingers.

This is what people mean when they say perspective changes everything.

In the snap of my fingers I went from a feeling of hopelessness about learning something new to a self-confidence that’s not fluff based… but evidence based… that stands up against the tests and challenges of my ego as it tries to keep me confined within my comfort zone.

…And it really can happen that fast.

Inner work prompt: …What’s something that feels daunting to you in your life right now? Are there any evidence based experiences or scenarios that you can reference that might change your perspective on that?

Balancing Passive Learning With Active Experimentation

Published on February 17, 2025

I’m learning how to DJ.

It started with an admiration… turned into a curiosity… lead me down many rabbit holes… resulted in several purchases… and has evolved into a new creative outlet.

Being a complete beginner in something again reminds me of the importance of balancing theory with experimentation.

Before I made any purchases and when I was going deep down YouTube rabbit holes, I felt like I was understanding pretty well what I was watching.

…Like I could do pretty easily what I was watching people—who made it look easy—do.

…And then I got a DJ controller and realized I didn’t have a clue.

It’s one thing to watch and learn passively from the comfort of your couch while you stare at a screen.

…It’s a whole ‘nother thing to experiment and learn actively from the uncomfortable position of trying and failing and having to dust yourself off and try again.

Here’s the thing though: we learn best with a solid balance of both.

All passive learning and no active experimentation leads to “book smarts” and no “street smarts.”

All active experimentation and no passive learning leads to “street smarts” and no “book smarts.”

The people who uncover the most of their potential in any learning domain in life are the ones who do both—and prioritize time, energy, and effort to both well.

P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week here.

Genuinely Caring

Published on February 15, 2025

While eating out tonight, my waiter asked me towards the end of my meal if I had ever eaten at that restaurant before.

I told him I hadn’t.

He replied simply, “Well… you’re always welcome here.”

And what surprised me about this, I guess, is that not only did I feel like he really meant it… but he couldn’t have been any older than 17 years old.

…Obviously I’m welcome to come in and spend money at the for-profit business he works at.

But, you know… what most business owners don’t realize… is that us customers… we can sniff out whether you mean what you say or not pretty damn quickly.

And it’s the business “hack” that too many people ignore… genuinely caring.

Two Simple Ways To Better Utilize Your Limited Daily Energy Allowance

Published on February 11, 2025

Two ways to better utilize the limited amount of energy you get each day:

1. Daisy chain tasks—physics says it’s easier to keep a body in motion than it is to start a stopped body… So, daisy chain tasks one to the next to the next so that you can keep momentum on your side and reduce the energy suck that comes from having to start back up after coming to a full stop.

2. That said, plug yourself back in strategically—we humans don’t recharge very well while our bodies are in motion. That happens best when we come to a full stop… like our phones when we plug them back into the wall. Sure, there’s coffee and other stimulants that we can take on the go, but nothing beats rest. Too many rest breaks, however, can mess with idea #1… and actually make rest a counterproductive effort to our day.

So the art, then, comes from figuring out how to optimize your tasks so that you’re daisy chaining everything together that can be daisy chained while mindfully making time for full stop rests.

…And not letting full stops turn into a counter productive daisy chain of full stopped tasks that last way longer than they’re supposed to (i.e. taking a power nap, which leads to social media scrolling, which leads to TV viewing, etc).

Ask yourself: where are the full stops in my day? Can I daisy chain tasks in their place instead? Can I combine my full stops into one strategic full stop that’s placed at my most needed time? And how can I make it easy to start back up after that full stop?

Outside/Inside Life Connection

Published on January 31, 2025

I’m 35 years old and I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about a year ahead.

I’m more in tune with who I am than I’ve ever been.

I’m more confident in my path than I’ve ever been.

I’m connected to more amazing people than I’ve ever been.

And you know what’s interesting about those statements that I didn’t even realize until I just typed them out?

…I’m connected to more amazing people than I’ve ever been BECAUSE I’m more confident in my path than I’ve ever been BECAUSE I’m more in tune with who I am than I’ve ever been BECAUSE (and this is the real key) of all the inner work I’ve been doing every day for the past 5 years.

Life on the outside is always a reflection of life on the inside.

Commit to improving your life on the inside and slowly, slowly… life on the outside will undoubtedly follow suit.

On Following The Pulls Of Our Pendulum

Published on January 26, 2025

Sometimes, like a pendulum, when you push too hard or for too long into one area of interest you find yourself feeling this natural pull in the exact opposite direction and away from it.

This is what happened to me with personal development.

I was HEAVY into the personal development scene for years. I read all the books. I listened to all the podcasts. I went to all the seminars. Heck, I even created a personal development quote curation website.

And then, one day, I just couldn’t listen to another personal development podcast… and I started listening to music instead.

And then, on another day, I just couldn’t read another personal development book… and I read a novel instead.

And then, on yet another day, I just couldn’t spend my vacation days on another personal development seminar… and I decided to go to a music show instead.

…And you know what?

I feel like I’ve personally developed far more following the pulls of my pendulum and listening to my inner compass than I ever would’ve if I kept shoving personal development down my throat.

This isn’t to say anything negative about personal development books, podcasts, or seminars. It’s simply to say… sometimes we need to pay more attention to the personal in our continued development.

Our inner guidance knows the way. We just have to pay close enough attention and honor it.

On Failing Yourself

Published on January 24, 2025

The only thing worse than failing is not having tried in the first place.

Because not having tried leaves you in life’s most dreaded place: with regret.

…And until you actually believe that, I hope you realize you’re failing yourself.