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Category: Thinking Clearly

Building A “Perfect” World

Published on April 20, 2026

Imagine being born a prince or a princess.

And growing up with parents who wanted to make your life perfect.

Imagine what that might look like… imagine what essentially unlimited resources (being king and queen) could do… imagine what they might do to make sure you never knew a moment of suffering and had every need and desire met…

Imagine them building up a wall around your castle so that you never saw suffering or met people of different classes… imagine indulging in the best foods daily… receiving every gift you even slightly wanted… having servants cater to your every need and demand…

…Imagine what that might teach you about the world.

I’ll tell you what it’ll teach you: not much.

Not only is the above the story of Buddha… but it’s the story countless parents play in their head of what they want for their children—whom are the most precious things in the world to them.

…And protecting them, caring for them, and creating a “perfect” little world for them to live in is an instinctual part of a parent’s nature.

But the more the world skews towards “perfect”—in the sense of every desire being met and no suffering—the less it actually teaches us about the world, isn’t it?

Because life is imperfect. The world is imperfect. Humans are imperfect.

Suffering is everywhere. Needs aren’t something given—they’re earned. Desires aren’t meant to always be fulfilled.

THAT is the nature of things.

And the more you intermingle with the “imperfect” world… the more flawed humans you interact with… the more suffering you see through to the other side…

The more you’ll learn about life for real.

How Much Time Do You Spend Thinking Each Day?

Published on April 16, 2026

When I’m trying to think, it’s so much easier when I’m not being told what to think.

As I sit down to write each day, if I’m staring at a blank page… the thinking gets reflected back into my own mind and I’m able to settle and sort through my thoughts until I land on something I feel is worth sharing.

…If I’m staring at my email inbox, however, my thinking gets pulled into the subject lines, the senders, the questions that might arise over the different pieces of mail, and I’m no longer thinking internally—my eyes are gathering info that’s telling me what I should be thinking about.

The same is true if you’re trying to think, but you’re looking at a screen playing passive entertainment… or when you’re listening to lyrical music… or when you’re in a highly stimulating environment. It’s really hard to think when your senses are being bombarded with other thoughts and opinions and emotions.

This is why going for a walk in nature is so helpful for thinking. The trees don’t tell you what to think. Nor do the flowers or grasses or animals. The wind doesn’t have an opinion. And neither does the rain, snow, or sunshine.

And if that’s not an option available to you when you need to think the most, never underestimate the power of closing your eyes and sitting still. Bonus points for noise cancelling headphones. Double bonus points for noninvasive neurostimulating type music.

Try it. Do a little bit of it each day. But don’t take it for granted. It’s becoming harder than ever to find uninterrupted personal thinking space. It’s necessary. And it takes effort.

One-Of-One

Published on April 13, 2026

Comparing apples to other apples is a fair comparison.

But people are not like apples. Comparing people to other people isn’t fair at all.

No two people are alike and as such, shouldn’t be looked at as apples to apples.

Yet, we people do this all of the time. We compare height, weight, ethnicity, face symmetry, hair color, eye color, bodily proportions, fitness level, education level, talent level, social media level, relationship status, highlight reels, bought brand names, number of friends, quality of life, and so… much… more…

The key, when it comes to inner work, is to release this compulsive tendency to compare yourself to others in an apples to apples kind of way. And to, instead, look at yourself as a one-of-one being who was made to be a completely unique expression of nature.

Peaches can be compared to peaches.

Marigolds can be compared to marigolds.

Oak trees can be compared to oak trees.

But you…?

…You can only be compared to who you were yesterday. And nobody on this earth else.

Relentlessly Expand Your Vision

Published on April 13, 2026

Some people pick what’s right in front of them because it’s the best they can see.

But when you relentlessly expand your vision… not only does best expand proportionally…

But so too does the seer—the person behind the eyes—grow more and more into a version of themselves that would’ve never ever otherwise…

…Come to be.

Improve Your Initial Strikes

Published on April 12, 2026

In self-defense, the initial strike is pivotal.

If you can surprise the assailant and land a clean shot to the face (i.e. gouge the eyes) or groin (i.e. knee to the nuts) for example—every other strike that follows becomes exponentially more effective. Why? Because they’re going to be blinded or debilitated in a way the stops them from blocking or protecting.

If you telegraph the initial shot and/or don’t land for whatever reason, every shot that follows will become exponentially less effective. Why? Because the assailant will raise their guard and rapidly shift to a heightened defensive awareness.

In the same way, the way we start our tasks or days or weeks can exponentially improve or hinder everything we do that follows. Get the headspace right? And the tasks takes care of themself. Get the morning right? And the day takes care of itself. Get the meal prep right? And the week’s eating takes care of itself.

…Get it wrong? And everything that follows gets exponentially harder.

…And life is hard enough as is.

Why Is It That Grandma’s Cooking Always Hits Different?

Published on April 8, 2026

Even when you follow the exact recipe… use the exact ingredients… in the exact proportions and prepared in the exact same ways… as is described exactly by your grandma herself?

How is it that it always tastes better when it’s done by her?

…I think it’s because love is an ingredient.

And I mean it in the same way that onions or garlic might be an ingredient.

Love transcends the metaphysical and becomes something tangible… something tasteful… something delicious…

It becomes a literal part of the recipe. And there’s no good substitution for it.

You either pour your heart into the recipe or you compromise and try “Attentiveness” or “Precise” or “Careful” or “Good enough” or “That’ll do…”

But you’ll always taste the compromise. Nothing tastes the same as pure, unconditional, un-rushed love.

And so it is for just about everything else you choose to do and make and create in this life.

Worrying Can Be Productive… Until It’s Not.

Published on April 1, 2026

Worry can be productive so long as it’s turned into strategy.

If you’re packing for a trip, for example, and you’re worried about forgetting something… that energy can be converted into building a list that you can check and double check before you leave.

But understand this: once the strategy is done, worry is no longer productive.

…It becomes an energy leak.

One that drains you of one of your most precious life resources—especially before and during a trip. And it’s here that you should shift strategies away from building lists and focus that energy on plugging leaks.

What I tell myself, for example, is that I’m resourceful, I’m flexible, and I trust I’ll find a way to figure things out—even if I forget something. Heck, I’ll try to even turn forgetting into an adventure and lean into serendipity.

This past weekend, for example, I left my $600 music show wristband at home. Which was probably one of the most important items to NOT FORGET. And, yup, I didn’t even realize it until I was already 1,000+ miles away, driving to meet up with my friends for the event.

But… guess what? …After a quick freak out and some calls… I figured it out.

Things won’t always have a neat and tidy and exciting ending. But, excessive and unnecessary worry won’t help that either.

…When you can learn how to plug energy leaks, though? And how to let go of worry? And how to trust in yourself? …I suspect things actually WILL turn out in the aforementioned ways WAY more often than you might think.