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Category: The Power Of Reflection

The Work Of The Wise

Published on September 30, 2022

Sometimes we come across content that makes us pause, nod, and even talk out loud.

Whenever that happens, it’s a sign of resonance.

And when something resonates with you, the reason why isn’t always obvious.

Sometimes, sure, it resonates because it just plain makes sense and you agree.

But, other times, it might be more than that.

Other times, it might be resonating from a chord that was struck deeper inside of you.

And in this case, using that content as a means to do some inner exploration can yield tremendous insights.

Insights that help you better understand why you think and act the way you do.

Insights that have the potential to shift the direction of your life when they’re realized from a deep enough place.

But, if all you ever do when you pause, nod, and talk to yourself is keep scrolling… you’ll forget. And the resonance will fade.

And what a shame that would be for your future self. The one that’s depending on you to take care of them.

What if instead, we made space each day to explore the things that resonated with us—in both the good ways and the bad.

Because there are (should) be things each day that strike our chords (if not, you need to subscribe to more interesting content).

What I have found to be true sometimes is, the more time I have to think about it… the deeper the reasons why might be buried.

So be patient. Relentlessly block out distractions and potential interruptions. And dig.

This work is too important. This work is too often overlooked. This work is the work of the wise.

Moving Towards Ideal

Published on September 16, 2022

The following three questions have been guiding my life for the past several years:

1. What does my ideal day look like?

2. What does my current day look like?

3. What can I do today to get my current day closer to my ideal?

Would recommend.

Don’t Look Back?

Published on July 15, 2022

“Don’t look back—you’re not going that way.”

I disagree.

Looking back is precisely what you need to do if you’re going to keep moving forward in your life.

I’m not saying to dwell. Nor am I saying you should only look back. But, another way to say “looking back” is to reflect.

And careful reflection is key to calibrating your internal compass. You know… the internal compass that tells you which direction is forward in the first place!

What many people don’t realize is that without a properly calibrated internal compass, forward is merely a guess. And guessing isn’t a good strategy for moving forward in life.

I say, look back; reflect carefully; learn from past experiences; become a strategic, forward-moving boss who utilizes insight from their past to expedite their journey forward.

And don’t ever let yourself assume that you know all there is to know about your past.

As you age, grow, mature—the lens through which you look at past experiences will change. And how you understand those experiences will need updating and revising accordingly.

This is why we should keep looking back—all throughout life.

Change the mantra from: “Don’t look back—you’re not going that way.”

To: “Look back occasionally; calibrate; ensure you’re going the right way.”

Read my full rant on this here: Everyone Who Says You Should Never Look Back Is Wrong

The Ultimate Life Compass

Published on May 31, 2022

Wisdom is knowledge and experience internalized.

…It is the ultimate life compass.

When you think about each of the regretful decisions and cringe-worthy mistakes you’ve made in your life, at their root, they were made because of a lack of wisdom.

With that in mind, it’s important to point out that the less you seek to develop wisdom in your life, the less calibrated your compass will be.

And if there’s one area you should always make time for in your life, it’s the calibrating of your life’s compass.

How to do that? Through careful and deliberate reflection, exploratory writing, and open conversation.

And saying you don’t have time is the same as the lumberjack saying he doesn’t have time to sharpen his ax. When you make time for wisdom, wisdom will make time for you.

The rewards are exponential. Both in time saved and better decisions enjoyed.

Can You Hear Your Heart?

Published on May 3, 2022

The heart speaks in whispers.

The world YELLS IN ALL CAPS!!

If we don’t find ways to separate ourselves from the YELLS—we’ll never hear the whispers.

Social Media Mindfulness

Published on March 22, 2022

To be mindful is to observe and label thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the body in an objective manner.

When we subject ourselves to the firehose of information that is social media, we lose touch with our objective understandings and become distracted and manipulated.

…We’d be naive to think our current state(s) isn’t being affected by our digital environments.

And regardless of the type of information (not all media is created equal), the real problem is in the wildly disproportionate amount of time people spend consuming vs digesting.

The reality in today’s world is that people’s appetites to consume is ever growing and the time they’re allotting for digestion (of said information) is ever shrinking.

And without digestion, consumption can have harmful, toxic, dire effects—which is precisely what many of us are experiencing.

If we’re going to use social media mindfully, we need to establish boundaries from the consumption and make more space for digestion.

This means space minus the phones. Conversation minus the screen(s). Walks minus the ear buds. Showers minus the Siri and Alexas. Waiting minus the feed-refreshing. Driving minus the podcasts. Experiences minus the highlight reeling…

…Life without the penetrating influences of everybody else’s life experiences.

Time to just settle and be.

Today Marks 2 Years

Published on January 1, 2022

That means I’ve been writing daily for around 730 days.

Damn.

Here’s the thing: 730 days ago my daily writing streak was zero.

And there were plenty of people who had streaks much larger than 730.

Had I compared my 0 to their 1,095 or 1,825 or 3,650—I probably wouldn’t have started.

And what a damn shame that would’ve been.

I’m proud of 730 and feel like daily writing has been one of the best habits I have ever built into my life.

And I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

What’s the trick?

Don’t compare your 0 to my or anybody else’s number.

Just write today.

Then, just write again today—when tomorrow comes.

And learn how to enjoy the act of daily writing (or whatever else it is you might be committing to).

Because if you don’t enjoy doing it—I can almost guarantee you won’t make it 730. Or any other big number.

This doesn’t mean it has to be fun, per se.

Because writing is damn hard.

And draining.

And frustrating.

And nerve-wracking.

And frustrating.

And draining.

And hard.

…But, it’s meaningful. And that’s where the real enjoyment comes from.

If you only ever do what’s fun or pleasurable, it’s very likely that you’ll miss out on meaning.

Because meaning comes from doing what’s hard. And when you do what’s hard (and meaningful to you) every day…?!

The long-term result is an ever-growing mountain of meaning.

My advice?

Don’t do it for any other reason that to make your future self proud.

And start today.