Stecchi Studios

Greatness could be a step away – 8/21/26

And most wouldn’t take the first.

It’s a ladder – 8/20/26

With giant steps in between.

Starting something new, or going on a great adventure requires a lot of courage combined with consistent effort. 

To move things forward in life, you must constantly be climbing up a ladder, step by step. But what is most interesting is that the “ladder” will sometimes require you to take massive leaps to get to the next rung.

Imagine the ladder has four to five rungs, completely knocked out.

At first you’ll think to yourself “now how do I get up there? It’s much safer to stay right where I’m at, I’ve made it this far.”

In order to get to the next part, you’ll have to jump.

You may not make it, that’s very true. But most times in life, those that make it are the ones that take the leap, and do.

Work expands within time – 8/19/26

I recently had a conversation with someone about the concept of being busy.

He said something which has stuck with me for a few days now: 

Work expands within time.

If you have a to-do list with twenty things on it, that will likely take you the whole day.

Surprisingly, if you have a to-do list with only two things on it. Then it will also take you the whole day. 

Whether you’re ruminating on the task for longer, or since you don’t have many things to do you decide to take your time with the work. Whatever it is, the work will take the similar amount of time regardless of how much actual hours you have to complete it in one day.

An abstract concept, neither is good or bad, just a strange realization.

We’re all addicts – 8/18/26

At the end of the day, we’re all left doing the thing that we enjoy the most. Whether that is a substance, video games, the gym, your job, or a sugary soda drink. 

Addictions can be harmful to the brain, body, and most importantly the spirit. The key difference is that not all addictions are bad.

There is a fine line, but going to the gym seven days a week is a much better habit than playing video games every second you have free time.

Reading, writing, and working can actually improve your life rather than stunt it.

So find your healthy addiction, it makes the difference between a great life, and one that feels like you’re simply just getting by.

Fear playing it safe – 8/17/26

If there’s anything you should be afraid of, other than snakes and spiders. It should be the aversion to taking risks.

Entrepreneurs don’t always need to take risks to be successful, however most often they do take “small bets” that slowly improve their business. And those small bets, or risks, stack up and provide a strong return.

If you’re afraid of failure, that’s fair, failing is most definitely scary, especially when finances are involved.

However, ruminate on these two things:

1. The only thing worse than failing today, is failing a year from now.
2. Peter Theil, the co-founder of PayPal said to Mark Zuckerberg:

“In a world that’s changing so quickly, the biggest risk you can take is not taking any risk.”

Belief in yourself – 8/16/26

You have to set a system in your mind that you are capable. This system may be partly delusional, however it is necessary.

If you don’t believe in yourself then how are you able to accomplish all of the things you desire to do?

Be relentless. 

Authentic.

Audacious.

Feel the fear and befriend it.

You have to believe in yourself before you can put belief in someone else. 

The airlines remind us to put on our oxygen mask first before assisting others. This reminds us that if we can’t help ourselves first then how can we help anyone else?

Practice makes possible – 8/15/26

It’s less to do with practice helps you reach a goal, and more to do with the fact that it opens the door to more possibilities.

Whether it’s practicing a sport, playing an instrument, or building the habit of cold-calling people, the more you do it, the easier and better you get.

There’s no guarantee that anything will come out of it. But there is a guarantee that the more you do something, you will improve.

Your surroundings inspire you – 8/14/26

They are ultimately who you are.

Your friends are a reflection of you, as well as the places you frequent, whether it’s a bar or a coffee shop, or in my case both.

What you fill your mind with, what kind of movies you watch, the things you decide to see on youtube, even the food you eat, are all subliminally forging the way you perceive and receive information.

If your five closest friends watch sports and gamble, what are you going to do? 

If they go hiking and spend time traveling, what are you going to do?

If they read books by the park or like to make art, what are you going to do?

There is no right or wrong answer per say. However it is good to be aware of these things in how you choose to live your life. If you’re not satisfied with how you think, there is a way to change the systems you live in, it just starts with subtle and continuous steps.

“You are now, and you do become, what you think about.”

– Earl Nightingale, The Strangest Secret (1956)

Spirit of Adventure – 8/13/26

Sometimes you just gotta let the spirit of adventure take you to where you never knew you needed.

Open yourself to new possibilities, life shouldn’t all be work and stress.

It’s better to take chances. Go on that unexpected journey every once in a while instead of committing to consistency.

It’s necessary to find the right balance, and the key is to realize how insignificant we are. Around two am last night my roommate and I got on our bikes and headed to the highest part of town we could. We found a nice dark area to lay on our backs and stare up at the stars to enjoy the Perseid meteor shower.

Should I have gotten more sleep? Definitely.

Am I late to posting on the blog today? Absolutely.

Sitting beneath the stars, watching over fifty meteors pass through, collecting memories of where we’ve been and where we might go in life as most were fast asleep.

I was tired, and biking at two am was not a part of the plan. The thing is, you can’t say no to journeys like that. If you’re able to make the time, then it’s not just argument of should going, but it’s the realization that you have to. That experience will be held on to longer than any exhausting day of work could ever reward me with.

I consider: Was it worth it?

I’m damn certain it was.

You’re right when you’re meant to be – 8/12/26

Everything has led you to where you are today. You haven’t not done enough, you’re just forgetting about the struggles you faced and what you overcame to actually get there.

Protect Your Now – 8/11/26

With an onslaught of possibilities and potential being thrown at us in this digital age it’s become increasingly hard to actually sit with the moment.

When speaking, it can sometimes turn into a challenge of what to say next in the conversation, and the emphasis on listening is lost.

Working on a project your mind can wander into ruminating on the next project before you’ve finished the last one.

And then a text is sent by your friend to go swim by the river, or go cliff jumping.

Whether it’s work, or fun, or simply just connecting, the value of your time is something that becomes very hard to take care of.

There are endless distractions, good and bad, that can prevent us from completing what we set out to do that day. The reminder is to be open, stay consistent with your goals, but also protect your now. 

It may be in your mind hyperfixating on five different things at once, or within the expectations of others to complete projects while juggling the time to hangout with friends.

The most important thing you can do is value your time in whatever way that means to you, and be present.

Set yourself back – 8/10/26

Life is not like one long rise to the top.

It’s about failing and falling, again and again.

Think of it as a scale that increases over time, but in order to grow, you must collapse from time and time again. Each time you crumble, and face uncertainty or pain, or whatever it is that seems like the wrong direction, is actually just what you need. It makes you stronger.

It’s like taking three steps forward, one step back, then three steps forward, one step back, and soon the cycle repeats.

Once you reach your limit you must learn to fall back, and each time you do, you are able to surpass your limit.

If you don’t do this and continue to rise again and again without failing, that’s fine, but once you finally do fail, it’ll be much harder than any other path to recover from. You’re not used to pain and the necessity to start from scratch, and once you fall from that peak, you may never reach it again.

Here’s a graph to model what I’m saying:

Note how each time you fall, you only fall a short amount, but soon you are then able to surpass your previous limit, and so on and so forth.

So learn to restart, take more risks, even if it seems like it sets you back, it’ll only build you bigger than before.

Overwhelmed by Possibility – 8/9/26

I’ve been waking up recently with a near suffocating feeling.

And it’s not because I feel like I’m drowning, or I’m uncertain what to do that day. It’s because I am overwhelmed by the potential surrounding each day.

Let me correct myself, I am most definitely uncertain, but I’m open to the uncertainty like never before.

I have been able to build a lifestyle over these past several months where opportunity arises from every corner. I’m incredibly lucky where I’m at right now. (side not a bee flew into my hair while I wrote this last sentence) Not sure if that’s luck or strictly chance, I didn’t get stung even after I smacked it away from my face. But I see it as a new perspective, or something to write from in the future. Look, I’m already getting sidetracked by the possibility of what to write today.

There’s so many people I want to reach out to, get coffee with, at the same time there’s a multitude of projects I am excited to start, poetry to be edited, short stories to write, scripts I aspire to make. 

And some days I wake up knowing exactly what to do, others I let the morning slip away from me as my mind races thinking about all the things I could work on.

What’s been helping me has been going for quick walks when I wake up, only fifteen minutes where I think of absolutely nothing. This forces me to enjoy the moment and not be in a catatonic state of “what should I do next.”

The problem hasn’t been the amount of projects I’ve been working on, but rather the lack to pick one and focus on it.

Still be open, but the number one thing I’ve learned is this:

Pick one project, hone in on it as long and as hard as you can until you’ve reached capacity. Then move on to the next.

Trash your cushion – 8/8/26

There’s a reason why most millionaires come from less than ideal situations. The most successful people now lived a childhood where they were constantly scraping by. It’s a combination of the necessity to not be in that position anymore, but it’s also a long-term commitment to bettering oneself. 

Knowing that they have no cushion to fall back on forces them to make their own, since they never had it growing up.

That’s why the worst thing you could do is allow your kid to live at home for as long as he or she may like.

You need to be brought down, to struggle at the serious level, to be utterly dissatisfied and make a change.

Yes we live in an unprecedented time where it’s harder than ever to make a living, more people are living at home after college or high school than ever before. But the sooner you get kicked out. Or decide to leave. The sooner you decide to make an important change.

Life always throws curveballs, and sometimes if the offer is there, it’s hard to say no. You don’t have to move out, but you need to find some way to motivate yourself to eventually leave. When you are strapped for cash when rent is due, it’s a firm realization that there is something more you could and should be doing. With the cushion of  “well at least I don’t have to pay rent,” keeps most people stagnant, and they realize far too late in life that they should’ve taken the leap far sooner.

Hit the puck – 8/7/26

How many shots are made on goal? More than are scored.

The 2026 World Cup ended with Spain taking the win. Why? Because they made twenty shots on goal, while their opponent Argentina made zero.

It’s not always true, but typically the team that wins is the one with more shots on goal.

Lose your spark – 8/6/26

When you are lost in the chaos of reality, uncertain and not knowing what the future may bring is likely the time to lose your spark.

Finding yourself in a time where your initial goals or meaning seems to not be shaping up to what you expected, when you lose something, you find something new again.

Sometimes it may seem like a great idea to stop what you’re doing to allow time to think about what you should do next. When you are complaining about a job you’re working that doesn’t make you fulfilled, once when you quit that job, you’ll (unfortunately and fortunately) have time to ruminate on what’s actually causing you to feel that way. 

You’ll be required to pivot. And there’s a higher chance you won’t end up figuring out what you want to do when you have all the time in the world to do it. But that’s exactly when it happens. After soaking up a few weeks of unemployment, without having a job to blame your troubles on, is when you become truly lost again. That feeling of lost, whatever it looks like, is the scariest but also the best thing that can happen to you, if you’re willing to overcome it, and not look back.

Being lost is when you find yourself.

Being lost sparks “what should I do next?”

It’s not that you should lose your spark, but once when you lose something, that’s when change truly happens. Your spark will shift.

Alienate your audience – 8/5/26

and the ideal will come. 

When building your brand or curating a community for your art you’re likely going to struggle at first and have to fall to the lowest point before you can climb back up to the peak.

You may lose touch with some people at the start, it may seem like you are failing because you’re not taking off as soon as you would’ve hoped.

But remember, each loss is a future gain. It’s sifting through those that are actually there for the journey, the ones that count. 

Justin Murphy recites in The Independent Scholar Blueprint:

“The overwhelming majority of all the people who will ever know your work have not found you yet.”

You don’t need to be the smartest in the room – 8/4/26

You just need to be in the room.

You are the antidote – 8/3/26

Be the silence for another. Be the still water when they are facing a raging current. Listen to their troubles, and calm their qualms.

Listening is the most underrated and powerful skill any human can hold.

It invokes respect and appreciation in those that you listen to, and most importantly a great understanding.

By listening to one another we may actually figure out a way to live in more harmony. Without thinking of what I should say next, sit in the moment of conversation. Relax your muscles and your mind, and give yourself time to think, and then when you are ready, speak.

We are moving ever faster in our current age and oftentimes the pressure to say the right thing or speak properly rushes to our brain faster than thinking to just sit there and wait.

So listen, sometimes all we need that day is a person to hear us out.

Sculpt life – 8/2/26

Mold it with your hands.

The pottery wheel spins faster than we’d like it to. But it’s a reminder that all things flow at a constant rate. 

To be in control is to get your hands dirty, and smooth over the clay as it spins.

Create the world you desire, within your own hands. It takes practice, but overtime the most exquisite vase will be born.

Remind yourself to not fear what cannot yet be seen.

The unlikely quote from Renaissance artist Michelangelo:

“It is easy. You just chip away the stone that doesn’t look like David.”

The mantra of my father – 8/1/26

There’s things you have to do, things you want to do, and things you should do.

Enjoy the ride – 7/31/26

Let the river flow.

It’s a rollercoaster and a whirlwind all in one, and the best thing to do is to remain grateful.

Learn to enjoy the ride.

You’re thought of – 7/30/26

It may not seem like it.

But someone out there, right now is thinking about you.

It could be someone you have loved for years. A friend, a family member.

Or someone that doesn’t know you at all, a person that had a one-off interaction with you that altered the course of their day for the better.

Even when it doesn’t seem like it, and there’s no way of knowing, someone is out there thinking and wishing you well.

Life is your best teacher – 7/29/26

The lessons you will learn from lived experience will serve the strongest insight.

Life gives the hardest lessons.

It takes you places no book, video, or blog could teach you. The fear of regret should be stronger than your fear of failure.

Life serves the toughest stories.

It’s up to you to learn from your own life lessons, it takes a ton of perseverance to be able to learn from your mistakes, and even more fortitude to have the willingness to fail.

Lived experience is your greatest mentor.

Whether it’s the easy way or hard way, that’s for you to decide.

Consumer State – 7/28/26

We’re kept in a consumer state, because if everyone was able to create then we would all be artists. If nobody is consuming and we’re all just creating, then that would be nearly impossible to sustain.

Or is it?

The act of doing is being – 7/27/26

and being is what makes you do.

If you are struggling with trying to attain some certain goal; this could be getting a job you’ve been wanting for years that would then make you feel successful, or finally being fully healed from a recovering trauma.

A reminder I’ve found that works when I remind myself that by being in the process of healing, you are healed, by working towards getting that fancy job, you are successful.

By transferring your mindset to being a “happy” person, you will inevitably do the things that a “happy” person would naturally do.

Instead of trying to climb a fictitious ladder you designed in your head that once when you finally reach the top you’ll be happy. Think of yourself as already there, and the ladder will turn into just a couple steps up the stairs.

Keep moving forward – 7/26/26

Moving the muscles moves the mind.

Ideas flow, as you move, so does your heart. Whatever you’re going up against begins to feel a whole lot smaller, a lot easier to fight.

When you’re feeling depressed or uncertain about something in your life, or something you’re struggling with, there’s only one thing to do.

Move.

“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Rocky Balboa (2006)

Makers and Waiters – 7/25/26

There’s people that make things happen.

And there’s people that wait for things to happen.

Most of us wait.

Like a waiter taking orders at a restaurant. They come up to the table, ask what would you like and will wait a few more minutes until you’ve made a decision. 

The interesting part is that we’ve all been on both sides, serving others at times and being sat at a restaurant as we decide what to have on our menu.

We take a look at our options and make a choice.

And then the waiter comes back and we tell them our order.

Life follows a similar set of rules. The difference is that life isn’t given with a menu of options, it’s almost like a blank page that you must fill out yourself, or a list with so much possibility that it almost never ends.

Everything you do is up to you. 

And if you make the wrong decision then that can be horrifying. So for most it’s better to just sit there and wait for someone to take your order.

What fills your cup? – 7/24/26

Not just what makes you happy, but if everything were to go wrong in a day, what’s the one thing that if it goes right, nothing else matters.

It could be writing, reading, hanging out with friends, seeing the sunset or the sunrise, going for a drive, whatever it is that makes you fulfilled.

Ask yourself this question when you’re having an off day, or even when you’re having a great day.

See what can overflow your cup.

It can’t all be fun – 7/23/26

If it’s all fun, then is there value in fun at all?

If everything comes easy to us, then how are we supposed to enjoy the good times? Will it really be good if it’s not earned? If we can have fun all the time, not having to work for it, then what’s the value in it? Will we actually be able to have fun if it’s offered 24/7?

Isn’t it “work hard, play hard.”

Not “play hard, play harder.”

Some stay the same – 7/22/26

Most people are the same person they were yesterday.

This makes sense, oftentimes we as adults stay the same person today as we would be in five, ten, maybe even twenty years.

We get to a point where we effectively stop growing, and I mean that literally in the sense of learning as much as I do physically.

But think about how much we grow and change as children. Each year is violently different than the year before, our bodies, our minds, develop at such an increased rate.

Each day something could change, one day we’re a straight “A” student, the next you flunk’d your first chemistry exam.

When we are children we constantly change.

New grades, new friends, new clothes. (and by new I don’t mean brand new clothes, I mean you likely don’t fit in the pants you wore last year.)

As an adult, we start to level out. Change becomes the enemy, it is feared. When in fact, change is the exact thing we as adults need, change is what helps break out of the static cycle of monotony that we live in.

So be a child, encourage and welcome change, don’t fear it.

There will always be more – 7/21/26

There’s always something to work on.

Some way to update yourself.

To progress.

It’s often overwhelming, and you’d wish you could just lock yourself away for a week, or maybe a month and finish it all. Believing you’ll come out with all loose ends tied up nicely.

Likely you’ll have even more to do once you get out. Either new projects will give birth on your time away, or once when you return to your normal life, you’ll feel behind on everything else you chose to miss out on.

Be comfortable knowing that there will always be more, and pick the most important things to work on now. Whether it’s a career, relationships, a project, or even a blog post. 

Be grateful that there will always be more.

You suck at jazz – 7/20/26

If you suck at jazz then you’re probably great at everything else.

This is the conversation I had with a guitarist the other day. We were talking about how if you aspire to play jazz, and even if you’re not the greatest at it, every other genre will come a whole lot easier.

Jazz requires improvisation, and listening to each other like no other, the technical ability required combined with natural intuition makes it one of the hardest forms of music to play.

But if you are able to play jazz, you can probably play everything else.

The same goes with life.

If you want to run a hundred mile marathon (yes there are some psychos that seek these sorts of competitions out) then you can probably run farther and faster than most. A regular marathon should come easier to you.

If you aspire to be the greatest at something, and even if you suck at it, you’re likely better than the rest, even if you don’t compare to Buddy Rich.

let the spark fade – 7/19/26

When you first start a project it is so exhilarating, there’s a flame inside you that feels like it will never burn out.

The start can be the most intimidating, and the most exciting.

So many possibilities, so many chances for opportunity. It feels so rewarding and new, even when you’re just talking about new ideas.

Then you start. And suddenly, after a few weeks of working, or maybe months, the joy of working on the project doesn’t seem as fulfilling anymore.

There’s no guaranteed reward, and you’re still building up, whether it’s a company, or a new fitness routine, the results that you planned for don’t come as fast as you would hope.

It’s easy to let the spark fade.

Remind yourself why you started, it’s not going to happen instantly, great things come to fruition with time, effort, and a generous amount of commitment. So on slow days don’t feel like time is wasted, or like you are lost. 

Remember where you started, and how far you’ve come, even if it’s a tiny bit.

Become a mop – 7/18/26

Soak up every little thing life has to offer.

You won’t be understood – 7/17/26

Very often you’ll run into people or have moments when you realize you don’t see eye to eye. Whether you try hard to change their mind, or attempt to explain the side that you’re coming from, both sides come across as a brick wall. Refusing to move.

And that’s ok, instead of focusing on what the other person thinks, no matter how much you believe you’re on the right path, time better well spent would be to seek out others that do.

It can be annoying, your ego gets in the way and even if a hundred people say yes that’s a great idea, there will always be that one. Don’t let that one prevent you from becoming the person you want to become. Definitely don’t try to change their mind either, it will come with time, or it won’t. 

And that’s ok, because you have more important things to worry about.

Strength comes from within – 7/16/26

Nobody can force you out of bed except for yourself.

Regardless of the trumpets that blare at the sound of dawn, the army general shouts at you to get out of bed, but ultimately it is you that decides what is best, to stay asleep would be to get kicked to the curb, to wake up and do your due diligence is to take the best action, the strongest one that will push your life forward.

Ultimately there is no amount of convincing from a third-party that can change your mind, someone can inspire you to go after it, but that inspiration must already be rumbling inside of you, only requiring a little push from external forces.

Comparison is the most natural and biggest fault of humanity. We look around to see what others have, or don’t have in comparison to you. Oftentimes it can feel like you’re not doing enough, or like you don’t have what’s capable.

Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”

Remember to reset – 7/15/26

Life can get complicated, it takes too much uncertainty and no immediate reward that we naturally get lost in the process.

The goal may seem futile, or what if it doesn’t work out at all? 

When things start to seem as too much, or like life isn’t matching up to what it should be, remind yourself of why you started. If the path seems to take a few turns and you’re not where you thought you’d be at this time. Remind yourself how far you’ve come. The relationships you’ve likely built, or need to build.

Return to the foundation that brought you to where you are today. Remember to feel not force. Reset.

The greatest things in life take time, and a whole lot of love.

Be a doer – 7/14/26

As long as you believe in what you do.

Life is one big playground – 7/13/26

We climb up the stairs to go down the slide; sometimes it twists around, sometimes it goes straight, and sometimes it burns your behind.

We meet other kids on the playground, some nice, and others not so nice. 

Some hog the slide, or the 4-square court, or tether-ball, or whatever game you may have had as a child.

Sometimes you decide to just swing back and forth, and enjoy the time passing you by.

Maybe you’ll bring a book out to the playground.

Or decide to climb the monkey bars, until you go so fast that you skip a bar and fall flat on your face.

Recess was our main source of “fun” while most of us were in the school system. (sorry homeschoolers, you had, well I’m not quite sure what it is you had growing up but I hope it was fun.) 

There can be hidden rules to the playground, risks, friends that may not have come across as so friendly, and on the playground, most tend to pick a few things they’re good at or enjoy the most and stick with it.

But the idea is that the playground is meant for play.

As we age, it gets harder to find time for recess, and it could be argued that we are trained at a young age to only see the playground as the only form of play. Not the classroom.

The playground is similar to taking a stroll downtown, or entering a bar late at night. There are rules to the bar, order a drink, wait your turn for pool, talk to some stranger, who may or may not be interested in talking back. In a sense, a bar is a playground for adults, or like a park.

As we age, we realize the systems set up, like going through school just to wait to get to play outside. We go through the work day just to get to play pool at the bar, or have our day off at the park.

If we were able to get rid of the idea of the playground as our only form of fun, then we could enjoy and get more from life.

Earth is like a playground, you just need to alter your brain’s ability to perceive it that way.

Don’t get comfortable – 7/12/26

Once when you get too comfortable you don’t want to leave.

Like the couch, it’s hard to get up after a while.

Make a good group of friends, some trusted colleagues. 

Make a good life for yourself, be appreciative for what you have now that you used to yearn for, grateful for the things and connections that you’ve built.

But don’t stop there, keep expanding.

Even when you’re fifty, your best friend, or best business offer, could be a phone call away.

So don’t get too comfortable, enjoy it, but always seek a little bit more.

Be Goofy – 7/11/26

Life doesn’t need to be so serious.

Unlike the stoic mindset connected with wearing a business suit; ruling your 9-5 or business, or whatever other task(s) you have to do for your personal success.

Being goofy is about seeing the silliness and joy in every little moment.

To reference anime, yes, talking about One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball here. The main protagonists are so superbly self-confident, but they also have one thing that not every anime has; that is the excess of exuberance, joy, and just being straight up goofy.

That correlation may have only made sense to a select few, but do a quick search about Monkey D. Luffy and you’ll understand.

When you don’t take life as seriously, the rest seems to become easier, life is not that stressful anymore, and you start to emanate such a strong aura that people will inevitably attach to. 

And this mindset, a combination between self-confidence and the welcoming of silliness, will take you so farther than you would’ve ever anticipated.

How silly did it first sound when Steve Jobs suggested creating a device that connected a phone, iPod, and an internet communicator all in one? I would imagine most would have heard that idea and thought it to be ridiculous. Too far out there, a computer that fits inside of our pocket? I highly doubt that.

Now it’s practically an extension of every human. That could be argued as silly in itself, but let’s save that for another blog post.

Now back to Goofy.

If you’re familiar with surfing and skating you might have heard of the term “goofy-footed.” Which means having your right foot in front and your left foot behind. This is not the usual way for most surfers, where the opposition is regarded as “regular.”

At some point the term “goofy” was coined. And one of the most popularized theories as to why this came to be is because of the 1937 animated Disney film “Hawaiian Holiday.” In one scene the character Goofy goes surfing, in the animation he is depicted with his right foot forward.

It’s not certain where the term goofy-footed came from, but for purposes of inspiration, it is commonly known that Goofy is the reasoning behind the name.

The point is, if you’re being yourself, if you’re being goofy, making your mark on the world with self-confidence and without contemplation, people will take notice.

Your name will go beyond what you could’ve ever imagined, and an unexpected legacy may be affiliated with you, just by being you.

Don’t take excuses – 7/10/26

Take action.

The time spent making an excuse could be much better spent on actually doing the thing that you claim you don’t have enough time, energy, or whatever else you can come up with as a reason to NOT do it.

Excuses are easy to create, far easier than actually taking risks and putting yourself outside your comfort zone.

Excuses are a dime a dozen.

“Yeah but…” 

“I should’ve started years ago.”

“I need to do more research.”

Every excuse that you make, could be time spent thinking/working/building how you could actually make it happen.

It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Which is much easier than trying and failing.

But that’s the thing, nobody likes someone that says “yeah I could do that, but” and proceeds to never actually do it.

Humans are naturally egotistical. I know I can be more often than I’d like to admit. But if you can find ways to see how failure can be a good thing, and rather a learning experience. Then we wouldn’t be spending so much energy on making excuses.

There is a much greater benefit to learning and becoming stronger by failing than by making excuses.

An excuse repeats the same pattern as yesterday, nothing lost, but nothing gained either.

Live for today, prepare for tomorrow – 7/9/26

If you spend everyday thinking about tomorrow, then you won’t have time to enjoy today.

If you don’t prepare for tomorrow then you’ll never be able to enjoy today.

Learn to dance the line.

Play the game to beat the game – 7/8/26

We’re all set up to get lost in the system.

No matter which way you try to spin it, this is the forced reality pushed upon us.

But you can surpass it. 

You can build something outside of the system that we are pushed in. You can create your own future, but first you must play to win.

“Yeah but I don’t like to think that way, I’m not playing the game, I won’t even entertain it.” 

This is how I used to think, and once when I chose to play by the rules, I realized I was getting played the whole time.

To not play the game is to be stuck at level one. 

To speak in video game terms. Once you have mastered all of the levels, learned all of the controls and are able to beat the final boss, then you can explore the whole world with nothing holding you back.

To build your own freedom you must master the game.

Like a tree – 7/7/26

We grow strong and beautiful for ourselves, then once fully formed, an audience will surround and be amazed by our natural beauty, our leaves blowing in the wind, the branches that intertwine, the bark, the firm roots; how strong and sturdy we stand.

No one’s coming to save you – 7/6/26

Notice yourself.

Design your own future. 

Dream big, now dream even bigger.

Nobody’s going to save you.

Or pick you.

Or notice you.

Someone might see you and your skills and want them to work for you, but then you’ll be trapped by their mission, on their time.

Your best friend is your own capabilities.

It’s scary to realize that everything you do is up to you. But that’s the most essential gift we are given from life. 

It’s all in your own hands.

Find what makes you unique. Combine your skills, work on them, progress them until you are…

Well, you.

Leave it up to chance – 7/5/26

Sometimes you can’t be looking for it. 

You just have to be amazed in the moment.

There are moments when it’s necessary to take a break, and rest your mind and body. And strangely enough life will grant you with the answer, inspiration, motivation or whatever else it is that you’re looking for, right on your lap.

For the love of the game – 7/4/26

People often ask me who my audience is, or what am I doing with my blog.

And honestly, I suppose selfishly it’s really just for me. 

I’m lucky enough to have parents, family, and friends that read my posts and support me in doing so. But ideally the audience will come. 

Actually, I don’t even think of it as an audience, I think of it as inspiration, connection, and new friends. I’m not necessarily building an audience. I’m just aspiring to get better at my work, and have something to show for it.

Selfishly it’s only for me to continue to get better at writing, but if I have a goal, where I promise the world that I will write every day, I can’t let others down. It’s much easier to take shortcuts when it’s just a promise you made for yourself.

At the end of the day, it’s just for the love of the game.

Brace for impact – 7/3/26

You’re going to burn out. You simply have to accept it.

The deterministic factor is how will you push through it.

You’re told to slow down. That you’re doing too much.

Unless your heart is literally beating through your chest, slow down is code for speed up.

Because a life of freedom isn’t based on doing what you’re told. It’s built upon late nights and early mornings, believing in no one but yourself.

You are in your Prime – 7/2/26

Today is the youngest you’ll ever be.

Potential for possibilities and opportunities can arise at any moment.

Every day is your prime.

And you haven’t missed the train. You’re on it. It only depends on how fast and how far you’re willing to ride.

Build Your Community – 7/1/26

If you are looking for a specific set of people or are struggling to find like-minded individuals.

Then build it yourself.

Become the leader, and people will gladly follow. It’s not because the people aren’t out there.

Sometimes we just need someone to show the way. Most wait for things to happen to them. You can make things happen for yourself, and cultivate a community through that.

All it takes is one person to push the pen, to be the ringleader that corrals a group together, and why not have that person be you.

Put your soul on display – 6/30/26

This is no easy feat.

It takes a lot of courage to “put yourself out there” as many say. To not roll with the tide is to swim upstream. But the view from the top is much more impressive than the one from below.

Reality is, it’s going to take a lot; it’s a solo mission to get there.

Many will disagree with you, and some will try to tear you down.

But likely many more will agree with you and be impressed with your action.

They will be silently inspired, and won’t let their ego get in the way.

Humans feed off of negativity oftentimes. Or rather we can’t help but let it consume our psyche.

That’s what’s hard to overcome, like a fish upstream, you may start at the bottom, but soon you’ll climb that peak and have many looking up at you. Wondering “how did you do it?”

Impress yourself – 6/29/26

Look back and be inspired by all that you have accomplished. Thinking, woah I actually did that.

It can be extraordinarily fulfilling to reconnect with something you created and realize that it came from your soul.

It’s ok to be impressed by what you’ve done. 

It’s not ego, it’s motivation.

Doers and Dreamers – 6/28/26

There’s a difference between learning, planning and preparing than there is with executing.

Talking about how you’re going to face a project seems valuable. It is to a certain extent, you don’t want to run in completely blind.

But after a while all of the talking and thinking makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something. When in actuality, all you’re doing is dreaming.

While dreaming up a new project or a new plan, don’t waste all of your time procrastinating. 

You must do the thing.

Don’t perform for anyone but yourself – 6/27/26

There is nearly zero benefit in performing a task for someone other than yourself.

If you’re a teacher or contractor or something of similar sorts then yes, complete the task to the best of your ability and find fulfillment there. 

But most of the time, if you’re trying to prove yourself to someone else, or feel like you’ll attain some sort of mental reward from external voices, then you’re just going to stress yourself out more than ever.

Because whoever you’re trying to prove that you’re worthy, believe it or not is still human. No matter how much they’ve accomplished or the persona they seem to put on.

You’ll run yourself ragged if you choose this path.

So ignore the voices. Forget the ones that try to hold your dream back.

This isn’t about a job. This is about doing what you love. This is about seeing your sixteen year-old self or your twelve year-old self and realizing how impressed they’d be of the person you are today. Despite the constant shortcomings you think you’ve come across.

Take it slow, build yourself and be proud of who you’ve become.

Keep On Creating – 6/26/26

It’s officially thirty days since I started writing on this blog.

Some days have been easier than others, and sometimes I stare at my computer wondering what the purpose of all of this even is.

The purpose is now.

The act of creation is a beautiful thing, and I’ve been able to learn and improve each day that I write. There may not be an end goal in mind, but that’s ok. It’s not the result, but it’s the moment that we must learn to enjoy.

Because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

And that’s a daunting statement that’s equally beautiful.

So whoever decides to read this. Enjoy it, even if it ends up bad.

Keep on Creating.

We want what we can’t have – 6/25/26

Why is it that when the things we’re not allowed to have, we often desire more strongly than anything else.

Sometimes it just piques our curiosity. 

Banned books, whether they be banned by schools, or governments, have become some of the most well-known and common reads among society. Harry Potter is the first one that comes to mind, many local and religious schools banned the book in the 2000s.

Other times it has a completely adverse effect.

Like the DARE program actually caused a massive uptick in drug use when teens were told not to smoke.

The sign that says “Do Not Touch” makes us want to touch it does it not?

Do we actually want the thing? Or is it just because someone told us we can’t have it that we want it ever more.

See Work as Play – 6/24/26

Find enjoyment in the process. You can be fulfilled at work, if you choose to not see it as such. Engage work as play, not as chore. I need not explain more.

Alan Watts knows what’s up.

Life is Work – 6/23/26

If life is work then I’d recommend making art your life. And if you don’t like to do art, that’s totally fine.

But at least see life through an artistic lense. 

We’re all creating our own life for ourselves. Every door we walk through, or decide not to, has a deterministic factor on how our future plays out. Constantly creating new opportunities for ourselves.

Open up to the possibility of seeing life not as work, but as art. 

Everything in life is artful, not just the pictures your mind sets when you hear art, like painting, drawing, filmmaking. 

Conversation is an art. 

Sports are an art.

Love is an art.

The problem that prevents us all from realizing that we are artists is that we all have to work to make a living. If life is work, and life is also art, then I’d recommend making art your work. 

Was that too wordy? Probably. Point is:

Don’t work to live, live to work. And if you feel compelled enough, make art your life.

1,001 No’s – 6/22/26

Life is filled with failures.

With opportunities arising and inevitably crashing moments later. Oftentimes we have very little control of when someone tells us no, or turns down our idea or plan.

That’s exactly what you need.

I keep telling myself 1,001 No’s. 

This is a concept that I’ve learned and experienced more recently. It can be discouraging and takes practice to get used to. But after a while, it’s like clockwork. 

Every time someone tells you “No.” You’re just another step closer to success. Whatever you do, don’t listen to the ones that turn you down.

Learn from it.

Grow.

And try again, somewhere new this time.

You’re headed in the right direction, step by step. Just don’t turn around. There’s a thousand more No’s headed your way.

Every second counts – 6/21/26

Every day matters. Even down to the minute.

Don’t let it stress you out. At first it most certainly will.

But be comfortable with it, the month is nearly over. 

That sucks.

No that’s amazing, let’s see how much we can accomplish before the month ends.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget to call your dad.

Are you too smart? – 6/20/26

Or is that just your excuse to not play the game?

I was locked in a cage – 6/19/26

but I had the key to escape the whole time.

Sometimes the cage is much easier to stay inside of. 

You get fed, you can lie around all day, for the most part you’re taken care of.

There’s just those damn iron bars keeping you from reaching your full potential.

The cage soon transforms into comfort. Maybe that’s how it started, maybe you needed the cage, to reconnect with yourself. Or maybe you’re just now realizing that what you thought was benefitting you is actually a harmful trap. 

The concern isn’t breaking out of the cage, it’s what if it’s worse on the outside?

Well trust me, speaking from some experience when I say, it is much, much, worse on the outside. But it’s the best kind. 

Now you’re all on your own. What you do, what you feel, is entirely up to you.

Life is more uncertain, life is freeing, instead of being stuck on a regimented schedule of when you’re getting fed, or whipped, or whatever zoo/carnival analogy you may like.

Once when you break free, it’s equally fulfilling as it is terrifying.  Now you’re starved, you don’t know where your next meal may come from.

But that’s the whole point. 

Enjoy the Hunt.

It’s much better than pacing around in a cage all day long, asking yourself: Why? Why? Why?

The metaphor I’m trying to describe can be applied to many different things in your life. You can choose what piece of it is most relevant to you. 

We’re all trapped somewhere, whether it’s work, a poor relationship, the fear of failure… the list goes on.

Everyone can break out of the cage. In fact, most of us shut the door and lock ourselves in. Sometimes the door gets opened and we slam it shut.

The key has always been in your hands, now the question remains:

When will you break out?

You’re young and you might not figure it out – 6/18/26

You’re young, so everyone tells you. Maybe eighteen, early twenties, maybe mid twenties, you got time. Or so you think.

Then one day you wake up and you’re thirty, no forty, no you’re almost d3ad.

Lived your whole life just to go to work, wait until it was over so you could do anything but work.

Everyone tells you you’re young, you’ll figure it out.

Now I think that’s mostly true. Let’s not put too much pressure on ourselves to achieve “greatness” by age twenty-one. Heck you can’t even buy a drink until then.

But whatever you do, don’t spend your twenties soaking in nothingness.

These are your foundational years. Arguably even more important than your growth as a child.

The habits you create and stick to now will mold who you are later in life, and once you’ve built a bad habit for ten years, or a one-note way of thinking it will be harder to break out of it when you realize you want a change.

By no means do you have to have it figured out by age twenty, twenty-five, or thirty.

I don’t think anyone truly has it all “figured out.”

But just try and do something.

Something that will make you grow. That makes each day new. Don’t recycle the same day as yesterday, which is what most decide to do.

See what the world has to offer, and get started on whatever it is that you find intriguing.

Even if after five years you realize you want to pivot, that’s more than ok. You’d have taught yourself you know whatever you originally thought was for you, actually wasn’t.

Life is endless experimentation.

Now it’s time to experiment again.

And chances are, those skills you learned will come to help you in the future when you’ve completely changed careers or mindsets.

It’s all connected. Think of the big picture, the possibilities…

Like studying business just to realize that you want to become an artist ten years later. You won’t be behind other artists, you’ll actually be ahead, your background in business will help you manage the business side of art. You’ll already know how to package and market your art better than others that have been practicing their craft for years longer than you might.

Vice versa.

You study art for ten years just to realize you want to run a business. You’ll have the creative skills necessary to think unlike any of your competitors. If you decide to work for a company, then you’ll have the natural artistry to think outside of the box, solve problems faster and more creatively than some of your superiors who have been working with the company for nearly twenty years. And you’ve been there for barely two.

I can’t explain how, and you can’t predict when it will move things forward, but if you believe in the process it simply will.

The dots will be connected, it’s hard to see it at the moment.

It will work out, you’ll figure it out, as long as you try.

We’re ruled by the mean green paper machine – 6/17/26

Money. Money. Money.

Something’s funny about the way we run our lives.

Caught up in full sprints to be “secure” in the end. Or whatever that’s supposed to mean.

And our parameter of success is often defined by how much of this green paper we can acquire before our hair turns grey-ish white.

It’s an interesting thing. We’re ruled by the lack of money, or for some luckily unlucky few, the surplus of it. Mo’ money mo’ problems; thanks Biggie.

While everyone is forced to rush to the acquisition of this paper, you’d think that the solution would be to get rid of this model. Simply switch back to the bartering system, like we used to thousands of years ago.

This sounds nice. But in actuality it would leave many in a catatonic state, either that or we’d crumble to complete anarchy. Without the pursuit of money, we are left with little to no purpose.

The very thing that we curse out for not having enough of, sometimes controlling our lives, simultaneously saves us from our own self-ruin.

In a sense the thing we’re ruled by, saves us from ourselves.

Is life just one big advertisement? – 6/16/26

Make yourself more marketable.

Change your name so people recognize it.

Brand your brain, or your process.

Simplify your product, or yourself.

All of these concepts I’ve been noticing more frequently as I get older and try to educate myself. I have started to share a shallow interest in the marketing realm, and the more and more I do research, the More and MORE I notice how many different ways we’re being marketed TO.

And often times, told to market yourself.

I see things like “Buy 4 get 3 free” 

The prices at the local grocery store “marked down” by 50 cents to a dollar from the previous week… or was it?

Even a video I was watching about publishing raised a question “is it worth it to write” and underneath a little bubble popped up saying “HINT: it is.” Now either whoever made that video genuinely believes that everyone should write, or that was just sneaking in some marketing.

It was a video about a course, one that would improve your writing and teach you how to publish. And I really think that whoever made this probably believes everyone should write, but they also probably thought of the best way to advertise it so that whoever was watching would be convinced to write.

And if you haven’t decided for yourself already, then you likely need a little push to be convinced; to buy our course that is.

Even most colleges have something on the home page that list how many success stories they have produced from the university, or how many amazing classes they have to offer.

Unfortunately the more and more research I do on marketing, the more I see our lives being run like a business.

Even colleges are ran like businesses these days. No longer strict places designed for encouraging curiosity through education.

How many people can we get to pay to go here? 

Or

What can we build for next year’s students to make our school seem better than it is?How do we come across as more prestigious? How do we become more marketable?

These are the harsh versions, I could be a little nicer, however it seems to be the case at a decent chunk of colleges. 

We’re being sold something at every street corner. 

Everyone’s gotta make a living somehow.

Advertising is everywhere, billboards, social media (paid ads, or likely just the post is trying to get you to buy something, or follow their page) even politicians come up with slogans and reasons as to why you should vote for them. Beyond just their ideals and campaigns, we’re left with things like MAGA, I’m With Her, Yes We Can! – to name a few

This may be a stretch, and perhaps I’ve just become too cynical and need to read some happier short fiction, but even things like “We the People” 

So I sit wondering if life is one big advertisement. One personal business.

It’s hard to say.

Pay your dues – 6/15/26

It’s what you do outside of your dues that make all the difference.

It’s who you know – 6/14/26

This is a barrier of entry.

Most industries, especially creative ones, follow some sort of ideal like this one.

Although it may be true, the statement has one simple work around.

If it’s who you know, then why don’t you introduce yourself.

Build connections.
One step at a time.

Just because you don’t know the person that can get you an “in” yet doesn’t mean you’re not able to get to know them.

It just takes time, and repeated failure.

So don’t get discouraged by how many people bring this statement into light. If you have the will, then ignore the comments, and become the person that people must “know.”

The term “self-made man” exists for a reason.

Every day is a new lifetime – 6/13/26

Forget yesterday. Every morning you wake up can be a brand new reset.

Had the worst day of your life the day before? Well, today may very well be the best day of your life.

As long as you don’t wallow in the wake of the previous day’s dissatisfaction.

The emotional strings that connect today through tomorrow are sometimes impossible to move, but try to detach. See every day as something new. A whole new world that you live in, whether inside your mind or out.

Brand new opportunities may arise. See the potential for connection all around you. Possibilities at every corner, if you know how to look.

Open up your soul.

You never know who might walk through that door, and your life may change at the blink of an eye.

Beer is the only solution – 6/12/26

It’s not the goal you have in place.

But the systems you have in order to achieve it.

If you get to the end of your day and the only solution seems like the beer in the fridge that’s calling your name.

It’s likely time to start changing your systems.

Are you really thirsty? Or are you exhausted from an unfulfilled day?

Be Scared, it means you’re doing it right – 6/11/26

If your heart flutters right before you go to speak.

If you’re uncertain that the idea you have will actually work.

If vocalizing your method or process intimidates you, then you’re probably doing something right.

Feeling scared means you actually care.

It means you’ve never done this before, or maybe nobody has done this before.

Blaze your own trail.

Feel the fear deep inside you, and use it to your advantage.

It’s fuel for the extravagant, the audacious, the extraordinary.

It’s a mental block to overcome. I’ve said before, fear is good. But it might even be great.

Some of the best learning lessons come from when you’re scared or think that you’ve failed. And all it does is make you a little bit wiser.

So be scared, be fearful, fail again and again. It only makes you stronger.

get laughed at – 6/10/26

It means you’re probably doing something right.

Likely doing something that has never been done before.

Something that when you first hear it, others can’t help but chuckle and think “Alright I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Use that as fuel.

It means you’re headed in the right direction.

Down a new direction.

Building your own path.

A road forks into two, you have two options, go left or right.

So you grab a shovel and start digging your own trail.

And soon, others will follow.

But at first they will stare and think “Ha look at this guy, what does he think he’s doing, there’s two options right there.”

Well none of them are the options that you want to take, no you think much bigger than that, you don’t follow someone else’s path, you design your own future.

Life is not that hard – 6/9/26

It’s annoying.

It gets in the way practically all the time.

It is totally and utterly unexpected, sometimes the rug gets ripped out from under you and then the floorboards in which you are standing snap.

But that’s what makes life so interesting.

At least that’s the version of the story we should tell ourselves.

To clear things up, life is definitely hard.

It’s no easy challenge. By shifting your mindset and seeing it as a challenge, or rather a set of obstacles for you to overcome. Life does get a little easier.

It’s a hard mindset shift, and one that maintains a great challenge day after day. If you’re able to think of the world as curious obstacles, some may even call it a game. Then the day to day can get a whole lot easier.

Instead of “I have to…”

Change it to “I get to”

Stay curious while you’re doing the monotonous things that life makes us do, see it as a challenge instead of a struggle. Enjoy the struggle and flip it on its head.

Here’s a curious quote from writer Kurt Vonnegut about going out and buying an envelope instead of ordering a hundred online. He believed in staying in moments of wonder, seeing and experiencing all of the curiosities that pass by on his walk to the post office.

When talking to his wife:

“Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babes. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don’t know. The moral of the story is, is we’re here on Earth to fart around. And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don’t realize, or they don’t care, is we’re dancing animals.”

You never know what life may serve you, good or bad.

Envy is the Soul Killer – 6/8/26

But like most emotions, we are rarely able to control it.

We can compartmentalize it for now, but that gets old and exhausting, fast.

I can say all of the cheesy things, which remain true:

Focus on yourself

Don’t compare what others have, it’s not worth it

Be happy for what you have

But whether we like to admit it or not, from time to time we see someone on TV, or perhaps our friend’s brand new car, and silently think to ourselves. “I wish that was me.”

The interesting thing I’ve been using to combat this feeling is knowing that everyone has their own problems, everyone has ego, and can be envious. It’s the disgusting aspects of human nature, but also the parts of us that make us human.

Without the bad, there is no good, and then it’s all the same.

Everyone struggles somewhere, some are just better at not sharing it. Likely whoever is on the TV might hate the commercial they were just in, or don’t really find the show they’re “starring” in meaningful. The friend with a new car, is probably envious of their friend with an even newer and nicer car. And now they’re playing catch up to pay for it. 

You can never truly know what’s going on behind the scenes, the only thing you can be certain of is what goes on in your mind, and how you choose to respond to it.

Remain grateful for where you are, and share appreciation for the little things that you have. This may be cliché and that’s because it’s true.

The grass is almost always greener. There’s no controlling that.

Proof of late – 6/7/26

Something quite interesting happened yesterday.

And this time I actually mean yesterday.

Late Friday night I was out with my “cousin.” We started at one bar and before we realized it, it got so late that it was time to close. Upon entering the second bar I made some good friends, who for privacy sake we’ll call Frank and Sally. 

We connected and hung out the rest of the evening, and I fear it almost was going to reach morning if we weren’t too careful.

Saturday came and I met them before breakfast before I had to head into work.

So I worked in the afternoon and met them again at another bar late after work.

And here’s the curious thing; while we were at the bar, Frank and I were talking to one of his friends. He had asked how long we had known each other.

I told him that we just met yesterday.

Frank jumped in, and he said something along the lines of.

“Well actually it was today!”

I thought for a moment, and realized how right he was. We had met past midnight late last night, technically within the same day.

I thought again and realized how I had just written about that in my blog post earlier that day.

Strange how things seem to work out like that.

But there it was, living proof, that my comment from yesterday’s post remains true. So today may be redundant, but hey.

Yesterday is today.

So go do the thing, and be scared, but not too scared. Remember, at the very least, to start.

Better Late than Never – 6/6/26

The best time to plant a tree was yesterday.

The funny thing about yesterday is that it’s today.

Do the Hard Things First – 6/5/26

When you wake up each morning, there’s likely something looming over you, something that you have to do.

Oftentimes we have no control over the thing. It could be an exam you’re studying for, a stressful work meeting or perhaps an interview. We have to wait until the clock strikes in order to get over that mountain.

On those days, our whole psyche can be consumed by anxiety and preparation for that event. There’s a way to combat this from controlling our whole day, a smaller obstacle that can prime you for the big one.

Whether it’s a call, an email, a text, something we know that is going to stress us out. Something that it’s hard to find the words for, and so we spend more time thinking about doing the thing than actually doing it.

If you learn to do the hard things first, then the rest of the day gets easier.

It gets easier, and as you continue to build this habit, eventually it will be second hand. You might even look forward to doing the hard or stressful thing.

If you can send that stressful text in the morning, to a friend, a colleague, your employer, whatever it may be, then by the time your interview hits at 2:00pm you already feel like you’ve accomplished a challenge. 

And suddenly the interview isn’t as stressful anymore.

For me, it’s become posting on this blog. It’s like a mandatory meeting I have with myself each morning, confronting my ambitions. Typing while wondering “Will this all work out?” 

But if I have another smaller challenge in front of me, let’s say doing push-ups when I wake up, then I already feel like I accomplished something. The blog post is no longer a stressful mountain I need to climb, since I already climbed one.

If you do the hard things first, then the harder things become easier.

Embrace change – 5/4/26

It’s only natural.

Our bodies naturally change over time so why shouldn’t we accept the change in the world as well?

Happiness is fleeting. – 6/3/26

It’s a fleeting feeling.

Something we’re granted from time and time again, but it’s not permanent.

And if it were constant, it likely wouldn’t mean anything. If everyone were happy, all of the time, then you’d just be at the same baseline.

Accept when you have happiness, and learn to be ok when you don’t.

Life is a cycle. And the feeling of happiness will eventually return, as will the pain.
Without experiencing the highs and lows, what’s the point?

The meaning and/or search for happiness is not the goal, but the journey itself.

Listen to your gut – 6/2/26

not to what others have to say.

What help is it when someone else tells you how to live your life?

Oftentimes we’re seeking an answer, but most of the time other people are projecting their insecurities or lack of taking risk onto you.

I was at a family party this weekend for my grandmother (She had just turned 90). And I told a few people I just started a blog, like I started it five days ago.

Most of my family members were shocked, and outright surprised to hear that I started a blog. After all, most of them I haven’t seen since I was an actual child and don’t know what path I’m headed towards.

There was one relative of mine that didn’t skip a beat, and she said “Do you make money off of that?”

I wanted to snap back and say something like “How much money do you make?”

I chose the high ground, (maybe not internally I will admit) and instead laughed and said “well not yet, it’s really more of a portfolio and I had just started it.”

I could see at her 60 something age she couldn’t understand why I would do something that wouldn’t give me money. Oh that’s right, because I simply enjoy it.

I enjoy putting myself out there, and seeing what may come from it. No matter how much it may terrify me. But by no means am I even planning to make money from this blog. This is a place to inspire others, not to monetize myself.

If I told her that, I believe she would probably respond with “Well what’s the point of doing that?” or something similar.

The moral I took away from that conversation is that most people simply don’t understand that everyone has their own path in life.

For most, work is something that you go to, sit down for 8 or 9 hours, come home and turn on the TV or go back to whatever it is you want to do that doesn’t scare you.

Most people stop learning after college, or think that education is the only form of learning. They are stunting themselves and those around them by refusing to realize that life is learning.

Back to the title, listening to your gut.

What I say by this, is that no matter how audacious you may sound, or ambitious you come across, and sometimes the reverse, you shouldn’t take anyone’s blind advice but your own.

Nobody has lived in the body you’ve been in, the mind you think with, and the way you grew up. Not even twins. And I would know as my mother grew up with a twin. And they have taken themselves down two completely separate paths, I look up to them because of that. They may talk similarly and share some of the same qualities, but their lived experiences and the way they perceive the world are two completely separate ideologies.

So listen to yourself.

When you hear “How are you making money?”

I am, that’s just not why I’m doing the blog. I am inspiring those to create.

If my relative actually cared she wouldn’t have directly jumped to “Do you make money off of that?” I guess cared isn’t the right word, she probably does care about my well-being and how I aim to support myself, but she wasn’t actually interested.

First off, no it’s been five days of posting how would that be possible, I need to build an audience if that is my goal. – which it’s not.

And second, I think the more enthusiastic response would be “Oh that’s so cool, what’s the name of the website so I can read it?”

What I took away is that she does not seek knowledge, learning is not for everyone, and arrogantly I may admit, that just makes it easier for the rest of us that actually seek out learning, till the day we die.

Some graduate from college and aim to never learn again.

To do what they’re told by someone who DOES learn everyday.

Their boss, CEO, manager. The ones that took that jump, that took the risk.

Which one are you going to be?

Failure is Your Greatest Success – 6/1/26

Seriously, if you are able to fail. And I mean really go all out and still not win, you’re likely going to make it farther than many others in life.

On the key condition that you continue trying.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but power is the path of the pursuiter.

Those that don’t give up.

Regardless of how many tell them no. 

How many jobs they don’t get, how many tell them that they can’t, it may take a long time, but it’s best to ignore these type of comments, and to ignore the moments when your name doesn’t get put up on the varsity basketball team, or when you are listed as “backup actor” or whatever else it is that you are secretly so passionate about that risks life’s strongest embarrassment; failure.

But if you are able to fail, and I mean really fail.

After you do, if you take that as the strength to win, and motivate yourself to forget yesterday, forget last week, use that failure as a learning experience to improve your craft, get better at work, whatever it is. 

Then the rest is simply going to get easier.

Failure is like exposure therapy for future CEOs. And probably current.

I wouldn’t know as I myself are not one of those things. I’m simply a young writer with a willingness and devotion to fail. And to me, the words fail are synonymous to the word learn.

Don’t take my word for it, take rockstar Gene Simmons, who believes in the unrelenting quest for success, and on top of that, the acceptance that you will fail.

One of their very first reviews in a newspaper, and I’m paraphrasing here, said that “I hope the guys from KISS are putting their money away for the future, because they won’t be around for long.”

If Gene listened to that review, then the band would not have reached a modicum of success that they eventually attained, and boy did they prove that guy wrong.

So learn to fail. 

It will only get easier once you take that first step. You’ll start to seek out where you can fail next.

What did I get myself into now? – 5/31/26

These are the thoughts that ran through my head as I woke up this morning.

Processing that for three hundred sixty-five days I plan to post on this blog. 

Rain or shine. 

Happiness or sadness.

Sickness and health.

And that’s probably the best goal I could’ve made for myself.

And the scariest.

As I think about what’s next, I’ve prepared what’s to be posted for weeks ahead. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that now I HAVE to.

Regardless of what other people may think or have to say. My words can be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways, and whether or not people agree with them is no longer my problem. I think this is the issue that most run into, including myself.

What will others think?

Who am I to share an opinion?

What if it doesn’t work out?

Trust me, these are the questions I ask myself as I’m convincing my heart that it’s the right thing to write this. Or anything for that matter. 

Keep going.

Keep pushing.

Even if it’s bad, or seems like it doesn’t make enough sense. Just do the thing, and move on.

It’s certainly not easy. I’m realizing that today as for some reason my emotions take control, and I have a myriad of vices I could turn to. Not posting would be one of them. 

The comfort of the bed, the cushion of the couch, the negative thoughts that continue to sit in my head telling me; “who do you think you are?” The list goes on.

But I won’t let them overrun my goals. 

And you shouldn’t either.

Quality over quantity – 5/30/26

We’ve all heard this and know this.

What we don’t consider is how discouraging it can be to have to sift through the quantity to get to the quality.

But trust me, the payoff is greater than any paycheck you will ever receive. The realization when you come across a colleague or new friend that thinks and feels nearly exactly the same way you do.

And you begin to support each other, create memories, bond like nothing and no one before.

It’s incredibly inspiring to take your colander and sift through that quantity, because the quality is utterly addictive.

Keep on shaking off the ones that don’t match your level. Find your authentic crew, and discover your authentic self. The ones that support you, that cause you to rise to a level greater than you’d ever anticipate.

Quality over quantity, but it can be discouraging getting there. So don’t lose sight of the big picture, the people and things that resonate with you.

When you have an idea, get it out – 5/29/26

Write it down

Make it.

Present it.

That’s the number one thing I’ve learned from successful artists.

It’s not only to get the idea down on paper. But to get it out into the world.

Almost as soon as you can.

Because an idea, a story. Is a time capsule for who you are, and what you will become.

If you wait too long to get the ball rolling, you’ll be a completely different person six months to a year from now. You’ll have grown in ways you could not have predicted.

And you may not resonate with the idea, and inevitably it gets tossed aside.

There’s a certain amount of preparation and readiness that’s still required, so I understand wanting to do as much research until you feel confident enough to start.

But why don’t you use the act of doing as the learning process, creating with the intention to do better next time. 

Now you’ll have that experience to pull from. To learn from.

And to be better next time.