August 2023 is when I took up a new challenge: digging into some daily writing based on various thoughts I have as well as prompts from Ryan Holiday’s “The Daily Stoic”. It’s a worthwhile read, and I’ll definitely be talking about the process soon. Until then, here’s the short collection.
Aug 31, 2023
People are inherently good, just often misunderstood. However, it’s easy to be as hard on them as you are on yourself when you have your own sub-conscious expectations.
How much do those expectations really matter to the outside world, and how much just it just cloud your clarity?
What would the world be like without that muddled energy?
Aug 30, 2023
How often do we neglect what is vital in our lives, instead choosing to fall into step with what SEEMS important?
The perception of what is vital must also have some thought and calculation, not based solely on popularity, emotional drive, or for the prevention of idle hands.
While it seems crazy, how often have you avoided what was vital because of fear, or difficulty or what others would think. How many things have you done to keep busy instead of actively pursuing what your purpose really requires?
By not being true to ourselves, it keep us busy but not productive. Complacent and unfulfilled. Overworked but under accomplished.
Are you doing the work… or just keeping busy?
Aug 29, 2023
Did you ever work so incredibly hard for something that you WANTED, only to discover that when you GOT it, it just wasn’t that good?
But it was supposed to make you HAPPY, and instead you just feel less UNHAPPY? What went wrong?
It’s like the dog chasing its tail, what do you do with it when you catch it?
Hopefully, you discover that it isn’t about GETTING what you want, but the building of Tension that is created by the pursuit of a purpose. It’s the striving, the pursuit and build-up.
And this is where our society went wrong… and why so many people feel empty inside despite having all the things.
Getting the things became the goal, instead of the journey.
Aug 28, 2023
There’s the old saying, “Live below your means.”
This seems to be good advice that most never pay heed to. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a good life or enjoy the finer things in life. You just need to be mindful of the times we are in, and what they mean to your resources.
More possessions often feels good at the time, but if they are never enjoyed, what is the point?
Aug 27, 2023
How was your week?
Was there anything that made you upset? That made you feel anger or rage?
It’s quite the reaction in the body to feel these emotions deep in our physiology and very little good comes from them.
And while these feelings are very real, our minds are an incredible escalator for how we react to them… and how we hold onto them.
We actively make the choice to dwell on these feelings, regardless what is placed upon our bodies.
We can be so reactive that we forget that regardless of the insult, there is always something in the situation to laugh about.
It doesn’t need to be something big, maybe some ridiculousness of the situation. So if you had the choice, why choose anger?
Aug 26, 2023
What is the best part of entrepreneurship?
Simple… that it sucks.
It really, really does.
Until it doesn’t anymore.
Nobody has it easy right off the start, not without frustration, struggle, and discouragement. How do you even know was ease IS until you’ve faced these challenges?
If someone says it’s all easy, just follow your passion, they haven’t had success yet.
Aug 25, 2023
There’s nothing wrong with traditional values… except when they don’t work.
The same can be said for new ideas… not all can serve the time.
The skill comes in knowing which is appropriate at that time to help create positive change.
And this skill only comes from paying attention to the people around you. It simply doesn’t serve anyone to force something into action that confuses the world.
Aug 24, 2023
It’s quite often that I hear from people that they are stuck and discouraged in their struggles.
They get overwhelmed by different methods, conflicting ideologies and complete information overload.
They don’t want to make a mistake and choose poorly, and as a result, never get started.
So, what is the secret? What is the right thing?
There really isn’t one, besides making a choice and being consistent in the action and learning process. You must be an active participant, not just passively going through the movements and hoping something is going to magically happen.
After all, in the end all that matters is that you made a choice, moved along with it, and continued improving along the way.
Aug 23, 2023
“Did you do that Self-Care I suggested?” – 
“No, I was too busy…” – 
“Oh. Ok. Well, you aren’t going to DIE… so it’s not like it’s a BAD thing… but how does that sore area feel?” –
“It still hurts, therapy isn’t helping at all.” –
“Well, how do you think things would feel if you did that Self-Care I suggested?” –
“…” –
Yeah, it’s not a BAD thing if you didn’t follow the advice you received, but just think about how much better you’d FEEL if you DID do that Self-Care?
How much relief would you receive Physically and Mentally if you took the advice to heart?
There’s no sense in moralizing action or inaction. It’s all based you choices that have next to no impact socially. It’s all you… but we as therapists DO care…
But… Improper placement of morality is a terrible leverage for personal change.
Aug 22, 2023
Of all the things you choose to do today, some are more vital than others. And yet, we can still choose poorly on where we devote our energies.
But what makes some activities more vital than others? Who determines where we place our focus?
Well, you do of course. You have that power.
So when it comes to choosing which activities require our true attention, why would you choose those which are of little importance?
Why take your valuable time from family, health or purpose and place it on lesser things?
It makes no sense when you think about it logically but times like these are when we allow our emotions to rule.
And instant gratification is a low hanging fruit.
Aug 21, 2023
How much time and energy do you spend worrying about something that potentially can go wrong?
Why?
Do you think this gives you control?
Is it “just who you are?”
Or do you have some other story you tell yourself?
Regardless of the result, it may not be your preference, or it may be exactly what you hoped. Neither is bad, just a state of occurrence. The universe doesn’t care if it’s not to your liking.
So why expend the mental space on the worry of “what if?”
How does it make sense to do this?
It doesn’t serve your purpose, so focus on what you have at hand and continue on the journey.
Things will always work out. Eventually.
Aug 20, 2023
Society operates with set rules, laws and guidelines to uphold civilization.
These are often what we push back against, strive to break down and rise up as an affront to our freedom.
But even freedom comes with necessary boundaries, or it isn’t freedom. It’s anarchy.
Within our minds, however, we do not have the same boundaries. We are free to grow in greater depths and ranges.
This is an area that people fail to inwardly explore, as they are too wild about their perceived outward freedoms.
We never realize freedom comes from within.
Aug 19, 2023
The mantra for the overwhelmed is, “I don’t have enough time…”
How often does your life feel this way? Probably quite often.
Our lives are filled with distractions, all masterfully designed to grab your attention. We reach the end of the day and discover we have fallen short on our personal expectations.
Shame… embarrassment… excuses…
“We’re too busy!”
But unproductive… and the frantic desperation begins to overwhelm us until we shut down.
How do we prevent this?
Recentre.
Rebalance.
Refocus.
Create your plan.
And cut… cut… cut… the busywork from life.
Aug 18, 2023
Being Inspired is different than being Inspirational.
While both are a part of the entire experience of life, one is selfish and the other is selfless.
History repeats itself even in greatness, but only when the actual steps are taken to move forward. Being inspirational is the only way to create ripples in those around you.
So ask yourself, do you want to live someone else’s moment, or create your own? Do you want to create a movement?
Aug 17, 2023
Blame is wasted and misdirected energy.
And yet, it is also the path of least resistance.
It is so easy to put the blame of a failure on another, but how much more valuable would it be if you took the responsibility yourself?
What would you learn?
How would you grow?
And how quick could you change this failure into success from the lessons learned?
Aug 16, 2023
This is an exercise most people will never do… but you will, right?
Ask yourself, “What skills or thoughts do you possess that have provided you with an incredible advantage in life?”
Write them down.
Now, take note of the disadvantages you have in life, and do so honestly.
Finally, take some time to think about how you can turn those disadvantages into your greatest advantages.
What would be possible if you did this exercise?
Aug 15, 2023
Here’s the thing about personal virtue:
It isn’t about doing the right thing that one time.
It’s about creating a consistent behaviour that arises from a chosen personal philosophy of life.
It’s about doing those dependable actions Time and Time without pause simply because it’s what we do.
Over a lifetime of practice, it becomes less about making a choice and more about becoming an instinct.
Aug 14, 2023
Do you stand true to your personal virtues or do you waver from those convictions when they fit the conversation?
What is the reason for debating both sides of a belief? To create further debate? What purpose does it serve?
That is the problem with many people and their virtues, they shift and bend when challenged. They cave while under opposing pressure instead of defining their belief.
And sadly we all suffer from the inability to adequately stand ground.
Aug 13, 2023
Reason represents our personal philosophy to action and thought.
It gives us that unconscious feeling that guides us in decision making.
This innate intelligence is built upon the knowledge and experiences we acquire in life. So it requires growth.
When put to work towards our purpose, it can save us from quite a bit of trouble.
But only if we decide to put it to work.
Aug 12, 2023
We can get caught up in the idea of discovering something new and sharing it with the world.
What an unfair pressure to place upon oneself.
To prototype a new idea, thought or perspective is an incredibly rare occurrent. And in the search for something NEW we often walk past things that WORK.
As for most things in life, what’s more important: Something new, or something that works?
Perhaps the better question would be which one are you willing to put into consistent ACTION and achieve RESULTS.
Aug 11, 2023
Have an idea on how to improve the world?
Or maybe even something of smaller scope that can just make someone’s day a little bit easier?
Why not give it a try and put the theory into practice?
Chances are, it won’t be as simple as you had first thought. But wouldn’t that make it better, or at least more exciting? Wouldn’t it be worth putting more energy into it if you knew it was exciting?
Good things aren’t easy, but the steps you take through execution make it more valuable for your story.
Especially if it improves someone’s view of the world.
Aug 10, 2023
Perfectionism is a dangerous mindset as it can put a stop on progress.
It’s an all-or-nothing principle, or of it’s not done perfectly, I won’t even try.
When we look at things through this lens, it’s easy to get caught up on what the outcome may be. We forget the experience is in the process.
True Perfection comes from constantly improving and refining the work, not from doing it ideally a single time.
Aug 9, 2023
When something happens in life, how do you respond?
Do you take it at face value?
Or do you catastrophize the event, spiralling down into the endless possibilities of what COULD happen?
How is this helping?
All it provides is more needless worry, an unwanted drain on your mental calm.
Stay objective on the problem at hand and avoid digging deeper into the thought. Do you truly want to make a larger problem out of what you have?
Aug 8, 2023
Laozi has said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
That’s all that was said, not the specifics of how that step should be, nor that it had to be precise or perfect. Just start with a single step.
So many people are fearful of taking that first step:
– Maybe it’s the wrong TIME…
– Maybe it’s the wrong DIRECTION…
– Or maybe someone will LAUGH at me…
Take that first step to a new world or new experience, and work out the details later.
But be sure to take a friend…
Aug 7, 2023
The ability of having a good life and living well doesn’t come from following a step-by-step plan towards completion of a goal.
It doesn’t come from riches or high lifestyle.
Nor does it come from the simple life.
It comes from simply living well.
Aug 6, 2023
Steve Jobs was said to wield an incredible weapon: The Reality Distortion Field.
He possessed this innate mindset to convince himself, and those around him, to believe in almost anything. To put their trust in the dream.
It was said to change the proportion and scale of difficulty of a task and make the unsurmountable… surmountable.
The impossible… possible.
It was the belief that anything was doable, and you could almost feel the energy.
The world needs such power again.
Aug 5, 2023
We are ALL guilt of this:
Talking when we should be listening. The more we talk, the more we hinder the capacity of quality conversation.
Less is more when you want a conversation and it is amazing what comes from listening to what the other says.
A conversation is about collaboration after all.
Aug 4, 2023
Falling into the cycle of blame can be relieving at first, to feel free of the responsibility of your choices.
But it is self-destructive.
What does it accomplish besides more harsh memories that you can pass off as another’s responsibility.
Discard those emotions, keep the focus on your actions and raise up those who need the assuredness.
Aug 3, 2023
How often have we all said that we needed something to motivate us to begin creating our good life.
A place? A charm? A feeling? A quote?
All we truly need is the presence of the now, to know that we are in the good life… right now.
And to get to work on what we dream.
Aug 2, 2023
There are times when we feel trapped, unable to move, frozen in action.
These are the moments for self-reflection, for turning inward and working on the mind.
The mind is a powerful tool that needs to be honed for our own uses, for if left alone, it can tarnish, diminish, or even be used against us.
Aug 1, 2023
Perfection is the master form of procrastination.
Our egos can justify the necessity of doing things to perfection, for who wants to do a poor job?
But the reality is that it needs to be messy, and rough, and imperfect before it has a chance of being good.
Everything is a work in progress and perfection only comes upon refinement.
