A New Year's Pep Talk

And some updates about what's to come

Happy New Year Substack readers!

I hope this message finds you feeling optimistic and excited about the year to come. My feelings around the New Year have changed over time. When I was younger, I would think things like, “Oh, I hope x or y happens this year,” without any tangible sense of how to make it happen. As I grew up and learned that you have to work for the things you want, I would think things like, “I want to stick to x or y plan and get things done this year.” Now, after living through some of the most unpredictable and surreal years of my life, I move into each new phase with a different sentiment: May I have the strength and humility to honor my principles through adversity and, most of all, enjoy the journey. 

We can view obstacles as dark clouds we want to go away, or we can view them as a child looks at a jungle gym, like a playground to be explored. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing there’s some grand order and that we’re being punished when things don’t go our way, but the reality is, we’re not that special. Reality just exists. People are doing their thing. And 99% of the time, whether we win or lose, feel accepted or rejected, it’s not personal. So we can choose to enjoy the fight, the flaws, the falls, and the failures, or we can resist reality and drown in our own misery and judgment.

I know. It sounds like a fortune cookie: “Reality is not the enemy. You are.” But it’s true. 

This year, my focus is on choosing to enjoy the fight. I use the word “fight” intentionally because, while it feels warm and fuzzy to think we can get to a place in life where everything is easy and just flows, we are not programmed that way and, let’s face it, that’s boring. Feeling alive requires walking towards the abyss. It requires trusting yourself that no matter what problems you face, you’ll figure it out. And it requires action. I used to think elite athletes must be wired wrong, to enjoy the pain of pushing themselves to the limits. You know, those ones you see smiling through cracked and bleeding lips on the third day of an ultramarathon. And that may be true for some, but for most, it’s what’s beyond the pain. It’s the rush of knowing you can endure, you can overcome, you can count on yourself, and, best of all, you can smile no matter what.

My final thought in what has turned out to be a mini pep talk is not to stress over whether your battles seem big or benign. It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to run marathons or win awards to push yourself and grow. Sometimes overcoming the small tests is what prepares you for the big ones, and sometimes small tests can be deceiving; like an iceberg, they can run deep. Whether it’s being quick to anger over petty things or worrying about what people think, focus on little wins. Push yourself in seemingly small ways. You may find the cumulative impact of small, positive changes is exponential.

Okay, back to my day job writing motivational quotes for corporate training manuals (just kidding, I wish). 

Some updates to my Substack

First, I want to thank you all for subscribing! I appreciate your support and your feedback. I’m always looking for ways to improve and provide more value.

One of the ways I’m improving is I will be starting a weekly Q & A feature (starting tomorrow!) for paid subscribers, where I will answer questions from readers. You can ask about literally anything and I’ll do my best to answer. Priority will be given to questions from paid subscribers, but feel free to ask your questions in the comments, as I may like it enough to respond.

Also, here are some the topics you can expect me to write about in future articles:

• How divisive media narratives affect our lives and what we can do about it

• Implications and ethics around advancements in AI

• Experiences within the criminal justice system and why everyone should care

• My personal stories, reactions, and thoughts about whatever comes up

If there is a topic or news story you’d like me to comment on, feel free to let me know. I follow most mainstream narratives, but there are undoubtedly important ones that I miss.

If you’d like to see personal updates in video format, you can also join my Locals community. There will be some content overlap, but not entirely. If you’re a paid subscriber here, I’ll be happy to upgrade yours over there free of charge.

Be well! More to come…