Take one

For me, this is a step into something absolutely terrifying. Why a blog? Because my goal of writing a book seemed a lofty goal for someone that currently has no audience. I’ve always feared putting out original content, whether it be music, poetry or simple thoughts. For what purpose? Who the hell am I? Why would or should anyone care? Well, what a lovely excuse to ensure that I forever remain comfortable by avoiding discomfort. Stepping into discomfort, through the help of listening to the wisdom of likes of Brené Brown, Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, Eckhart Tolle, Jocko Willink, Ryan Holiday, and the many great Stoics, has allowed me to grow exponentially in the past year. At the core of that growth is action. I’ve been known to quote quotes that were meaningful to me as a way to let people into what I believe or where I stand, and sure, there’s good in that. I turned 40 this past December, and I wouldn’t say that triggered some life crisis, but it did kick start what’s been eight months of rather deep reflection. With any luck, I’m at the midpoint of my life. I’m starting to consider mortality as a coming reality. My parents and in-laws are in the winter of their lives as are other relatives that always seemed to be older but naively timeless. I’ve witnessed the physical weakening and the body beginning to fail, but more importantly, I’ve seen that the lack of action only exacerbates the inevitable. As a result, accountability has become a priority in all areas of my life. My current mantra is: Reflection + Action = Normalized Accountability. I will do more with the time I have left, and I don’t want a future diagnosis or some unforeseen tragedy to be my catalyst for change. All I have to do is watch and listen to what’s around me to realize that there are valuable lessons to be learned from what others experience. And, what I know to be true, is that inaction – doing nothing while holding the expectation that something will change – leads to disappointment. Expectation is the root of disappointment.

“Reflection + Action = Normalized Accountability” – me