Hard Times Create Hard Men: Why We're Doomed to Repeat History "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana I often reference Marcus Aurelius in my newsletter because while he was not the first of my many historical mentors and teachers, he is one of the highest. The Richest People in History - Visual Capitalist As the ruler and emperor of Rome from 161-180 AD, he was not only one of, if not the, most powerful men on the planet, but his power was...
1 day ago • 12 min read
You Don't Need to Learn More, You Need to Apply More Over the years, I've come across so many martial artists. From those who did it years ago as a kid but never continued their training into adulthood all the way to the badass warriors who made martial arts training integral to their lives, training for years and decades on end. The most interesting group falls somewhere in the middle. The 4 Stages of Competence They dabble a little here and dabble a little there, never staying anywhere long...
1 day ago • 13 min read
The Power of Identity: How Your Words Shape Your Energy and Your Life One thing that I would see over and over again on the mat and on the construction jobsite is the power of words. Really! It was amazing to see someone either block themselves completely from being able to do something because of what they thought and said, and others who were the exact opposite—they were gung-ho about trying the craziest fucking shit and they would blow us all away by doing it! Then there were the middle...
2 days ago • 15 min read
The Keystone Habit That Changes Everything: Why One Good Habit Can Transform Your Life For anyone that has trained on the mat for any extended period of time, they've learned that what they do off of the mat matters as much, if not more, than what they do on the mat. One reason why I advocate for martial arts training is because it turned my life around. I was a "functioning" alcoholic—"only" drinking Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays. But boy, did I drink on those days, so much so that it...
3 days ago • 12 min read
The Iron Triangle: Why You Have Less Time Than You Think Life is short. We all know that but very few of us live in a way where we don't waste our most precious resource, time. Once gone, we can never get it back. Money will come and go; and you can always make more of it but for whatever reason, we seem to value money more than time, chasing one and wasting the other away. In construction I learned there's an Iron Triangle of time, money, and quality. You can only pick two at the expense of...
4 days ago • 13 min read
Stop Being the Deer in the Headlights: Why You Must Prepare for the Worst When you get down and think about it, martial arts training is nothing more than practicing and dealing with the worst things we imagined happening to us as kids—namely, getting punched, kicked, and thrown down to the ground. But that's exactly what makes it so powerful. It's what the Stoics called "premeditatio malorum" or, as we say today, negative visualization. It's why our military plays wargames and trains for...
5 days ago • 12 min read
It's Never Been Easier to Be Successful— That's Why Fewer People Are It's never been easier to be successful. Think about it: We have access to more information than at any point in human history. You can learn anything—absolutely anything—for free or nearly free. Want to start a business? There are thousands of courses, books, and YouTube videos. Want to get in shape? The best trainers in the world share their knowledge freely. Want to learn a skill? The masters are teaching online. So why...
6 days ago • 13 min read
When Good Enough Is Good Enough: The Perfectionist's Paradox When I was single, life was simple. I worked and worked out— going to the job site every morning, plying my skill as an electrician and working toward being a skilled craftsman (not just a journeyman). Then after work, after a quick shit, shower and shave, and a quick bite, I'd head to the dojang to get there around 3pm and have the place to myself to work on strikes (against the heavy bag and makiwara), techniques and breakfalls....
7 days ago • 14 min read
Stop Saying "Sorry": Why Apologies Without Action Are BS I learned this the hard way on the construction site and on the mat and I'm hoping by sharing this, you will avoid the pain I went through. People use the word "sorry" as a way to absolve themselves of responsibility. Sorry doesn't mean anything unless it creates a new set of behaviors and eliminates the need to apologize for the same error again. Do you know people who keep saying sorry for the same stuff? It's because you've given...
8 days ago • 13 min read