The Survival Spectrum: Why Some Succeed, Some Survive, and Others Perish The "Left of Bang" Advantage in a Dangerous World "It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war." "It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in war." - Ancient Proverb In a world where disruption has become the only constant, humanity has split into three distinct categories: those who succeed and thrive those who barely survive those who don't survive at all The difference between...
2 days ago • 14 min read
The Inner Muse Rebellion: Why “Successful” People Are Secretly Miserable (And How to Escape the Happiness Trap) “The most powerful weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” - William James My buddy David and I have been working through Steven Pressfield’s Black Irish Jab books to help us become better writers. This week, we tackled one of his booklets, “Why Write?”—and what we discovered cuts to the heart of why most people are fundamentally unhappy, even when...
3 days ago • 13 min read
The Warriors of Truth: How Comedians Became Our Most Fearless Cultural Critics “Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke.” - Steve Martin Growing up in Hawaii, I was blessed with exposure to comedians who understood something profound about human nature: laughter is the fastest way to disarm defensiveness and open minds to uncomfortable truths. Frank DeLima, Andy Bumatai, and Rap Reiplinger didn’t just tell jokes—they held up mirrors to our multicultural island...
4 days ago • 10 min read
The Environment Equation: Why Your Location Determines Your Destination (And How Ancient Wisdom Beats Modern Willpower) “Environment is stronger than will.” - Paramahansa Yogananda There’s a fundamental equation that most people get backwards: Environment > Willpower While we obsess over motivation, discipline, and mental toughness, we ignore the most powerful force shaping our daily choices, energy levels, and ultimate success. Don’t surround yourself with idiots, laziness, and low...
5 days ago • 9 min read
Breaking the Herd Mentality: Why Standing Out is the New Survival Strategy Most people spend their careers blending into the background, following the herd, and then wondering why they never seem to get ahead. I would see this everyday on the construction site and yes, even on the martial arts mat. They clock in, do the minimum required work, and clock out, then wonder why promotions pass them by and opportunities seem to go to others. The truth is, they’re operating on outdated programming...
6 days ago • 9 min read
The Multi-Generational Battleground: How to Lead Across the New Lines of Division “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” - Martin Luther King Jr. The battle lines of power have shifted. While we’ve spent decades focused on divisions of race, religion, and nationality, a new form of tribal warfare has emerged that cuts deeper into the fabric of society: generational division. One BIG family of Boomer, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen...
7 days ago • 8 min read
The Shadow Side of the Dojo: Confronting Misogyny and Creating True Safety on the Mat “You have to feel safe to be willing to be uncomfortable.” - Shelby York For over 40 years, I’ve been telling people to get on the mat and train. I’ve praised martial arts as the ultimate character forge, the fastest path to joining society’s top 20%, and a sacred space for practicing controlled violence. All of that remains true. But I have a confession to make: There’s a shadow side to the dojo that I...
8 days ago • 10 min read
The Bee’s Guide to Innovation: Why the 20% Rebels Do to Keep the 80% Alive (And What Leaders Must Learn From the Hive) “It is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” - Ancient Entrepreneur’s Creed I was watching a YouTube channel about marketing when a title stopped me cold: “Why Every System Needs Rulebreakers.” As someone who’s spent decades advocating that it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission, I had to click. What I discovered was a profound lesson about...
9 days ago • 8 min read
The Masterpiece Paradox: Why Daily Reps Beat Perfect Plans (And the 70/20/10 Rule That Changes Everything) “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” - Stephen McCranie I have a confession to make. And I’m sorry/not sorry about it: I’ve been flooding your inbox with daily articles every day for almost two years, and I know what you might be thinking, “Does this guy think I have nothing better to do than read his stuff?!?” Here’s the truth: while I genuinely want to...
10 days ago • 9 min read