Blog
Read Blog Posts by Category:
Passion: Articles that deal with the inner drive that we all need to want to MOVE from where we currently are to where we dream to be.
Preparation: These posts reference articles, books, documentaries, speakers, quotes, and other inspirational and formative ideas that I have found that helped me and the people around me.
Practice: Articles in this category have a heavy sports and performance training lean.
Performance: These articles focus on how you go about your work. From networking to communications to finding a better way to do what you do.
Perseverance: Articles in this category speak to the mechanics that we go through both mentally and physically to stay on track and not get STUCK.
Rebounding After a Setback
Things do not always go as planned. That is not a motivational phrase. That is reality. Plans break. Expectations fall apart. The future you thought you had already stepped into disappears without warning. In that moment, everything feels unstable, and the reality of what just happened begins to settle in.
What most people fail to understand is that the setback itself does not define the outcome. It is how long they choose to stay inside of it. Pain shows up whether you want it to or not. There is no negotiating with it, no avoiding it, and no shortcut around it. But suffering is something entirely different. Suffering is what happens when we decide to live in that pain long after the moment has passed.
There is a difference between getting hit and choosing to stay down. Most people do not lose in the moment. They lose in what they do after it.
Seeking a Challenged Life
Most people believe success creates separation. They believe that once they reach a certain level, they have built enough distance between themselves and everyone else that their position is secure. That belief is very comforting. It’s not only wrong, but it is, as Nick Saban says, “Rat Poison.
Success does not make you better. It removes the pressure that once forced you to improve. Early in a career or a relationship, challenge is unavoidable. The environment demands it. You are either getting better or you are getting exposed, and the consequences show up quickly enough that you cannot ignore them. That pressure to climb to the top sharpens your focus. It forces you to have greater attention to detail. It creates urgency around the way you prepare because there is no safety net to fall back on.
Once success arrives, you think the world changes. Your status is secured. The results are in the books or in the trophy case. The urgency that once drove you is no longer being applied. At that point, everything becomes a choice. And most people are not nearly as disciplined in their choices as they were in their drive to success. They begin to rely on what has already worked instead of continuing to set the edge in the profession. They protect their position instead of challenging themselves to climb higher.
That is where things begin to fall apart.
Chasing the Feeling: Why Direction Is Everything
Every human being is wired to chase a feeling. That drive shows up early in life and never fully disappears. Some people chase relief, others chase validation, others chase mastery or escape, but the underlying mechanism is the same. The brain learns what produces a sense of reward and reinforces it. Over time, that reinforcement becomes behavior, and behavior becomes identity.
This is where most conversations about addiction and success go wrong. They are treated as moral opposites, with one framed as failure and the other as achievement. In reality, they share the same neurological foundation. Dopamine does not distinguish between a substance and a result. It only responds to repetition and reward. What separates destructive patterns from productive ones is not chemistry, but direction.
Understanding that distinction matters because it reframes intensity. Intensity itself is not dangerous. Untrained intensity is.
The Most Dangerous Lie: “Next Year Will Be Different”
Every December, people build their hope on the same fragile promise. They tell themselves that next year will be different. They believe the calendar will do what their character has not done. They imagine that when the ball drops and the clock resets, they will suddenly think clearer, work harder, and become more disciplined.
The problem is simple. The year is not the issue. The person walking into that year is.
Bet on Yourself: The Ultimate Act of Self-Confidence
Every year, when the Kentucky Derby comes and goes, it reminds me of a conversation I had last May with a man I respected, who was talented, capable, and carrying far more potential than he realized. What started as a simple talk about betting turned into something much deeper about self-belief, risk, and the courage to own your future. That moment stayed with me because it revealed something I’ve seen in thousands of people over the years: they will bet on anything … luck, circumstance, someone else’s decision; before they ever consider betting on themselves.
Preparation Disguised as Pain
Every leader eventually faces a season where everything they’ve relied on stops working. The strategy that once brought success falters. The habits that once produced momentum stall. We want growth to be smooth and success to make sense, but real development rarely happens in comfort. The truth is, pain often arrives dressed as preparation. The weight you’re cursing might be the very resistance building what ease never could.
Anchors vs. Sails: Culture and Life
Every team, every business, every person carries two forces: drag and drive. Drag slows you when the wind is perfect. Drive moves you when the wind is dead. The truth is, most organizations don’t fail for lack of talent. Most people don’t fail because of lack of ambition. They fail because they quietly add anchors to their lives and wonder why they aren’t moving.
Anchors and sails are more than metaphors for culture. They’re daily realities, choices you bolt onto the hull of your team, and choices you bolt onto the hull of your own life. And here’s the deeper truth: not all anchors and sails are the same. Some protect you. Some destroy you. Some sails drive you forward. Others blow you wildly off course.
The Power to Rise When the Ground Breaks
Everyone loves to talk about resilience—until they actually have to live it. It sounds good in a meeting, looks inspiring on a poster, but in practice, resilience is ugly. It’s scraped knees, sleepless nights, and the quiet grind of showing up again after failure just knocked the wind out of you.
Resilience isn’t optimism. Optimism says, “It’ll be fine.” Resilience says, “Even if it’s not fine, I’ll find a way through.” Optimism looks for a silver lining. Resilience forges one out of fire. It doesn’t deny pain. It doesn’t escape struggle. It uses both as fuel to keep moving when everything else says stop.
Self-Discipline: The Standard That Builds Everything Else
Motivation gets you moving. Excitement gets you started. But neither lasts. They fade the moment the grind begins. The separator—the trait that holds everything together when the spark is gone—is self-discipline.
Self-discipline is the refusal to compromise with excuses. It’s the ability to keep your commitments long after the mood you made them in has disappeared. It’s not about punishment or perfection. It’s about consistency when it would be easier to coast, about living by standards instead of feelings. Without it, nothing else matters. With it, you can outlast talent, outpace comfort, and outwork doubt.
Dualism: Triggers vs. Glimmers: What Are You Really Training Your Mind to Find?
We’ve all heard the word trigger thrown around like a buzzer waiting to go off. Triggers are the things that knock us off balance, ignite old wounds, or set our nervous system into high alert. Most people know their triggers—at least the obvious ones. Deadlines. Criticism. The sound of a whistle that reminds them of a coach who broke them instead of built them. The email that hits their inbox with just the right subject line to ruin their day.
What we don’t talk about enough is the other side of the equation.
Glimmers.
I came across this idea recently while I was doing research on relieving anxiety for one of my clients. It hit different—not because it was flashy, but because it was true. Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. They’re the moments that pull you back to center. The subtle, barely-noticeable cues that tell your nervous system, you’re okay here. That you’re safe, grounded, connected. The world didn’t just get perfect—but for this one breath, it didn’t need to be.
That’s a glimmer.
Mental Health vs. Mental Toughness: You Need Both
We’ve been sold a lie.
That mental health and mental toughness are opposites. You’re either honest about your feelings or relentless about what you do. That’s false. You need both. Mental health is your foundation. Mental toughness is your forward motion. Without one, the other crumbles. Without both, you break.
Bouncing Back: Overcoming Adversity
Life is challenging, filled with good times and bad, and no one is immune to this. While the highs are memorable, the challenging lows often test our strength and resolve. Overcoming adversity and building resilience are essential skills that allow us to work through life’s inevitable hardships gracefully.
Navigating Chaos with Grace: The Indomitable Spirit of Three Remarkable Women
Life can be a rollercoaster ride filled with ups, downs, twists, and turns. Each of us faces struggles, whether personal, professional, or familial. Today, I want to shine a light on three incredible women who embody resilience and illustrate the superpower of resilience. From a talented clown who brings joy, a former assistant battling cancer, and a dedicated bodybuilder facing family health challenges, these stories remind us that even the strongest among us sometimes struggle.
Invest in Positive Relationships
Have you ever walked away from a conversation feeling more exhausted than when you entered? Or perhaps you've found yourself dreading interactions with certain people in your life. It’s time to take a step back and reevaluate the relationships we invest our time and energy into. Life is too short to spend it with individuals who drain our spirit!
The Myth of Either / Or: Embracing Parenthood and Professional Excellence
We’ve been lied to. A subtle, insidious lie that whispers in our ears: "You can either be a great parent or be great at your job." Pick one." This false dichotomy has haunted countless mothers and fathers, creating a constant tug-of-war between career aspirations and the love for their children. But what if I told you that you DON’T have to choose? What if excelling in both realms is not only possible but also profoundly enriching?
Ring The Bell EVERY DAY!
At many cancer treatment facilities, a simple but very powerful tradition marks a pivotal moment in a patient’s journey: ringing the bell at the end of treatment. This act signifies more than just the conclusion of chemotherapy; it embodies relief from daily struggles, an accomplishment against overwhelming odds, a tribute to all those who gave their energy and support, and hope for the future.
Kevin sent me a picture of him ringing the bell. That was a great moment. I sent him a message a week later asking “if he had rung his bell yet.” He responded that he had already rung the bell and reminded me that he had sent me the picture. I said, “I remember, but did you ring your bell for today?” It took a minute, but he finally understood my meaning.
The Power of the (Under) DOG!
History has repeatedly shown us that the underdog can rise to greatness against all odds in a world that often glorifies size, status, and superiority. From legendary battles to unexpected political outcomes, tales of the unlikely victor inspire us to believe in our potential and capabilities. Powerful examples are all around us where the underdog defied expectations, demonstrating that being smaller or less favored doesn’t mean defeat. Instead, it can serve as the launching point for remarkable strength and resilience.
The Advantages of Age
Getting older is often viewed with fear and negativity. We are surrounded by images of youth and beauty, leading many of us to worry about the inevitable passage of time. Let me give you a different point of view: Aging is not a curse but a privilege. The gift of getting older allows us to accumulate knowledge, gain perspective, and forge unforgettable memories. Embracing the aging journey can make us stronger and enable us to live a life of excitement and enjoyment.
Success Has Its Own Schedule
Those driven to success will find themselves caught in a constant race toward milestones. When I was 8 years old, I told Nate Low I would win a Super Bowl. If success were on our schedule, I would have won one in my 20s, not when I was almost 50. John Wayne wouldn’t have had to wait until he was 62 to win his only Academy Award. Bruce Springsteen, who has sung his heart out for over 50 years, would have had at least one song make it to number one.
Success is one fickle bitch!
Moving On: It’s Okay to Outgrow People
Are you still friends with people you were friends with five years ago or ten years ago? Why not?
Growth isn’t always linear; it can be messy and unpredictable. We may evolve in different directions from friends or family members who were once the most essential parts of our lives. This divergence doesn’t necessarily signify a failure in those relationships but indicates individual paths moving in different directions.