Started a new lap around the sun today, chef.
Doesn’t really feel like I’ve been on the earth for as long as I have. Feels more like the adventure just got started.
I can’t think over the past few months without seeing my life as very, very full. I get to spend my day doing work I enjoy. Sometimes that takes me to fascinating places to hear people’s stories. Sometimes I get to speak. Perform. I get to come home to play with my kids who are literal miracles. I get to play with old friends. New friends.
I’m an enthusiast with constant wanderlust, but it’s been a lot harder to *want* things when life looks like this.
I’ll still take invitations on trips and babysitting offers, though!
Notes on storytelling, life, adventure, and other things
When you travel somewhere, learn 12-15 phrases. That’s so few, anyone can do it, but it makes the experience wayyyyy better. So worth the effort.
Sometimes you have to tell the kids “sorry, I can’t right now, I’m busy,” but try and watch the ratio that they hear that versus “yeah, I have time for you right now!” Playing with Hot Wheels for as little as 2-3 minutes counts! At least at this age, it can be this simple.
There’s a reason why your work has brought you closer to both nature and culture. Those two go together. Always.
Don’t be so hungry for explanations that you miss out on experiences.
Bring a brick, not a cathedral. Don’t try and hit a home run every at bat. There are better ways to contribute to a team than trying to do it ALLLLL.
Do more things that aren’t for the sake of your next project, to get to the next level, or to create future opportunities. Do more things because they’re worth doing, just because.
There’s something really special about watching your team go on a run and succeed. Ride that enthusiasm.
Take more friend trips. Friendships, especially the older ones, matter so much, and the American adult life really only gives you so much time together. New places set up new memories. (Also things are still a struggle, but don’t forget your friends are nowhere near as broke as you all were fresh outta college.)
If you want to get to know a place real well, visit the market.
Spend as much time as you can outside. Note when you’re doing something inside that could be done in the open air. Pay attention to the obstacles. Can they be solved with something as simple as a jacket, an outdoor bench, or rearranging the deck furniture to get shade?
Curiosity is a healthy relationship with the unknown.
Being close to God humbles ya. When that experience is deep and real, it makes it impossible to feel superior or judge others.
Storytelling takes space. It’s not just about doing non-stop things that sound interesting, but seeing things more deeply.
Too many people go through life feeling unseen. Every now and then, show someone over-the-top enthusiasm that they exist.
Tell stories from the ego, and you shut people off. Tell stories from the heart, and people connect.
Even if you get an exceptionally long lifespan, the life you experience today has a very short shelf life. People move, routines change, and settings evolve very quickly. Let it go as slowly as you can and take it all in.
The natural world is a playground, a classroom, an adventure, and a sanctuary.
It doesn’t take much to stop and accept my kids’ invitation to play for five minutes (or less!), before going back to my inbox. I might not be able to say yes every time, but if my yeses can far outweigh my nos, it’ll really help avoid the impression that dad is always too busy or tired.
When setting a vision, verbs beat nouns. Not, “what title do I want?” but “what would I love to do over and over?”
Pay attention to what your people are doing. Releasing albums? A show this weekend? Creating content about stuff that gets them excited? It costs nothing to be a hype-man for five minutes. Repost them on social. Send a text to ask how it’s been going.
You can live with lightness and it’ll still leave a mark.
