Going to have a little bit different of a style of a newsletter today. I’ve been trying to find some sort of structure for myself that makes it easier to put these out consistently - so below you will find:

1) A thought/Idea/Story from me
2) A thought from someone else
3) A question for you to think about.

So lets get into it.

1) A little story from yesterday

Yesterday a took a quick trip to the store - or what was supposed to be a quick trip. I was just heading to the corner store which is a 3 minute drive away to get a bottle of water because we ran out at the house (and no I'm not drinking fuckin tap water). On the way back I see this lineup of cars trying to get through this gate into the community we're in.

Fuck

10pm

Traffic at the gate

Instantly I got frustrated and angry because this is looking like I'm gonna be sitting here trying to get back home for like 20 minutes

Somehow in the 5 minutes I've been gone the gate got clogged with cars and each car is going in one by one with each car waiting for the gate to close before re opening it (and this gate is frustratingly slow).

I just wanted to make a quick trip to the store, grab some water, and chill for the extremely minimal time I give myself to chill during the week.

I'm frustrated.

I pull out my phone and text Alisha. She asks if I'm ok (even through text she can feel the frustration).

I instantly responded with "Just annoyed".

In that moment I reached into my pocket and grabbed a coin I purchased earlier in the week

I felt the grooves and the markings with my thumb and index finger

Then I let it go

I pulled out my phone again and texted Alisha a second time...

"Nevermind, I'm good"

Then I sat back, turned up my music, and enjoyed my time alone until I got home.

A transfer of Energy

The coin(s) I'm talking about have some inscriptions on them.

They both read "Memento Mori" which means "remember you must die" and one of them has a quote on the other side:

"You could leave life right now - let that determine what you do and say and think"

I purchased these for a very specific reason because I find myself in situations like this often - as lots of people do

I wanted to have something tangible that could bring my back into the mind space I try so hard to stay in.

Something that when I find myself getting angry in a situation outside of my control I can look at or touch that reminds me that even these things we get angry at or frustrated with are blessings...

Because one day we won't be here to experience them any longer

And although we can't control the things that happen to or around us..

We can control how we respond to them.

Focus on what's in your control

Next time you find yourself in a similar situation with something that's out of your control - try to consciously bring yourself back.

The moment you allow external things to anger or frustrate you - you transfer power from yourself to them.

They now control you.

They control how you feel and how you act.

You've given them dominion over you.

Kind of silly right? To give such power away to other people or things.

Take control of yourself and understand that nothing in this world can take that power from you.

You have to willingly hand it over

And if you can control how you react to things you can't control properly you will always keep that power within yourself.

2) A Thought From Someone Else

“Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment.” - Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl's story is amazing. Both heartbreaking and inspiring (I won't spoil anything but if you're interested his book Man’s Search for Meaning is fantastic) - but what he's saying here is that we have the ability to choose who or what we want to be at any given moment - No matter our circumstances. The actions we take daily show and prove to ourselves and the world who we want to be.

3) A Question for you

What sort of person do you most want to be in life? What do you really want your life to stand for and represent?

I think questions like this are good to reflect back on here and there. We tend to get so caught up in the day-to-day bullshit that we sometimes forget to look internally and do a double-take to make sure we're heading down the right paths to our ideal selves.

I'm interested in your guys answers as well - if you feel like responding to this email I'd love to read them.

If you liked my bullshit at all please subscribe, share, or forward to someone else you think may enjoy it. Every share helps.

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