​I recently came across a hilarious, if not useful, analogy for living a good life:

Treat your week like a 7-game series. You just need to win 4.

In my twenties, it was far easier to set a lofty goal: a 30-day diet, a marathon, a daily meditation practice, etc., and have that carry me through the weeks and months ahead, like an athlete setting an intention for the upcoming season.

But once my daughter entered the picture, my mindset had to shift from getting through the season to focusing on each possession. Diaper, bottle, naptime, tantrum, repeat. The idea of any sort of “30-day challenge” instantly became laughable (although I still tried…).

I had to resign to the fact that I could no longer expect a “perfect” week. In reality, you just need four decent days to build some momentum.

And if we’re being honest, Sunday and Monday are probably gonna be losses. Friday and Saturday are hopefully wins. So now you’re really just looking to steal two games somewhere between Tuesday and Thursday.

Win those, and you advance.

Lose the series, and… congratulations, you still get another one next week.

It reminds me of Brian Regan’s bit about sports reporters asking, “Would you consider this a must-win game?” I wish they would answer it honestly, he says. “No. We can lose tonight… We can lose tomorrow night, too! We don’t want to, but that wasn’t your question. If you’d ever taken a rudimentary math class…”

It seems like such a ridiculous way to lower expectations, but I think I got myself into a rut because I was putting pressure on myself to go 7-0 every week. Just win four and advance.

h/t @lookachofee

You may have noticed my recent turn toward Christianity. Don’t worry, I’m not turning into some Bible-thumbing Jesus freak. But I am more curious than ever, so consider this me following that curiosity wherever it leads.

I’ve felt a pull. Call it intuition, call it God, call it something I can’t quite explain yet. Either way, it’s been strong enough that I can’t ignore it.

So it felt a little weird when I walked past the Little Free Library in my neighborhood. I’ve passed it a hundred times and never once found anything worth grabbing. But this time, a book with the title Rediscover Jesus was staring me right in the face.
I almost kept walking. But something told me not to.

I felt like it was a sign that I had to start reading it immediately. The book is filled with short, but powerful chapters that can be read in 5 mins or less, that provide a little jolt to start your day and also make you uncomfortable... in a good way. I

What I appreciated most is how approachable it is. As someone new (or newly returning) to faith, I’m always bracing for the moment where things start to feel preachy or over the top. That moment never really came.

If anything, the book reframes Christianity in a way I hadn’t fully considered before. Growing up Catholic, faith often felt more like a ritual than a relationship. Show up, follow along, repeat. But this book makes a strong case that the whole thing is supposed to be personal.

I flew through the book, partly because it’s designed that way, but also because it felt like I was being pulled through it. Not by the writing, but by the questions it leaves you with after you close it.

“The test of beauty is not that it is perfect, but that it always attracts.” — Alice Rollins

“It’s easier to act yourself into new ways of thinking than to think yourself into new ways of acting.” — Oliver Burkeman

“A GOOD plan, violently executed NOW, is better than a PERFECT plan NEXT WEEK.” — General George S. Patton

“If I had to give a piece of advice to a young man about a place to live, I think I should say, ‘sacrifice almost everything to live where you can be near your friends.’” — C.S. Lewis

h/t 05jha

Steve Weatherford was an NFL punter who won the 2011 Super Bowl with my New York Giants - one of the best days of my life. And what should have been one of the best days of his own life as well. But like many successful people who reach the top, Steve Weatherford found himself emptier than ever.

In this discussion with Ken Rideout, Steve shares his journey from a driven, insecure kid chasing approval through sports to becoming one of the best in the world. He opens up about the parts of his life most people never see: childhood trauma, ADHD and rejection, sexual abuse, and the early roots of addiction.

This is a conversation about chasing validation, the dark side of achievement, and the realization that winning doesn’t always feel like winning. It’s also about rebuilding—faith, family, fatherhood, and learning to live with purpose instead of proving something.

Don’t sleep on Alien Ant Farm. This song takes me back to those early 2000’s skate punk days.

Thanks for reading!