There’s a button in WordPress that initiates a new post. And another that publishes it.
That’s a clear and practical metaphor for what we do, all day, every day.
The ‘post’ of our action or inaction might seem trivial, but it’s a post nonetheless. Layer by layer, actions and interactions leave a trail behind.
When we post with intention, we create a pattern that begins to create a structure and a narrative we’re pleased with. “That doesn’t sound like me,” is a useful way to stay on track.
What are your planned posts for today?
September 15, 2025
In an oft-quoted speech, Winston Churchill said:
Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
The problem with this advice is that it means we spend an enormous amount of time in senseless battles with senseless folks who are also following this advice.
In a community, perhaps it makes more sense to only have battles about honour and good sense. In everything else, sure, give in. It’ll help you focus on what really matters.
September 14, 2025
Worth noting that there’s no ‘w’ in reckless. We imagine there might be, since a wreck is entirely possible.
There’s the recklessness of creative generosity. This happens when we show up with our best work, regardless of how it might feel if it doesn’t land with the desired audience.
The recklessness of financial abandon. No budgets, no backup plans. This can feel like commitment, but it’s often a trap.
The recklessness of connection. When we stop holding back and find someone (or something) that is worth our full focus, attention and commitment.
The recklessness of being in love.
The recklessness of radical honesty. When we choose to speak our deepest truths, knowing they might backfire, and yet it’s still worth it.
The recklessness of unlearning. When we deliberately dismantle our carefully constructed expertise and certainties to make space for new ways of seeing and being.
The recklessness of solitude. When we step away from the constant hum of connection and productivity, daring to sit with ourselves in complete silence.
And the recklessness of joy. When we allow ourselves to feel and express unbridled delight in a world that often expects measured restraint and cynical distance.
September 13, 2025
It’s easy to announce that we don’t have time for a new skill or a generous act.
But the truth is we probably could find the time. What we don’t have is energy or motivation.
Find that and you’ll probably find the time.
September 12, 2025
A frog has no trouble grabbing a fast-moving fly in midair.
But the same fly, sitting on a leaf, is safe, essentially invisible to the frog.
We’re a lot like frogs sometimes. We choose to pay attention to things when they’re changing, not when they feel normal.
If you want something to get noticed, move it.
And if you want to improve your situation, try looking for things that aren’t moving, but could be improved.
September 11, 2025
If you’re going to build a conference, a newsletter, a podcast, an AI service or even a tennis tournament, please pause before you decide to be ad supported. (Ads are not the same as sponsorship).
When you work for advertisers, you’re focused on short-term interactions with people who relentlessly measure all the things you and your actual users don’t care about.
When we choose our customers, we choose our future. Advertisers are fickle and self-absorbed customers. They’re happy to demand more of the things your users don’t want, and will do so until your users leave, and then they’ll abandon you.
Sure, it might take longer to find the users who are willing to also be paying customers, but the short-term thrill of selling an ad contract might be a trap.
Build something your users are willing to pay for. Then you can focus all your energy on what they want and offer it to them. When your users are your customers, every decision is easier.
September 10, 2025
…might not be the same as making an impact.
Making a point doesn’t take very long and it can be gratifying in the moment. Making an impact happens over time, and rarely brings the same sort of short-term glee.
September 9, 2025
Everyone is always doing their best.
Given their situation, priorities, and awareness (the circumstances), people make choices.
If we want to change how others respond, we need to change their circumstances and how they see their options.
September 8, 2025
Often, the things we want the most aren’t directly related to the things we need.
In fact, they might be very similar to things we already have.
Wants are fueled by stories, and stories come from culture and connection and marketing, not from our actual physical or spiritual needs.
September 7, 2025
Don’t play games you can’t win.
If the deck is stacked against you, a smart option is to go to a different table and play with a different deck.
The dominant system wants you to wait to get picked. It indoctrinates people, again and again, in accepting its hegemony and insight and wisdom, so that we judge ourselves instead of the system.
If the system were fair and wise, this would be fine. But it might not be.
If you’re waiting to get picked by a famous college or a big company or the music industry, you might end up waiting a very long time. Of course, that’s what schooling taught you to do. The lessons run deep.
There’s often an alternative, one that walks away from the insulation, comfort and deniability the system offers.
You can build your own system.
There’s a long history of musicians, from traveling folk singers to the Grateful Dead, building their own followings and walking away from MTV and the radio.
There are plenty of examples of committed students who took a gap year (or two or six) and built something that mattered.
Non-profit leaders who refuse to succumb to galas or mass appeal can build projects of significance with a surprisingly small base of supporters.
Entrepreneurs and freelancers who deliver value instead of looking for a job. Not for everyone, but for someone.
You’re probably not going to end up with a million followers by adhering to the rules of the algorithm. But that’s okay, because you don’t need a million followers to make a difference.
September 6, 2025
