Good morning Reader—
And welcome to the seventh issue of The FAM. We’re taking a moment to pause and have a heart-to-heart conversation this Sunday morning.
I feel the need to speak directly from my heart today. To you Reader—the human being reading this with your coffee in hand, maybe scrolling your notifications before the day begins.
Because if you’ve been feeling that quiet ache inside—the kind that says, “I’m tired, but I still care deeply… I want more, but I’m not sure what that means anymore.”
You’re not alone. In fact, you’re exactly who this letter and The FAM is for.
When we launched The FAM newsletter, we hoped to reach people like you. But we didn’t just hope—you showed up. You subscribed. And you were generous and took a moment to tell us what’s really going on in your life. And for that, I want to say thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart. I am honored that you’ve shared a piece of you, and the things you’re facing, with us.
Actually, I’m blown away by the honesty, transparency, and heart-felt conversation that is taking shape.
You and the hundreds of others told us:
- “I’m out of gas, running on empty.”
- “I’m tired of being tired.”
- “I never take time for me.”
- “I’m wondering if I am living my fullest life?”
- “I’m working on getting unstuck.”
- “Am I doing the right thing or enough, I just don’t know.”
- “How do I align my career with my personal values?”
- “How do I successfully juggle it everything on my plate?”
- “What is this balance supposed to look like? Family? Work?”
- “How do I provide for the family and be present for them?”
- “Am I doing what’s needed to leave the right legacy?”
- “I’m just going thru the motions, checking all the boxes.”
- “I’m dreaming of the ‘more’ that I know is waiting for me.”
- And simply, but not so simple, “What’s next?”
And I have to tell you, reading your words felt like looking in the mirror.
Because, honestly, I’ve been there too. Most recently…
During the We Supply America tour, I was on the road creating documentaries and celebrating the incredible humans behind our nation’s essential industries. From the outside, I looked like a man on a mission—alive, inspired, driven. But behind the scenes? I was unraveling. Every night alone in that RV, I felt the exhaustion seep in. I began to wonder – too often with a double IPA in hand: Am I still living with purpose, or just getting by? Just keeping my head above water?
I was showing up for everyone else. But inside, I was fading. I didn’t feel what I was portraying on the outside.
And I feel this in so many of your responses too.
It wasn’t until I gave myself permission to start with me—to prioritize my own well-being, my own clarity, my own aliveness… that’s when things began to change.
And let me be honest: it didn’t feel natural. It felt… selfish. But it wasn’t. It isn’t.
Starting with yourself is sacred.
Over the past few years, I’ve worked harder on myself than I ever have. Not to succeed. Not to prove. But to quiet the storm in my mind and rediscover the joy of each day.
That looked like:
- Immersing myself in a 12-month commitment to forge the strongest, clearest, most grounded version of myself.
- Studying over 100 books on personal growth, ancient wisdom, modern psychology, and leadership—and applying the best of that wisdom in my own life.
- Meeting every Monday—with my philosophy guide, Athens John—to wrestle with the deepest questions of meaning, virtue, and becoming.
- Walking the ancient paths of Athens, retracing the steps of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle—not as a tourist, but as a seeker.
- Journaling daily—not to document, but to direct my life with intention. To reflect. To re-center.
- Declaring every day: “I DECIDE to live fully alive.” And in doing so, slowly creating what I’d lost: calm, peace, flow, and even joy and love for myself as I become the man I was born to be.
These weren’t quick wins. They were daily, deliberate choices. And they’re still unfolding—because becoming isn’t a destination. It’s a commitment. A journey. A decision to return to yourself, again and again.
And that’s what I want to offer you today: Permission. To start with you. To make yourself a priority, not someday, but now. Not because it’s easy. But because you matter.
+ show Comments
- Hide Comments
add a comment