Good morning Reader—

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And welcome to the eleventh issue of The FAM.

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There seems to be an epidemic making its way through our homes, our work, even our society. More than ever, I’m hearing people tell me:

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“I’m tired of being tired.”

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Not just the physically tired… but emptied. Hollowed out in a way that leaves us so exhausted sleep doesn’t seem to help.
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And damn! I’ve got to tell you, for me, this tired of being tired has felt downright awful. I mean, like:

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• A deep hollow ache
• Everything at work and home feeling heavy
• A constant cycle of negative thoughts
• The feeling of stress and worry pounding through my being
• So many unanswered questions I can’t resolve
• And ultimately a form of disgust with myself.

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So yea, if you have ever said anything like, “I’m tired of being tired,” I’m with you!

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I’m reminded of something Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” And maybe that’s the scariest part: not that we’re tired— but we are not living up to the ideal we have set for ourselves. I mean none of us feel good associating with the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz. Am I right, or am I right?

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And here’s what I have discovered: getting to this point of exhaustion is on me!

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Life isn’t meant to be a slow grind toward a finish line we’re too tired to cross. We don’t exist to just function. We were made to feel—lit up by meaning and the wonder of it all.

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And yet, when that exhaustion sets in, most of us react by pushing harder. More grit. More hustle. More doing. But then we find ourselves even more tired at the end of the day. We tell ourselves we just need more energy.This grit, this grind, It’s really a dangerous cycle.

What’s Going On When We Say We Need More Energy?

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what we really mean when we say we need “more energy.”
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Because we’ve been sold this version of energy that’s all about maintenance: sleep better, eat cleaner, move more, take that supplement. And while all of that matters, it completely misses the deeper point, in part because these guidelines convince us that the secret to having the energy life demands is—an outside-in approach.
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And it’s not!
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Real energy—the kind that actually fuels your life—is an inside-out game. There is a real difference here, that I think is important for us to embrace. Finding energy isn’t just about physical stamina or mental sharpness. It’s the vibrant force inside you that brings things to life—ideas, feelings, purpose. It’s what turns a thought into action, a dream into something real. The Greeks called it energeia—the power to move from potential into reality.
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I call it your Vital Force.

Your Vital Force

Let me explain using a metaphor:

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Picture the Mighty Mississippi. Wide, powerful, and full of life as it empties into the Gulf. But trace it back, and you’ll find its beginnings in something far more subtle—tiny bubbles rising from an unseen source, somewhere deep underground in northern Minnesota.
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That’s how your energy works, too.

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Your strength doesn’t start with the hustle. It starts with the source. An unseen, deep within you source. And just like the river is shaped by every stream that joins it, your Vital Force is fed from within—by the convergence of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual currents flowing together.
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You’ve felt it before. In moments of flow, in meaningful conversations, in the quiet knowing that you are exactly where you’re meant to be. This energy we get from working on the inside-out isn’t a quick boost—it’s the steady current that makes you you. Makes you come alive!

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And when that current is blocked, ignored, or drained—by the nonstop pace, the emotional weight, the roles we play—it leaves us feeling like something essential has gone missing.

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Energy isn’t something to fix or force—but is something inside you that we need to nurture.

What part of your life leaves you feeling most drained right now? What part leaves you feeling most alive?

That’s why I’ve stopped thinking of energy as just a product of good habits—and started seeing it as a Vital Force. Not something you summon from willpower, but something that flows when you care for what’s within.

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When that river is flowing, you feel it: grounded, present, purposeful. You’re not scrambling to find energy—it finds you.

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But when it gets blocked? Or drained? You start to feel stuck, disconnected from yourself.

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And most of us—without even realizing it—start trying to operate without a current. We push, drag, and grind our way through life… instead of using this flow to help us carve our paths.

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The Greeks had a word for this inner current— energeia, the sacred act of working from within. The force that brings your potential to life and turns intention into action, and action into meaning.

The Four Streams of the Vital Force

This Vital Force doesn’t come from one place—it flows from the confluence of four distinct streams that shape how we show up in the world:

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1. Physical: Bodily Vitality – Your body’s strength, health, and stamina. How you move, fuel, and rest.
2. Mental: Mind’s Clarity – The clarity of your thoughts. Your focus, mindset, and beliefs.
3. Emotional: Hearts Vibrancy – Your capacity to feel, express, and connect with others and yourself.
4. Spiritual: Soul’s Purpose – Your sense of purpose, meaning, and alignment with something greater.

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And here’s the thing—these streams don’t work alone. When one starts to run low, the others feel it. Physical exhaustion can cloud your thinking. Mental stress can leave you emotionally short-tempered. A loss of purpose can sap your motivation to care for your body. They’re all connected, feeding and supporting the same current.

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But when even one of those streams goes dry or gets blocked by stress, disconnection, or neglect, it impacts the whole river. To keep that river—your Vital Force—flowing, all four streams have to be well-tended. And that takes inner work, reflection, and intention.

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Actually, a lot of work!

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So if you’re feeling tired, stuck, or off-track, consider it a clue. Something in the system has shifted. One of your streams may be running low, or even running dry (Don’t miss this week’s resource below which guides you to examine each of these streams of the Vital Force).

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Most of us treat energy like a rechargeable battery: run it down, plug it in, and hope it’s ready to go again by morning. But your energy isn’t a battery. It’s a living system, like a river, fed by multiple streams.

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When you start tending to each of those streams, even in small ways, the current begins to return. And with it comes something far greater than stamina—your sense of aliveness.

While I was away on a writing retreat earlier this year, I found myself lingering on a post from someone named Grace Franklin. She shared a glimpse into a real conversation, between herself and her husband, about something many of us carry but rarely name.

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He’d built a career in the Army most would admire: certifications, deployments, hard-earned experience. When he got out of the military he worked hard for certifications in his new career. And yet, though he’d achieved what he set out to do, he told her it all felt like… nothing. Like he had no proof that any of his work meant anything.

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Grace shared how that conversation stirred something in her. A reminder that every experience builds who we are, even if it feels like we have nothing ‘tangible’ to show for it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a struggle to see the value of all our work sometimes.

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And that’s not just Grace’s husband’s story.

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That feeling—that “what’s even the point?” ache when the growth isn’t obvious, when the spark you started with fizzles out—is something I’ve heard from men and women across the country.

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It’s the hollowing that happens when we’ve poured everything into doing… but haven’t been given the space, or the tools, to feel. To name the loss. To reconnect with the reason we began and keep pushing.

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This is the Vital Force at work—quietly calling us back.

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Not to start over. But to start deeper. To ask: What were you excited about before it let you down? And: Where did that current get cut off?

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Grace’s post wasn’t just about her husband’s tiredness. It was a mirror. And for many of us, a moment of recognition: that spark we’ve been missing isn’t gone.

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It’s just waiting to be lit again—by truth, by purpose, by connection.

Your Vital Force is more than just “energy.” It’s the living current created when your physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional energies all flow together. When each stream is strong, you feel fully alive. When one is blocked or depleted, the whole current weakens. ​ The Four Streams Vital Force Check-In is a simple self-assessment that helps you: ​ Recognize the fuels that strengthen each stream See patterns across your four streams Name the places where your energy is strong and where it needs care ​ Download the tool, take 5–10 minutes with it, and give yourself the gift of awareness.

DOWNLOAD FREE TOOL

There’s an exercise I return to from time to time that always strengthens my vital force. It’s called the ‘Best Selves Diary.’ The idea is simple: you journal about what your life will look like five years from now—if all you hope for comes to fruition.

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Here’s part of what I wrote on March 11, 2023:

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Dear Diary—Today I am feeling absolutely blessed, energized, happy, and fulfilled…

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Energized—I love being active, being in the best shape of my life and taking care of this one and only body, mind, and spirit that God has given me. I’m mentally, physically, and spiritually fit and strong. This taking care of myself has led to an energy toward my life, my family, my friends, my calling, and my work in amazing ways. Embracing and attacking the wonder of this short time we have here in this life keeps me energized to do meaningful work, moment to moment.

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Reading back over these words reminded me that the vision you hold for your life is more than a daydream. It’s a current you feed every day. Every small choice to care for your physical body, guard your mental clarity, nurture your emotional connections, and align with your deeper purpose is a way of tending your streams.

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Five years from now will come either way. The question is, will you arrive there running on empty… or carried by a river that’s fully alive?

P.S. I’d love to hear from you. If this issue stirred something in you, hit reply and tell me what you noticed. Your reflections help me keep this work real and often become the spark that someone else needs to hear. And if you know someone who’s “tired of being tired,” forward this along. You never know how much one small ripple can change the current for someone else.

A Thought From My Writing Process:

There are dramatic moments in life that change us.

But I’m not sure that’s where a life is most deeply honored or betrayed.

More and more, as I work on writing my book, Honor Yourself, I find myself thinking about the smaller moments. The quiet ones. The almost invisible decisions where you know what would be true, honest, or necessary and still step around it. Not because you’re a bad person. Not because you don’t care. But because it’s easier. Safer. More convenient.

I’m beginning to think a life is not only shaped by the big decisions we make. It is shaped by the small ways we leave ourselves behind.

If you have any thoughts on this, I’d love to hear… simply hit reply.

We’re on a mission to empower one million people to live Fully Alive, and you’re one of them!