Grit, Gratitude, & Grace Newsletter Reader According to research, 80% of New Year resolutions fail by the second week of February. But here's the thing—many of them are already dead. Right now. Today. You started with such good intentions (ironic, isn't it?). The gym membership. The reading list. The perfect morning routine. The big career goal. But life happened. You slept through the alarm. Work got crazy. The couch looked more inviting than the treadmill. And now you're wondering: Am I...
9 days ago • 3 min read
When control becomes impossible, mindset becomes everything Reader It's January 4th, 2026. The confetti is swept up, the champagne bottles are recycled, and most people are already breaking their New Year resolutions. You know the ones: lose 20 pounds, read 52 books, wake up at 5 AM every day, hit six figures. But here's the resolution nobody talks about—the one that actually determines whether you'll achieve any of those goals: Mastering your mindset when everything falls apart. Because I...
16 days ago • 3 min read
When 20 years of her career disappeared at the state line Reader Have you ever watched someone you love lose a piece of their identity overnight? If you're someone who has lost a career, moved and started over, or supported someone through an unexpected transition, this story will show you that sometimes losing everything is how you find what matters most. In November 2016, we moved to Texas for a fresh start. What we didn't fully prepare for was that my wife's entire 20-year career would...
23 days ago • 5 min read
The email that arrived seven days after I asked for help Reader Have you ever been punished for being honest? If you're someone who has trusted an employer with your vulnerability only to be shown where you really stand, or if you're wondering whether loyalty goes both ways, this story will validate your experience and show you what comes next. In February 2024, I learned that workplace loyalty is often a one-way street. And that lesson, as painful as it was, became the catalyst for...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Why I spent all day learning to make kimchi (and what fermentation taught me about transformation) Reader Have you ever realized that the process of making something taught you more than the product itself? If you're someone in the middle of a transformation that's taking longer than expected—whether it's healing from loss, rebuilding after crisis, or waiting for breakthrough—this story will show you why the slow, messy middle matters most. In May 2017, I went back to Missouri and spent nine...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
The hospital door I couldn't walk through (and what it taught me about letting go) Reader Have you ever had to watch someone you love walk into a crisis alone while you stood helpless on the sidelines? If you're someone facing a situation where all you can do is trust—whether it's a loved one's health battle, a child's struggle, or circumstances completely beyond your control—this story will show you how to find peace when control is impossible. In April 2020, I had to drop my wife off at the...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
The 300 nights I laid still so a baby could sleep on my chest Reader Have you ever measured your strength by what you can do, only to discover it's really about what you're willing to sacrifice? If you're someone who thinks strength means pushing limits and achieving goals, this story will show you a completely different kind of power—one that looks like lying completely still for hours while someone else rests. For two and a half years, 2-3 nights a week, I laid motionless on my back from...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
What I wish I'd asked my father before he was gone Reader Have you ever realized too late that you took someone's presence for granted? If you're someone with aging parents, distant relationships, or people you keep meaning to connect with "someday," this story will shake you awake before it's too late. In March 2023, I stood by my father's deathbed and told him it was okay to quit, to rest. But years earlier, I had already quit on something far more important—and I didn't even know it. "The...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Why I changed our entire diet when doctors said there was nothing else to do Reader Have you ever felt powerless in a situation where all you wanted was to do something—anything—that might help? If you're someone watching a loved one suffer, facing a health crisis, or feeling like circumstances have taken all your control, this story will show you how small actions become acts of hope. When my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, we discovered that sometimes the most powerful weapon...
2 months ago • 5 min read