Grit, Gratitude, & Grace Newsletter Reader It was April 2024. My wife was lying on the couch, exhausted in a way I'd never seen after a chemo treatment. I asked my usual question: "What do you need? How can I help?" She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "I don't know. I don't have words for this." In that moment, I realized something: I had spent many years confusing sympathy with empathy. Sympathy says: "I'm sorry you're going through this." Empathy says: "I'm here with you in...
13 days ago • 3 min read
Grit, Gratitude, & Grace Newsletter Reader It was March 2024. Middle of Florena's cancer treatment. Middle of my job search. Middle of our financial crisis. And we were in the middle of another argument. I don't even remember what it was about. Probably something small that stress had magnified into something huge. But I remember walking away, going to the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror, and asking a question I'd never truly asked before: "Who am I actually being right now?" Not...
20 days ago • 3 min read
Grit, Gratitude, & Grace Newsletter Reader Two years ago today—February 8th, 2024—I was laid off from my job. I had done everything "right." I'd told my three managers about Florena's cancer diagnosis. I'd asked for a flexible work schedule so I could take her to appointments. They all agreed. I thought I had control of the situation. Seven days after I disclosed the diagnosis, I was unemployed. In that moment, sitting in the conference room, I felt every ounce of control slip through my...
27 days ago • 3 min read
Grit, Gratitude, & Grace Newsletter Reader For years, I carried a belief so deep I didn't even know it was there. It whispered in every difficult moment: "You're not strong enough." Not strong enough to handle adversity. Not strong enough to face uncertainty. Not strong enough to carry the weight when life gets heavy. I never said it out loud. But it shaped every decision. Every fear. Every moment I held back or played it safe. Then January 2024 hit. Wife diagnosed with cancer. Job loss....
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Grit, Gratitude, & Grace Newsletter Reader Let me tell you about the moment I realized I had been sabotaging my own growth for 20+ years. It was March 2024. I was sitting in another job interview, feeling completely inadequate. The interviewer asked about my experience with a specific software system. My instinct: "I don't know how to use that." But then I caught myself. And I said something different: "I don't know how to use that... yet. But I'm a fast learner, and I'm excited to develop...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Grit, Gratitude, & Grace Newsletter Reader Let me tell you about the vision board I created in February 2024—right after I lost my job and my wife was diagnosed with cancer. I know what you're thinking: A vision board? Really? While your life was falling apart? Yes. Especially then. Because here's what most people get wrong about vision boards: They think it's about manifesting a perfect future through magical thinking. Cut out pictures of sports cars and beach houses, put them on poster...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
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...
about 2 months 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...
2 months 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...
2 months ago • 5 min read