Question to take that leap of faith:

What would you do if you had zero fear of judgment?

There are two big mistakes in life:

1. Worrying about what other people think about you.
2. Believing that other people think about you in the first place.

​The Spotlight Effect says that we overestimate the degree to which other people are noticing or observing our actions or behaviors.

Basically, we think everyone is focused on us, when in reality, everyone is just focused on themselves.

The lesson: Stop worrying about what other people are thinking about you, because they probably aren't thinking about you at all.

So, what would you do if you had zero fear of judgment?

• What risk would you take?
• What new pursuit would you go after?
• What side hustle would you work on?
• What hobby would you start?

The truth: You aren't afraid of failure, you're afraid of what other people will think of you if you fail.

Well, here's your harsh reminder:

No one is thinking about you. So go do the damn thing!

Quote on the treasure in the darkness:

"It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure." - Joseph Campbell

Every single thing you want in life is on the other side of something hard.

The trials you endure create your future.

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Idea I can't stop thinking about:

Truth Tellers

I recently came across a quote that stopped me in my tracks:

"The degree to which a person can grow is directly proportional to the amount of truth he can accept about himself without running away." - Leland Val Van De Wall

An observation from history is that the inability to accept the truth is the cause of the downfall of many great men and women.

There are two issues at play:

1. Internal Truth Blindness: The person's own inability to see the truth. Usually a result of a buildup of historical success that blinds them to the diminishing probability of future success.
2. Lack of External Truth Tellers: The absence of trusted advisors who are able to tell the person the truth. Usually a result of systematic removal of people who questioned or pushed back on the person.

Internal Truth Blindness is difficult to combat. It is the issue at the heart of the Icarus Paradox: Icarus crafts wings and takes off in flight, but becomes emboldened by his success and flies too close to the sun, which melts the wings and sends him falling to his death.

While we may trend towards this blindness internally, we can combat its ill effects by cherishing the Truth Tellers in our external world.

As you become more successful, most of the people around you will become afraid to tell you the truth. They will pat you on the back and tell you what they think you want to hear.

Find the Truth Tellers in your life—the rare few who are willing to give you honest perspectives from a place of love.

Create an environment where they know they are safe to do so.

If you cultivate your Truth Tellers, you'll always find a way to grow.

Proverb on the importance of action:

There is a German proverb that I love:

“Crooked logs also make straight fires.”

There’s no such thing as a perfect moment. There are just moments—and you decide what you make of them.

Go make your imperfect moments perfect through action.

Those crooked logs can still make straight fires...

A good laugh going into the weekend:

Truer words have never been spoken...