HAPPY OCTOBER Y’ALL!!
Where has the year gone?
Three more months to make the most of 2026 and lock in during the winter arc.
Let’s goooooo!
Just ran five miles with the Tacoma Run Club, signed up for the Austin Marathon, and about to board a flight to Prague to rip around the Balkans for the next 10 days.
My buddy and I booked our tickets five days ago, secured one night of lodging, and have zero plan.
Just as you’d expect.
And just the way I like it.
Now let’s get into the newsletter, because I’m feeling tremendous.
And here’s why ⬇️
The Decision
Ever since booking this trip, I’ve been so excited for this day.
The anticipation of a trip.
Packing.
Prepping.
The airport.
I love it all.
But two days ago I received a phone call that stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Bro - do you want to go see John Summit at The Gorge on Saturday night?”
WOW.
That’s not what I was expecting.
I had chalked up Saturday to a nice, slow transition out of a house sitting gig, packing for the trip, getting a good night of sleep, and hitting the run club before leaving.
But…
John Summit.
The Gorge.
78 degrees.
Blue skies.
With one of my best friends.
We would then drive straight from The Gorge to the airport.
Little to no sleep.
And hop on a flight to Europe.
What an epic way to kick off the trip.
My heart was racing.
The life résumé was calling.
Thank You, But No
A sucker for unique opportunities and crazy adventures, I said yes.
Let’s do it.
But something was holding me back.
A feeling.
An instinct.
This intuition that even though it sounds epic,
something deep down said don’t do it.
More specifically - it said:
“Respect my decision. Stay true to myself.”
I really valued feeling fresh, energized, and excited for this trip.
And I didn’t want to jeopardize that.
So the next day, I called my buddy back and broke the news.
“I love you brother, but I’m going to stick to my original plan. It’s a no for me.”
Although disappointed, he understood.
Deep Down
Now… here’s where it gets interesting.
A couple hours later my buddy calls me.
He got a free ticket.
For both days.
AND FREE CAMPING.
Universe… you there?
Of course you are.
DELIVERING.
Later in the evening I find myself at a 6pm pilates class:
Pouring sweat.
Music cranking.
Heart racing.
Feeling ALIVE.
I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Meanwhile, my buddy ends up ON STAGE at The Gorge with VIP access.
Exactly where he was supposed to be.
It all worked out for everyone involved.
Thanks to listening to my internal compass and following intuition.
If you’ve been following my journey, you know this is something I’ve been intentionally practicing.
Making decisions based on a feeling, when logic might say otherwise.
And here I am - writing these words from the airport.
Feeling great about my decision, happy for my buddy, and reminded that deep down, you usually know…
🌱 For You
Follow the feeling.
Listen to the gut.
And above all, trust yourself.
I remember reading one time that our gut is sometimes called a second brain.
That there is a deeper intelligence under the surface, the reason we actually feel that intuition.
Gotta run - flight to Prague boarding shortly.
Let’s see what the world has in store.
Cheers to the adventure ✈️
🧘♂️ Mindfulness Tip of the Week
Tip: Embrace Mindful Curiosity
I heard this in Pilates last night and it’s stuck with me since…
My buddy Claude describes it as:
“The practice of approaching your experience, whether thoughts, emotions, sensations, or the world around you, with open, non-judgmental interest rather than reactivity or assumption.”
It combines two things:
Mindfulness: paying attention to the present moment on purpose, without trying to fix, suppress, or label things as good or bad.
Curiosity: a genuine desire to explore and understand, asking “what’s happening here?” instead of “why is this happening to me?” or “what’s wrong with me?”
Action: Instead of making conclusions, can you instead ask questions? Aka - get curious.
Claude example:
Instead of, “I’m anxious, this is terrible.”
Maybe you notice and get curious, “Interesting, there’s tightness in my chest. What does this feel like? Where do I feel it exactly?”
Simply observing, noticing
My example:
Instead of, “The rope on that cliff looks scary to climb…”
How about: “What happens if I just walk over to it and scope it out?”
Next thing you know - I climbed the cliff and had an epic adventure
Why it matters:
Instills curiosity and sense of wonder instead of fear / anxiety
Provides space to respond versus react
Promotes learning and gaining new perspectives instead of getting stuck in old stories or what we think as true
Lessens the impact of stress, anxiety, or overwhelm when we simply acknowledge the reality
Plus - I was ripping sweat and blasting my core with the music cranked when I heard this.
So it hit me at a good time 😉
🔥 Content Corner
🎯 2026 Goals Scoreboard
✍️ Goal 1: Write 49 Newsletters
Realized: 36/49
🌎 Goal 2: Travel to 34 countries by age 34
Realized: 25/34
(How many will we get ripping through the Balkans??)
💰Goal 3: Earn $50k in self-generated revenue
Realized: $15,921
Got this far? Hit reply and let me know something that stood out to you.
I love hearing from you and always respond.
Lastly, can you please send this to one person you think might enjoy it?
Sharing the newsletter is the #1 way that will help it grow.
Thanks for supporting the mission 🚀
📸 Weekly Adventures
Literally stopped, and stared. For at least five minutes. In pure awe of nature just doin’ it’s thing.
October in Washington No big deal.
6pm Saturday night Pilates with my man Seth before we head to Europe!
THIS!!! Sunday morning - the moment my decision was ultimately realized. Eating a healthy breakfast. Working on my newsletter. Ran 5 miles. Got great sleep. And ready for my trip.
Also crushed some oatmeal bowls this week… protein, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp heart, flax seed, banana, pecans, toasted coconut - absolute banger
8:30pm Vinyasa - great place to be on a Tuesday night
See you next week 😎
Hey P.S. - would you mind sharing this newsletter with someone?
Looking to take it to the next level and word of mouth is the best way to do it :)
