“Like anything worth doing in life, happiness takes time and patience and consistency.” – Mark Manson
If you had asked me a few years ago what makes life meaningful, I would have told you: To marry the love of your life, nurture your kids together, and do the work that fulfils you.
None of those values has changed. Though for a long time I always saw death as an enemy of those things. However, I have started to see that death doesn’t necessarily threaten a meaningful life. It makes it.
Cultural provocateurs are the whetstone. And like the whetstone, they challenge not to destroy but to sharpen. Scraping away rust. Exposing dull edges. Asking the uncomfortable questions that the majority would rather avoid. Every society that has moved forward has needed people willing to do this.
Most people look at “successful people” and assume they would be happier and satisfied if they too were “successful” at whatever the “successful people” were “successful” at. But for many people, the more successful they get, the more angst they feel. Why? Because one thing success does is reveal the possibility of more success. So, … Read more
Our thoughts don’t originate from us. Like water in the water cycle, thoughts flow into us, marinate, and flow back out in a circle of ideas. And like water, thoughts give life to our being. Our thoughts make us who we are — successful or unsuccessful, happy or unhappy, good or bad. So it matters … Read more
You want to glow up—to become 10X more attractive, sexier, and more admirable. You want to be “hot.” But what does it even mean to be hot?
Think about it, who is the hottest person you know, and why do you think they are hot?
The counter-argument that “everyone has flaws, and so we must not judge” is an idea I intend to break through the rest of this piece, not just because it justifies the corruption eating up Africa, but because it’s a psychological trick called “moral disengagement”—where people use nice-sounding phrases to avoid acknowledging evil. It’s how someone says, “like him or hate him, you have to respect his hustle or doings” while ignoring that the “hustle” or “Doings” is theft and the “hate” exists because he’s destroying lives.
When we look at Western countries, envy and anger often collide within us.
Envy because we wish we’d been born under winter snow, where quality of life is high, opportunities are bountiful, and systems actually work. And anger because we resent being here instead—in Africa, under the heat of the Sahara—where life feels backwards, a constant struggle to move forward, with uncertainty slowly draining hope out of us.
Still, many of us fail to be aware or maybe don’t see it relevant to remember that the West wasn’t always “Advanced” or enviable.
those who talk about their pain, who express their frustrations or ask for help are seen as weak, fragile, or lacking in character.
And so, many of us are socially compelled to zip our lips, even when our whole being is itching to scream.
Purpose is often treated like a luxury or ultimate goal, yet it is essential and foundational for a deliberate and meaningful life.
Without purpose, intensity is diluted, experiences feel shallow, and in the end, everything feels like a waste of time.
Social media has become deeply intertwined with the human experience that opting out feels like social suicide. The pressure to show up doesn’t just feel cultural, but existential.
And for those of us looking to grow our brand or business, showing up is not enough – we need to grow. Yet, in trying to grow, we tend to follow the same playbook:
