Pushing Past the SUCK: The Power of Internal Drive

When it comes to doing hard things, there’s one thing that separates those who quit from those who push through: internal drive. If you’ve got it, you won’t quit. It’s that simple.

We all face moments that suck—situations that test our limits, make us doubt ourselves, and tempt us to give up. But here’s the truth: if you truly want to succeed, nothing will stop you. If you don’t have that fire inside, anything and everything will.

Have You Ever Experienced a Miracle?

On Friday, we decided to take on a big hike with friends for my birthday.  After the pandemic, many state and national parks started requiring reservations or tickets to hike the more popular trails.

"Start strong, finish stronger." — Robin Sharma

What an incredible day at Crater Lake National Park! We hiked the Garfield Peak Trail—3.5 miles with 1,200 feet of elevation gain, peaking at 7,800 feet. What a view!!

Fed’s Soft Landing in Sight—But is it a Unicorn in the Wild?

As we head into the year’s final quarter, Investors are signaling optimism for a soft landing—a rare feat achieved just once in the last 43 years (thanks, Greenspan). The markets are currently pricing in an 79% chance of a soft landing.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
– Jim Rohn

I've always struggled with rest. Naps? Not my thing. Sitting still and being idle? Even harder. I've thrived on moving at Mach speed, hair on fire, tackling everything that comes my way. But recently, I’ve learned that sometimes the most productive thing I can do is rest. I’ve realized that I can't serve from an empty cup, and properly filling that cup requires intentional rest.

I came across this note, and it really resonated with me. It reminded me that most of what we face in life is hard, but it’s what you choose and the path you choose that really makes a difference.

For example… Being a top producer is hard. It takes a lot of hours of discipline, sales calls, and dedication. Having no loans is also hard. Your actions choose your hard.

THE JACKSON HOLE Symposium is attended by central banks around the world and generally brings market volatility with them. It’s a great week to be informed on what’s going on in the market since agents and customers will be hearing the media talking about the market even more than usual.

If you watched the gold medal round of Olympic basketball, the last three minutes of the game is probably something you will be hard pressed to forget. Not because the USA team won the gold, and not because USA was so talented that they crushed all their competition (which they did not) But because watching the team’s energy, heart, and hustle was something special.

One of the single greatest things you can do in life is to find your tribe of people. Whether you call it a network, clan, tribe, crew, or family we all need one. We need a group of people that push us, challenge us, inspire us, and accept us. When chosen properly they make us better then when we are alone.

Over the last several months I have really internalized how important spending time with and surrounding yourself with the right people can be to your health and success. It’s truly amazing how much impact the emotions and energy of those around you can have on your life.

After every tragedy or catastrophe, we often ask ourselves… what is important today?

As “high drivers”, we often get fixated and distracted by the shiny and exciting. We are constantly looking for the next thing to excite us, level up our performance, and help us stomp out the competition. But the truth of the matter…

This was shared with me by a friend last week as we were talking about invested time in others. It is a great reminder on how to live our lives and why we do the things we do. Your character is not who you are its all in what you do.

"It is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both." - Niccolò Machiavelli

Is this true? As a leader or even a parent is it better to be loved or feared? Can you have both?

“Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then, it’s a love without end” – George Strait

I got a text this week from someone who I consider a friend that really hurt my heart. It wasn’t mean in spirit or even intentional, but it really cut me. The feeling lingered for most of the day and was even there later in the week.

It’s always scariest right before you start. But nothing happens if you don’t move.  Fear is a thief don’t let it rob you before you even begin.

Today we honor and recognize the brave men and women that have given their lives to fight for and protect our way of life, our democracy, and our freedoms. Thank you for protecting us, serving us, and helping us become a stronger and better nation. We recognize that our freedoms are not free and for that we honor their sacrifice.

This is what showing up looks like for me  ;)

I currently have a focus to improve my agility and fitness and increase my daily step count. And I wasn’t feeling it. It started Friday. We arrived in Bend after a long few days or travel and Manuel asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday. I sluggishly responded, “maybe just hang around the house”.