Discipline. It's a word that conjures perseverance, responsibility, and determination. These days, it's an old-fashioned notion that seems out of step with the times we live in. We want quick fixes and instant gratification in an impatient, fast-paced world. There's little room for grit, consistency, or continuous effort when trendy fads promise immediate results with none of the work. From get-rich-quick schemes, to lose-weight-fast pills, to racking up debt for fancy vacations, society embraces shortcuts and shuns sacrifice. But at what cost? Where has this attitude left us in tackling the personal challenges and collective problems that impact our lives?
In many ways, we have become complacent and—dare I say—soft, unwilling to put in the work and make the sacrifices needed to create meaningful, long-term change. We give up at the first sign of struggle or when progress stalls. We avoid discomfort and hardship, then wonder why we feel unfulfilled. We lament economic inequality and political division, yet lack the discipline to build understanding with those unlike ourselves. We complain about greedy corporations and corrupt politicians, but are they really responsible for our personal challenges? I assure you that you are fully capable of living the life of your dreams, regardless of any actions or decisions made by Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, the media, or any other entity you perceive as “the villain". No external force can prevent you from manifesting your ideal life, if you set the intention and take dedicated action guided by your inner truth. The power lies within you.
At the root of the issue is a culture of instant gratification that has weakened our capacity for sustained effort. Struggle is viewed as failure rather than essential for growth and achievement. We want someone or something else to blame in order to relieve ourselves of the responsibility. But the ability to endure through difficulty and maintain consistency of action over time is what leads to breakthroughs, both personally and professionally. It always has been. Great leaders, scientists, artists, and thinkers were disciplined, persevering through doubt and struggle before reaching success. The fruits of freedom and prosperity that we enjoy today were won through sustained, collective struggle.
Discipline is about having a vision for our future selves that keeps us putting one foot in front of the other, even when it gets hard. It means doing the work day after day, because we believe deeply in something beyond our immediate desires. We all have reservoirs of such inner resolve that we often fail to tap into. Capacity for patience, hard work, and sacrifice lies dormant within each of us. We just need purpose to activate it.
Imagine if we brought such discipline to the problems we face today. Not militaristic rigidity, but focused energy, applied consistently over time. What if we had the patience to build understanding, person to person? The commitment to make lifestyle changes—to learn new skills, save for retirement, or lose weight? The drive to skill-build and create opportunity where lacking? The perseverance to fight through pain and discomfort, even when it seems impossible?
Real change emerges slowly, through small acts of courage and consistency, accumulated over time. Social progress, professional advancement, and personal growth happen when we put in the work every single day—not just when inspiration strikes. A thousand tiny ripples can create a wave. But first we must quiet the restlessness and desire for shortcuts that sap our capacity to see our efforts through. Progress often feels achingly slow, until suddenly it reaches critical mass and a breakthrough tips the scales. Don’t quit right before you get there.
None of this is easy in an impatient world. But just imagine what could happen if we reclaimed the lost art of discipline—that willingness to sacrifice and persevere through discomfort to reach larger aims. If we redefined struggle as an essential ingredient for growth, not as failure. If we took responsibility for our future and tapped into our innate patience, drive and grit when progress stalls. What potential, waiting dormant within us, might finally awaken? What problems might finally get solved? Real, lasting change happens through people, committed over time to small acts fueled by disciplined patience, perseverance, and vision. If we nurture this timeless wisdom, who knows what waves we might make? The opportunity—and responsibility—is ours.
Artificial Imagination 🖌️
This week, I experimented with MidJourney to generate abstract art with blue and green elements. Something about this makes me envision a futuristic cityscape. It's remarkable how AI empowers even the artistically challenged like myself to create intriguing designs. What ideas or stories does this image spark for you?
This is not an actual photo, but one that was totally A.I. generated using a prompt that I created with MidJourney 🤯
Vibe Hack 📅
I love Google Calendar and don’t think I could function without it. Here’s a simple tip to get more out of it. Use color coding and multiple calendars to visually organize your schedule. For example, create separate calendars for work, family, social events, etc. with each calendar shown in a different color. This allows you to see all your commitments at a glance while still clearly distinguishing the different areas of your life.
My Weekly Vibe
Essay: In this interesting essay, entrepreneur Sahil Bloom shares his top ten ideas from publishing 100+ newsletters over the past year. He covers insightful concepts like embracing a surfer's present-moment mindset, leveraging different types of luck, and avoiding reactionary "second arrows." He sets his sights on 2024 by reflecting on these wisdom-filled ideas for living with more gratitude, focus, and purpose. I highly recommend reading this piece for an infusion of perspective to help you build a healthy, joyful, high-performing life.
Cheese: I love cheese. As a self-proclaimed fromage aficionado, midnight moon has moon-walked its way into my heart as my cheese board’s shining star. Made from rich goat’s milk, it’s almost like a unique blend of a sweet gouda with the subtle sharpness of cheddar. This cheese stands alone but plays equally nice with others—pair it with cured meats and fruits to elicit the ultimate charcuterie chemistry. I love using it for grilled cheese sandwiches or paninis for a little extra flair.
Podcast: I have another Founders Podcast episode to recommend— #335 featuring billionaire Brad Jacobs. The discussion centers around his provocatively titled book How to Make a Few Billion Dollars and his unbelievable journey of building multiple nine-figure enterprises. Prior to the episode and book release, I was unfamiliar with Brad Jacobs, but his story of serial entrepreneurship is truly mind-blowing. There are so many valuable insights that I suggest listening to the podcast multiple times to fully absorb them.
Clothing: I generally dislike clothes shopping. But during a visit to Nashville, I came across a little boutique off of Broadway called The Normal Brand. It was one of those rare stores where nearly everything aligned with my style and fit well. I purchased a couple shirts and signed up for their emails, later realizing they have multiple locations nationwide and even more options online. Since then, I've bought several additional pieces from them. If you find shopping as frustrating as I do, I recommend checking out The Normal Brand— they've made the process much less stressful for me.
📸 cred: cheese.com
Weekly Muse
"Through discipline comes freedom." —Aristotle
Real Estate
Lighting has an incredible ability to totally transform the ambience and feel of a home, without needing expensive renovations or decor. With some smart lighting choices, you can give any room a warmer, more inviting and luxurious feel. It's all about creating the right balance and layers of illumination.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is having a room lit solely by an overhead central ceiling fixture. While you do need adequate overall illumination, relying solely on ceiling lights can create a cold, harsh feel, and the lighting tends to be uneven. Instead, create ambient lighting along walls to give a soft glow and sense of coziness to a space. For example, install sconces or directional wall lights to graze light upwards along a wall, illuminate artwork, or add style. Wall lighting like this casts a nicer glow, reduces shadows from overhead lighting and makes a space feel more expansive.
You can also install inexpensive LED lighting strips behind cabinets, bed frames, sofas and entertainment units to add a modern touch. This type of hidden ambient lighting gives the illusion that the light emanates from the objects themselves, adding style and interest. For example, light strips behind a headboard give a gorgeous backlit glow, creating a welcoming, spa-like feel in a bedroom. Illuminating the inside of glass-front cabinets in a kitchen or library also adds depth and dimension.
When it comes to overhead and task lighting, choose fixtures with dimming capabilities so that light levels can be precisely controlled. Harsh ceiling lights should be dimmed down to serve as subtle background fill lighting. Brighter task lighting like pendant lights, desk lamps or recessed fixtures over work areas allow needed illumination for activities, without overly brightening an entire space. This balance of mixing ambient lighting with adjustable overhead and task lighting gives a room dimension and warmth, creating a lavish feel.
The last touch is making sure to incorporate adequate floor and table lighting options to provide flexibility and functionality. Modern floor lamps, table lamps, and accent lighting enable people to adjust the lighting to their current needs and desires—whether it's bright task lighting for reading and playing games, or dimmer light for a romantic meal. With the right balance and layers of illumination working together, you can transform the entire feel of any space.
In the voice of the late great Joan Rivers…. “Oh this little shack they're trying to peddle for a mere $10 million? I've seen tool sheds bigger than this closet they claim has room for 500 pairs of shoes. And only 6 bedrooms and a mere 7.5 baths? My guest house has more bathrooms than that! The "spacious" kitchen is hardly big enough to fit my live-in chef and his team. And don't get me started on what they call a "wine cellar." 1,200 bottles? That's one Thursday night for me, darling. I suppose if you're on a budget and don't mind slumming it, this little hovel might suffice. But dahling, if you want real luxury, this property is nothing more than a starter shack. Now my estate in the Hamptons—that's living! This market is just depressing. If I had an extra $10 million I'd buy a Whole Foods before this dump! But at least it has air conditioning—so refreshing.” (courtesy of Washington Fine Properties, LLC)
Disclaimer: this is a lovely listing and clearly just a bit of satire, so loosen up and enjoy
Interesting Find
The future is here and it’s holographic. Holoconnects stunned CES 2024 with their unbelievable AI-powered Holobox, teleporting communication into the fourth dimension. This phone booth-sized portal projects full-sized, latency-free holographic renderings of remote callers for seamless, life-like conversations. No more glitchy Zoom meetings. The Holobox's crystal clear holograms make it feel like you're interacting face-to-face. Backed by partnerships with heavy hitters like the UN, BMW and Nike, Holoconnects' mind-bending tech proves holograms aren't just the stuff of sci-fi anymore. As electricity and WiFi blaze a path to the next generation of long-distance communication, the Holobox leads the way to connect us beyond screens and miles. Beam aboard the Holo-revolution or get left behind in the static past. The dimensional future is now.
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