I had already been through tough situations, and I knew I could overcome them again.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather taking action despite the fear. I think this applies to many virtues. So I'll only talk about my own experience with confidence. My confidence simply comes from taking action. I know I outwork everyone around me, even if I have no talent. I know I'm willing to make sacrifices, and I know I can focus my energy on a specific goal. Why? Because I've done it so many times in my life. Confidence is the memory of success

Before AI, knowledge set you apart. Knowing more meant earning more. Accumulating skills, developing expertise, and mastering frameworks got you ahead. Today, as models swallow entire fields overnight, wisdom—skills like emotional clarity, discernment, and connection—is what keeps you indispensable.

The most asymmetric rewards belong to those who are willing to confront the uncertainty and wait just a little bit longer.

Do I want the winning version of this thing?Am I willing to pay the price to get that winning version?

Put simply, my worst decisions were a result of allowing my head to outsmart my gut.

The real threat to your progress isn’t failure—it’s lack of focus. There are plenty of opportunities out there that are clear, obvious, and entirely wrong. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should do it.

Urgency is no longer a nice to have—it's a necessity. A requirement for survival.

True freedom comes from choice. The ability to choose your worship. To choose how you measure value. To live by design, not by default.

You cannot change reality, but you always get to choose how you interpret and experience it.You can choose frustration, or you can choose compassion. You can choose self-centered annoyance, or you can choose gratitude.You get to choose your thoughts.

Most of us walk through life with absolute conviction that we're right––about everything. Politics. People. Past. Future. We almost never consider the possibility that we're wrong about anything.

Life is a game of awareness and action: Awareness to understand something's importance and action to execute on that importance.

Asserting is a generous thing to do because it gives other people something to work with. Even if someone disagrees with your assertion, you’re adding value because it helps your team come to a better understanding of the challenge or proposed solution.Insights are a dime a dozen. Suggestions are a bit better, but still let you off the hook. Assertions are the realm of professionals who navigate ambiguity and rigorous thinking.

Don't just ask questions. Professionals and A-players ask great questions, then assert how to answer those questions too. They don't claim to know everything, but they do have a point of view about how to solve the problem they just presented.

The lesson: Stop overthinking every decision. Stop overanalyzing. Stop trying to create the perfect plan on paper. Your reality will be defined on the ground. In the actions and decisions. In the moments at the testing point.

But there is one tax of life that we must actively reject:The Ignorance Tax.The Ignorance Tax is the hidden cost of what you haven’t learned or what you’re choosing to ignore.It’s the gap between where you are and where you could be if you gained the knowledge, skills, perspective, or awareness you’re currently lacking.

Where am I paying an Ignorance Tax in my life?