Make Things
Creating isn’t just an act; it’s a stance. It’s how you assert yourself in a world obsessed with consumption. Most people respond to life passively, letting others dictate the terms. But creators refuse to be spectators. They make things—books, businesses, apps, art—not because they have to, but because they must. Creating is a reflection of your moral personhood.
Creating doesn’t guarantee applause, and it shouldn’t seek it. The act itself is the reward. It forces you to focus, to push boundaries, to understand the raw materials of your thoughts. More importantly, it leaves the world slightly different than you found it. That’s no small thing.
Avoid “too much” Comfort
The easy path is rarely the right one. Growth demands discomfort, and the sooner you embrace this, the better. Pain isn’t an enemy; it’s a guide. It shows you where the real work lies.
But not all discomfort is created equal. There’s pain that stunts, like staying too long in a bad situation. And there’s pain that stretches, like learning a new skill or confronting a hard truth. The trick is to recognize the difference. Pursue the discomfort that builds you up, not the kind that breaks you down.
And then, there’s the trap of luxury. Luxury feels like a reward, but it often becomes a crutch. The more you indulge, the harder it is to step away. People who can’t live without comfort become prisoners of their own desires. They insulate themselves so thoroughly from hardship that they lose the ability to cope with even minor inconveniences. It’s a sad way to live—so fragile, so dependent on everything going perfectly.
True freedom comes not from more luxury but from less need. Learn to endure discomfort, even to seek it out. The ability to thrive without luxury is a superpower in a world obsessed with ease. It sharpens your mind, toughens your spirit, and reminds you that you can survive—and thrive—on far less than you think.
Reinvent yourself
Why do we cling so tightly to identities we’ve outgrown? Reinvention is one of the most underrated human capacities, yet it’s avoided because it feels like defeat. But refusing to change is the real failure. Life asks you to evolve, and the most successful people answer the call repeatedly.
Reinvention requires honesty. Look at your life critically. What’s working? What isn’t? Reinvention often begins with subtraction: shedding what no longer fits. This might mean leaving a job, a city, or even a version of yourself you once cherished. Reinvention isn’t abandonment; it’s renewal. And the beauty is, it can happen as often as you need it to.
Focus
Mastery has become a relic in a world addicted to multitasking. But true depth—the kind that transforms both you and your work—requires focus. Mastery isn’t about dabbling in everything; it’s about choosing one thing and going as far as you can with it.
The process is slow, often frustrating, and rarely glamorous. But mastery teaches you patience, sharpens your instincts, and sets you apart in ways that are impossible to fake. Pick something worth your time. Then give it the time it deserves. Excellence is rare, not because it’s hard to achieve, but because so few are willing to commit.
Go All In
There’s a quiet power in consistency. Showing up daily, especially when you don’t feel like it, builds momentum that others mistake for luck. Consistency compounds. It’s the difference between those who talk about their dreams and those who live them.
Being dependable doesn’t mean being robotic. It means being persistent. It’s about pushing through boredom and resistance, knowing that the real breakthroughs often come after the urge to quit. Success is rarely about brilliance. It’s about reliability.
Pioneer Something
Pioneers don’t wait for permission. They don’t follow maps; they draw them. Being first is scary because it’s lonely and uncertain. But it’s also exhilarating. If you want to leave a mark, you can’t stick to well-worn paths. That’s how you become a visionary.
Visionaries see what others overlook. They find opportunities in constraints and beauty in brokenness. Yes, pioneering is risky. Yes, you might fail. But the reward isn’t just success—it’s significance. The world remembers those who dared to do what no one else could.
Prepare for the Worst
The world isn’t gentle, and neither should you be—at least when it comes to preparation. The most resilient people aren’t just survivors; they thrive because they anticipate chaos and position themselves to gain from it. Plans will fail. People will disappoint. Markets will collapse. These aren’t hypotheticals; they’re inevitabilities.
Antifragility isn’t paranoia; it’s a kind of optimism rooted in competence. It means saving not because you’re scared but because preparation creates freedom. It means learning broadly so that no single failure can unmake you. You don’t have to predict the future to prepare for it—you just have to assume it will be unpredictable.
Live with Urgency
“Someday” is a lie. Waiting for the right moment is a trap, designed to keep you from starting. The truth is, there is no perfect time. There is only now.
Acting with urgency doesn’t mean rushing blindly. It means refusing to let fear or uncertainty paralyze you. Start before you’re ready. Take the first step, even if it’s small..Momentum is magic—it’s the force that propels you from where you are to where you want to be. But it only reacts when you make the first move.
Value the Timeless
In chasing the new, we often lose sight of what endures. Yet, the things that matter most—truth, integrity, relationships—are rarely novel. They’re timeless.
A life built on trends is a life destined for obsolescence. Instead, seek what has proven its value over years, even centuries. This doesn’t mean rejecting innovation. It means anchoring yourself in principles that don’t change, even as the world does. Build for the future, but stand on the shoulders of the past.
Submit to The Word
Submit yourself to the ideal that is most true; to the wisdom that transcends human understanding: to the Word; to God. The greatest wisdom isn’t hidden; it’s ignored. The Bible, isn’t just a religious text. It’s a repository of the human experience, rich with lessons on love, sacrifice, and resilience. Its truths aren’t outdated; they’re eternal.
Engaging with scripture isn’t about blind adherence. It’s about grappling with ideas that have shaped civilizations and asking how they apply to your life. However, treating the Bible as just a history text, or a prosaic collection on the themes of love, redemption, and forgiveness will be erroneous. The Word is a conveyor of God’s eternal presence. It is the light that shatters the darkness in our lives and the world. It transforms anyone who takes it seriously.It was meant for you. You’re not an exception. It has the answers to the choices you’re confronted with every day. Those answers aren’t often easy -- they require a rebirth in you to come alive. Maybe that’s why we avoid it. It demands that we let go of our old identity. And that we let everyone know that we’ve changed. Maybe that’s too much for us to bear. And that’s why we continue to suffer.
Who we could become is on the other side of The Word.