Master Pressure Like a Game
When I’m under pressure, my first instinct isn’t always the best one. I catch myself rushing, overthinking, or reacting too fast—like I’m button-mashing in a game, hoping something works. But that usually just makes things worse. (And no one likes playing with the button-smasher.) Good players don’t just hit buttons at random. They move with […]
Reward Progress Like a Game
Sometimes, the thing that will help us move forward—the thing that actually leads to the life we want—is the boring thing. The thing we never really feel like doing. And that’s probably why we avoid it. So, how do we get ourselves to do it? We build systems like a game. Games are designed to […]
Recharge Like a Game
Some days, midday hits and my energy crashes. It feels like I’ve been drained of everything I need to keep going. Like I just ran out of steam, all at once. But when I really look back, there were always signs—hunger, thirst, tension, or just a general sense of overwhelm. I decided to try thinking […]
Bounce Back Like a Game
Life doesn’t always move in a straight line. Sometimes, it feels like just when we’re climbing up, we hit a slide that sends us back down. It’s frustrating, disheartening, and often, it feels unfair. I’ve felt this in so many ways. In my 40s alone, I’ve faced open-heart surgery, a serious knee injury, and being […]
Level Up Like a Game
Some days, life feels like a series of frustrating problems, and it’s hard to know how to move forward. But what if we borrowed a mindset from games? In games, challenges are levels to beat. They’re not roadblocks—they’re opportunities to advance. When we start thinking of challenges as levels, something shifts. Instead of feeling overwhelmed […]
Face Fear Like a Stoic
I’ve generally felt at ease singing in front of an audience—it’s come pretty naturally to me. But speaking was a different story. Even as an entertainer, I could go through entire sets without saying a single word. It felt safe—I didn’t have to worry about being witty, saying the wrong thing, or stumbling over my […]
Take Control Like a Stoic
There are things we can all point to in life that weren’t fair: the way we were raised, the resources we didn’t have, the struggles handed to us without our say. And we’d be right to feel upset about them. But if we live our lives focusing on how unfair it all is, we end […]
Overcome Suffering Like a Stoic
The Stoics believe that we suffer more in our imagination than in reality. And frankly, that tracks. I’ve caught myself replaying events over and over in my mind, creating entire arguments with people while in the shower, and even convincing myself that the more I love someone, the more I have to worry about them. […]
Use Emotions Like a Stoic
There’s something so calming about the way Stoics approach life. They manage their emotions in a way that creates simplicity and peace. That’s always been something I’ve admired, especially because, for a long time, my emotions dictated my entire day. If something didn’t go my way, I’d spiral—from disappointed to upset to devastated. Hours would […]
Let Go Like a Stoic
When life feels chaotic, sometimes my first instinct is to grip harder. I try to handle everything and everyone, convinced that if I don’t, things will fall apart. But instead of fixing the situation, I end up feeling drained and overwhelmed. My sense of humor fades, I lose my flexibility, and I can’t focus on […]
