One of the most dangerous moments in any investigation is confirmation bias. I’ll give you a quick example, there was an armed robbery in the city that I work in. The lead detective had a theory of who the suspect might be now keep in mind the suspect had a mask on and gloves. Now, without concrete evidence that pointed him in that direction, he already had a suspect in mind, why? Because the suspect lived in close proximity to the business, he is also known to be a serial robber. My problem with that early on assumption is that now he needs to build a case around the theory that it was the suspect versus gathering all the evidence like interviews, technology, cameras in the area etc…. Long story short I was right it did not turn out to be who this detective thought it was. The Lesson: It’s when we lock onto an early theory and—without realizing it—start filtering everything through that lens. Evidence that supports our belief gets amplified. Evidence that contradicts it gets minimized, explained away, or ignored entirely. In investigations, this isn’t an academic problem. It’s a truth problem. I’ve seen solid investigators become intellectually rigid once a narrative forms. The case stops being about what happened and becomes about proving we were right. That’s when blind spots grow. That’s when mistakes compound. That’s when innocent details turn into “inconvenient facts.” The danger isn’t incompetence. The danger is confidence without constant challenge. Strong investigators do a few things differently: • They actively search for disconfirming evidence • They ask, “What would have to be true for my theory to be wrong?” • They invite peer challenge instead of resisting it • They separate ego from outcomes • They stay comfortable saying, “I don’t know—yet” Good investigations are dynamic, not linear. The story should evolve as new information comes in. The moment your theory becomes untouchable, your investigation becomes fragile. This applies beyond law enforcement.

I want to dive deeper into something that sits at the core of policing, training, and the human experience—but rarely gets the airtime it deserves: Emotional regulation is one of the most powerful forms of crime prevention we have. Not technology. Not policies. Not equipment. Human regulation. Human capacity. Human control. Because when you strip away all the noise, most of what law enforcement deals with is emotion without direction: People who never learned to pause. People who never learned to sit with discomfort. People who never learned to name a feeling before acting on it. People who were raised in environments where chaos was the norm and regulation didn’t exist. Every cop knows this pattern: Somebody can’t handle anger → becomes an assault Somebody can’t handle shame → becomes a lie, a cover-up, or avoidance Somebody can’t handle fear → becomes violence or self-destruction Somebody can’t handle stress → becomes addiction Somebody can’t handle grief → becomes isolation or suicide And this isn’t just individuals. This is generational. This is cultural. This is systemic. If we taught people how to regulate emotions early on: We would see fewer: • Domestic incidents • Fights • Road rage • Juvenile crimes • Relapses • Overdoses • Suicides • Mental health crises • Officer-involved uses of force • Broken relationships and broken families This isn’t hypothetical — it’s observable reality on every shift. Emotional regulation isn’t soft. It’s tactical. It’s the ability to: – Stay stable under pressure – Recognize the difference between a feeling and a fact – Think while the nervous system is screaming – Decelerate when everything inside wants to accelerate – Not weaponize emotion in conflict – Recognize when you’re escalating someone else without realizing it – Use calm as a strategy, not a luxury This is the same skill that makes elite operators effective in combat. It’s the same skill that makes high-level negotiators successful. It’s the same skill that keeps officers alive during critical incidents.

I wanted to share some of my thoughts that I have been thinking about lately. Life has a way of testing the edges of who we are. Not in the moments when the world is watching…but in the quiet hours when no one sees the fight inside you. Silence, rebellion of thought, shadows mistaken for truth, the weight of vice, fear, chains, and walking alone on the fog-covered road — they all point to the same truth: Personal development isn’t a hobby. It’s a battle. A long one. A lonely one. And most people never step into that arena. Over the years, in war, in policing, in leadership, and in the work I do with Project Sapient, I’ve learned something simple but uncomfortable: - When you decide to think for yourself, the world labels you a rebel. - When you choose the truth, you become a threat. - When you outgrow your cage, you become “difficult.” - When you walk ahead, you’re treated as if you’re beneath. But that’s the path! Growth requires silence in the face of those who don’t value your words. It requires the courage to trust your own mind in a world that rarely uses theirs. It requires standing in the light while also staying comfortable in the shadows. It requires owning your vices instead of hiding them behind the crowd. It requires releasing what controls you — even if it leaves you standing alone. And it requires the strength to walk the long road into the unknown… without applause, without validation, without a map. Here’s the truth I keep coming back to: A man is forged in the dark. Character is built where no one applauds. And the freedom you seek is always on the other side of the chains you fear letting go of. If you’re on that road — keep going. Most people won’t understand you. Some will doubt you. Others will mock the path you chose. But growth was never meant to be understood. It was meant to be earned. Stay disciplined. Stay awake. Stay dangerous. Stay sovereign over your own mind. Forward. Always.

This is a small corner of the books that shaped me. This is not my whole library… just a fraction of the work behind the work. People often ask how I balance being a cop, a leader, a student of human behavior, a father, and a man trying to stay self-aware in a chaotic world. The answer is simple: I read. Constantly. Relentlessly. Across disciplines. My shelves hold psychology, trauma science, criminal behavior, philosophy, warfare, leadership, mythology, Meditations, the stoics, neuroscience, negotiation, human performance… and yes, Shakespeare, Khalil Gibran, Edgar Allen Poe, The Quran and the Bible. Because understanding humans requires studying every edge of the human condition. Every book here feeds a different part of my life: 📘 My Job: Understanding behavior, stress physiology, decision-making under pressure, conflict, violence, communication, and the mind of both the offender and the protector. Knowledge saves seconds, and seconds save lives. 📗 My Leadership: Studying people makes you better at serving people. It sharpens judgment, strengthens empathy, and keeps ego in check. I’ve learned that leaders don’t rise because of rank, they rise because they understand humans. 📕 My Personal Life: Books force humility. They break you open, challenge your assumptions, and expose the gaps between who you are and who you could become. They teach you balance, discipline, and self-awareness — the foundations of being a good man, husband, father, friend. 📙 My Self-Awareness: Every book is a mirror. Some reflect your strengths. Most confront your blind spots. Growth doesn’t happen without friction, and these pages provide plenty of it. ✍️ My Writing: People ask where my writing style comes from, the tone, the imagery, the philosophy, the raw honesty. It comes from here. From learning how Shakespeare captured the soul of men… How trauma researchers capture the weight people carry…How warriors and philosophers capture courage, fear, chaos, and purpose. These books sharpen my voice.

Build It Now, Stay Steady When It Matters Most As we face the possibility of upcoming homeland plotting by terrorist groups, psychological readiness is your foundation. These skills help you stay calm, think clearly, and support each other in any crisis, whether it’s an attack, a natural disaster, or life suddenly going off the rails. If you’ve spent the past year building emergency plans, running drills, and practicing “what if” scenarios, you’re exactly where you need to be. Keep going. You’re not just preparing, you’re building real resilience for yourself, your family, and your community when it matters most. Here’s what we can do next to prepare and stay resilient. Educate Without Fear: When we talk to others about preparedness, the tone matters. The goal is not fear-based. The goal is to give them information, tools, and then most importantly, confidence. Within your family, for example, controlling the narrative means framing the conversation around what you can control, even during something as overwhelming as a terrorist attack. Replace fear-driven talk with practical direction. Use clear, strong language: “Here’s what we do if X happens,” or “We’re safe right now, let’s stick to our plan.” Walk each member of your family through actionable steps: getting to shelter, locking down a workspace, identifying exits, staying put until it’s safe to move. When people have rehearsed actions, their bodies and minds switch into those patterns automatically, even under extreme stress. Helping Children Cope: Children can and do process events very differently, and they depend heavily on the adults around them to set the emotional tone. Keep discussions age appropriate and grounded in the calmest way possible. Do not expose them to graphic news footage or frightening speculation. It overwhelms them and provides no useful information. Instead, focus on safety: who they stay with, where they go, how adults will protect them. Small gestures like holding a hand, offering a hug, sitting beside them all have a very real grounding effect. Use simple, straightforward language: “We have a plan. We know what to do. You’re safe with me.” That sense of predictable structure is what helps kids stay emotionally balanced during and after a crisis.