Another tradesman is gone this week. And I’m sure there were more. Many more. I’m not interested in scrolling past that and pretending it’s just “one of those things” anymore. It’s not. This is happening way too often, and if we’re being honest, most of us have felt close to that edge at some point. So this is the call. No polished topic. No lesson plan. We’re talking about what’s real right now. What you’ve been carrying, what’s been building, and the stuff you’ve been keeping to yourself because you think you’re supposed to handle it alone. That’s the lie most of us were taught. Handle it. Don’t talk about it. Keep moving. And look where that’s getting guys. No pressure to talk, but don’t sit there behind the screen pretending everything’s fine if it’s not. This isn’t about looking strong. It’s about being real for once. Tomorrow morning. Show up.

Today as I’m picking up my girls from school my youngest; who is 9, hands me a bookmark. The book mark and a punch if confetti. The bookmark discusses what is coming for a test tomorrow and the magic of this confetti that helps become restful , reduce stress, and be ready cone the morning to do your best. Now, generally I would go off into a banter on schools standardized everything cresting an anxiety rich environment for the young…. However, true as that is in our school systems, the opportunity of building on a way to practice reducing school based anxiety, while creating a fun environment at age 9 is an opportunity perhaps they did not exist when I was a kid. Being intentional on how to educate kids and students on curriculum as well as adding tools to manage stress and anxiety is something I admire here. Here we are learning these tools as adults, after years of just doing it as we are told or, suppressing feelings with multiple substances, and kids in the 3rd grade may actually develop better self managing behaviors than I could ever dream of.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWwtCLCDVlK/?igsh=MTN3aHY3azdzNjVyNA== It consumes us It requires everything We compromise relationships It validates us It completes us Identity It actually kills us slowly and we didn’t see it coming. Divorced is the identity we obtain from it. Divorced from everything, even from ourself. The Bible shows us in Solomon what it’s like to have everything. Solomon later at the end of his life says ‘all is vanity under the sun.’

Most guys never go back and face the version of themselves that needed them the most. They just keep moving forward, carrying it, letting it bleed into their decisions, their reactions, their relationships. We’re not doing that. This week, you’re going to write a letter to your younger self. Not the version you’d post online. Not something polished. The real one. Here’s how this works Grab a pen and paper. Go somewhere quiet. No distractions. No phone. This is not a 5-minute exercise. If it feels easy, you’re doing it wrong. Your letter needs to hit these points 1. Tell him the truth about where he was at. What was he scared of? Where did he feel like he didn’t measure up? What was he carrying that nobody saw? 2. Call out the moments that actually mattered. Not general life advice. Specific moments. Where things went sideways. Where you felt lost. Where something stuck with you. 3. Own your mistakes. No blaming other people. No excuses. Where did you screw up? Where did you avoid, quit, or take the easy way out? 4. Tell him what he needs to hear, not what sounds good. Not clichés. Not “everything works out.” What would’ve actually helped him back then? 5. Show him who he becomes. What do you build? What do you survive? Why does he need to keep going, even when it doesn’t make sense? 6. Set a standard. What kind of man does he need to become? Not motivation. A standard he has to live up to. A couple rules: No surface-level writing. No generic lines. No rushing it. If it doesn’t make you stop and think while you’re writing it, you’re holding back. *Optional, but I recommend it* Read it out loud when you’re done. You’ll feel it differently. Most guys avoid this kind of work their whole lives. Don’t be that guy.

Enjoy the long weekend. Spend time with those you love ! Jeff