Life won’t get easier—but it can get better.

Good morning—

And welcome to another issue of The Fam.

As I read the book Coming Alive, I came across something I find a lot of truth in: 

Many of us carry a quiet sense that we could be living a different life—one filled with more joy, more courage, more meaning. In that alternative life, we feel plugged into a different kind of energy. One that makes anything seem possible.

Do you ever dream of a life like this? Just a little different than the one you’re in now? I sure have. Looking back, there have been stretches of my life where I was numb and didn’t even know it. Not until the emotions hit all at once and I found myself crying in the Denver airport, believing the world—and United Airlines— was conspiring against me. 

You can’t snap your fingers and instantly be in an alternative, more joyful life. But it also isn’t out of reach.

There may have been a time in your life when you felt like you had all the momentum you needed… life seemed smoother, quicker, full of more laughter and freedom. It felt like driving with your windows down, listening to your favorite song, on the most beautiful evening. 

So what happened? 

What I have found is that… life got hard. With every passing year, we’re met with more friction. More challenges. Bigger commitments. More obstacles. And ultimately we lose  purposeful momentum. 

And this friction doesn’t have to be monumental. The little things—your commute, the growing chore list, a tough boss at work, they all add up to more and more friction that can slow you down until your momentum comes to a complete halt. And you’re left numb, stuck, and going through the motions. 

The reality is, life really is hard, and there’s no way to truly get past that. There’s no bullet-proof trick or decision or pivot you can make that will remove all of that friction and help you gain your momentum back again. 

But where can we take a few simple steps today to start living fully alive again? Towards building our momentum? 

It starts with moving beyond seeing life as pure survival. We aren’t handed this beautiful, chaotic life to simply exist. The first step to gaining your momentum back is to start recognizing that it’s up to you to make the decision to actually live and stay connected to what matters. 

This isn’t just about burnout. Or energy. Or grit. Or ambition. 

It’s about the decision to really reflect and make the next best decision towards living more fully. Not perfectly. But honestly. And it starts with will. Sometimes that means choosing to lean into the friction instead of away from it. 

It’s time to take a moment and ask yourself: Are you actually living, or just getting by? 

Is there a part of your life where you’ve been going through the motions?

Let’s bring it down to something simple.

Momentum isn’t about speed. It’s not hustle, or output, or crushing the day.

It’s the quiet, stubborn choice to keep moving—not because it’s easy, but because something in you knows you’re meant for more than just getting by.

It’s when your inner truth starts showing up in your outer life. We stall because we’ve been taught to chase ease. To avoid friction. To keep things smooth.

But ease doesn’t feed the soul. It numbs it. And the more we build our lives around avoiding discomfort, the more we lose touch with the one thing that can bring us back to life: our will.

Phil Stutz, author of Coming Alive, said it clearly: “You will never be exonerated from pain, uncertainty, and hard work.”

That’s not a flaw in your life. That is life. People who live with fire aren’t gliding through ease—they’re just refusing to check out. They stay engaged. Even when it’s hard.

Not because they’re always motivated. But because something deeper is leading.

A will that says:
“I won’t trade my purpose for comfort.”
“I won’t go numb.”
“I’m here. I’m still showing up.”
That’s real momentum.

And no, it doesn’t always look like progress. Sometimes it’s just not giving up. Sometimes it’s choosing what’s true over what’s easy.

Maybe that means picking up your journal instead of your phone. Or having the hard conversation instead of staying silent. Each time you lean into what’s real—you reclaim something.

So here’s your moment:
What’s one small thing you can do today that aligns with your truth?

Not tomorrow. Today.
Choose it. Do it. That’s how momentum begins.

I met Mike Cook at a branch in San Jose. He’s an operations manager now—but he didn’t start there. Not even close.

When Mike first walked into Pace Supply, he had no experience. No background in the trade. No network. Just a willingness to work—and a quiet drive you could feel even the way he shook your hand.

What struck me most wasn’t his title or even his position. It was how deeply he believed in the people around him. He told me he doesn’t call new hires “temps.” He calls them prospective employees. Because to him, every person is someone worth investing in.

Mike started at the bottom. He asked questions. He listened. And the veterans saw something in him worth betting on. He kept showing up—not to impress, but to grow. Not just to move forward… but to pull others with him.

He told me, “I trained the guys under me so I could move up. I wanted to build a bench.” That’s what momentum looks like when it’s real. It builds more than a résumé. It builds people, starting with yourself.

His joy is not in having arrived—but in how far he’s come through persistent, honest effort.

Mike wakes up now excited to get to work, not because the job got easier, but because it got meaningful. He said, “My family at work is helping me provide for my family at home.”

That line stuck with me.

It reminded me: momentum isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like showing up on the hardest days. Sometimes it’s simply deciding not to give up on yourself—or others.

👉 I want to hear your stories. What’s one moment you chose to keep going, even when it was hard? What did it teach you? Reply to this email, I read every single one.

When I open the front of my journal each morning, I have handwritten what I call “My 2025 Calling.” 

Some people create SMART goals. I remind myself of my calling. What I’m here to do. As I reflect on everything we’ve talked about today, I’m drawn to this line of ‘My Calling:’

“I will intentionally stress and fuel my mind, body, and spirit to become the best version of myself, setting an example for others to follow.”

The concept of momentum and the importance of actively leaning into it, combined with the friction the world throws at us every day, makes it so important that I recognize it every single day. It reminds me to lean into it, hard. To seek out the stress and struggle that makes me a better version of myself. 

And this isn’t something I’ve learned just through experience—science backs it up. A 2025 study found that “good” stressors, when combined with self-compassion, significantly enhance resilience and well-being.

So I lean in. Not because it’s easy—but because it’s worth it.

If you’re feeling the weight of friction right now, you’re not alone. The struggle isn’t a sign you’re failing—it’s a sign you’re in motion. Your strength isn’t in how fast you go. It’s in your decision to keep showing up, with heart, with honesty, with intention.

Let that be enough today. That’s momentum. And it’s already in you.

Here’s to living fully alive,

P.S. If today’s message stirred something in you, there’s a good chance someone in your life needs it too. Maybe they’re tired of going through the motions of life. Maybe they just need a reminder they’re not alone. Forward this to them—let them know it’s okay to be real.

We’re on a mission to empower one million people to live Fully Alive, and you’re one of them!