One Thing You Should Not Sacrifice for Fame, Fortune, or Love

Everything is a printer now.

Think about it. You buy a printer for a great price.

It’s got all the features you want and more.

It can do all sorts of things and provides insane versatility.

But there’s a catch…

You need a subscription to access the toner that’s already in the printer.

Either do that, or go and buy it yourself after you cancel it.

It’s just one of many methods that companies use to keep you in their system, and you can watch more about it below. 👇

The total lifetime value of a printer is many times more than the device itself.

That’s the original idea of what SaaS is now.

The model seems to be creeping its way into every single aspect of our lives.

Your contact information is basically public knowledge with every service out there acting more like vampires that show up at your doorstep.

The only thing they need is your permission to enter.

Next thing you know, your phone has become a five-year-old child demanding time and attention from you 24/7.

Everything is a subscription, and this newsletter is no exception.

You generously agreed to allow me to drop by in your inbox because you value what I have to say on some level or at some point in time.

For that, I am grateful and honored, and I hope to continue to serve in that capacity for as long as you deem fit.

And that brings me to my point…

Know. Your. Limits

There’s a lot to be said about this that I’m guilty of denying myself for decades.

It took writing and creating content for myself to realize just how long I had managed to ignore it, and the price that I was paying was more than I wanted to admit.

I’ve had a terrible habit of ignoring my own needs for long periods of time.

This is entirely different from the skill of decoupling execution from emotional state, though.

Having that ability unfortunately had the side-effect of making me push aside my inner voice when it whispered that I needed a break.

My self-awareness conflicted directly with this need for balance, and eventually that whisper became insistent, until it finally became a scream.

You might have the ability to use your noise-cancelling earphones to block it all out in your 20s…maybe even your 30s…

But the warranty doesn’t cover the wear and tear after those decades of life.

You don’t want to be caught without them in your 40s. It’s not fun.

Since crossing that milestone a few years ago, I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Chronic self-denial and saying “yes” to everything and everyone eventually overwhelms you with perceived obligations to perform on their timelines like a dancing bear.

You put off making time for yourself or stepping away to enjoy time to yourself with a good book, that game you’ve wanted to indulge in, or hanging out with real life friends.

It’s like not wishing to ruin that adorable onesie that your parents got for your toddler because he’s a chocolate-glazed donut addict.

By the time you suck it up and decide you want a few photos of him in the getup, it’s too late. He’s already in elementary school and doesn’t care to squeeze into it.

…not that I’m bitter about it or anything.

Treat Yourself

More than anything else, your mental health is needed to be the best that you can be for your “stakeholders”.

Yes, I’m hijacking this cringe corporate term for my own purposes here.

I’m talking about your spouse, your children, your parents, your extended family, and your friends.

Nobody else, not your boss, strangers on social media, or anyone else who may pass you by without a thought matters.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for needing to take care of yourself.

That’s not to say that you should indulge in your every whim, of course (don’t do that either).

Don’t pass up opportunities to reward yourself or to relax and have fun on a regular basis.

Give yourself a break. You only get to live life once in your current form.

Doing anything for a buck, for views, for admiration may carry you for a bit, but it’s a short-term solution that could have a lifetime of consequences.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Pick a pace that works for your season of life.

There’s Only So Much You Can Endure…

If you’re anything like me, then you pride yourself on being a rock.

When I was young and single, this was one of the most common descriptions of me from my peers.

It was because I had a moat around myself.

Nobody was allowed to claim my time or my peace of mind for any reason.

I completely gave all that up with marriage and family.

Now I realize just how disastrous that has been.

You matter just as much as those you love and care for.

I’m gradually learning to merge my previous life as a prismatic thinker and learner with my current one. It’s taken years to realize the need for balance between myself and my role as a kiddy resort manager and husband.

I share these experiences now so that you may benefit from them.

That’s pretty much what I offer at this point.