The Essentials

Life has a funny way of pulling us away from what really matters: the essentials.

My daily walk grounds me. It strips life back to its core and reminds me of what I actually need: air in my lungs, the ability to move my body, food to fuel me, a roof over my head, family, community, and love. Everything else? That’s a bonus.

The Privilege of the Everyday

We get so caught up in chasing more: more money, more resources, more accomplishments. The more we accomplish, the more we grow, the further removed we become from what truly matters.

The truth is, waking up in the morning is the ultimate privilege. Resting your head on a pillow at night is an even greater one. The air in your lungs, the freedom to move, the gift of vision and perspective, and the chance to play this game of life for another 24 hours—that’s wealth beyond measure.

When you see life through that lens, it becomes harder to live negatively. Gratitude reframes your reality. It allows you to choose joy, peace, and presence over scarcity and stress.

Life is a Single-Player Game

At its core, life is a single-player game. It’s made up of a million sensory experiences, each one shaped by your choices. That’s the beauty of it. You hold control over your outcomes.

Every day you wake up, you have an opportunity to carve out who you want to be. You design yourself. You create your experiences. Each choice you make determines the chances you get. And those choices ripple outward, creating long-term impact.

That’s why the small, momentary decisions matter so much. They compound. They build habits, shape character, and form the foundation of your future.

Be Intentional Every Day

This is where intentionality comes in. Each day is an opportunity to make choices that produce positive outcomes. You don’t need to control tomorrow or undo yesterday. You just need to control today.

Make the decisions today that put you in the best position for tomorrow, and then learn to live with what comes.

Because when you strip life back to the essentials, you realize something simple: if you have breath, movement, and love, you already have everything you need.