Steve -- Incredibly well done. Hit on so man universal truths with one swing of the bat, one beautifully crafted essay. Such a great snapshot of what integrating the different parts of ourself looks like in real-time and in the real world.
After reading one of your recent essays I was going to ask you how you find time to coach, write essays, build a company, spend time with family, stay healthy, do certs/trainings, and read. Now I have a better idea. I feel like I know you (and as a result know myself better too) -- and I'm excited to see where the next phase of the journey takes you with these parts in an evolving relationship. I relate to a ton of this and maybe it's a synchronicity of some sort, but I've been wondering what it would feel like to actually stop, like really stop and breathe, and not strive to achieve anything, during the few months I'm spending in Dharamsala. This is great inspiration to keep exploring that😊
Thank you my brother. I hope your journey continues to unfold at the right pace for you.
To answer your question, in order to create the balance and depth in my life I have to say no an awful lot. Equally as important, I protect big blocks of time for my writing and study. And to be fully revealed I write and study after my girls go to sleep. I can't pull late nights like I used to, but it works for me and is enough.
Ah appreciate the answer...wasn't expected and that makes it even more of a gift! Really admirable. The commitment comes through your words 🙏. Please keep sharing stories like these. Sending love back.
Such lovely words. For me, the fear is both scarcity and the sense of being judged by the world (really me judging myself) for always being that loser who could never accomplish anything.
Thank you for sharing this—it truly resonated with me and we might be living parallel lives. I was feeling a deep sense of sadness today but couldn’t quite understand why. I asked the Universe for clarity, and then I came across your article. Suddenly, it all made sense. I really appreciate your perspective on embracing the Achiever and allowing it to work in harmony with the soul. It’s a beautiful and refreshing approach that I will try. Thank you for this insight. 💙
Really enjoyed your exploration of the tension between achievement and presence—your "Achiever" and "Fire Snail" metaphors bring it to life vividly! I wonder, though, what if this tension isn’t something we have to hold forever, but a sign of unresolved misalignment? I've found that when people gain deep clarity on their true direction, the need to balance these forces fades. Presence and purpose stop feeling like opposing forces and instead become mutually reinforcing. Perhaps the Achiever doesn’t need to be tamed so much as redirected, because once it’s aligned with what genuinely matters, striving and stillness can coexist without conflict. Appreciate you sparking these reflections!
Steve, you’ve put into words something I’ve been grappling with since exiting the company I spent 20 years building—driven by ego, by Achiever mode.
Your essay helped me articulate the difference between that chapter and what I’m now trying to "do" (or be?) with my second half of life (I’m 40).
Like you, I’m grateful for my Achiever—it gave me everything, including the luxury of contemplating all of this as I stand happily unemployed at this moment.
I’ve been deep in this reflection for the past two years, and your writing continues to resonate. Every piece you put out adds clarity to the journey—keep it up, and thank you!
Steve -- Incredibly well done. Hit on so man universal truths with one swing of the bat, one beautifully crafted essay. Such a great snapshot of what integrating the different parts of ourself looks like in real-time and in the real world.
After reading one of your recent essays I was going to ask you how you find time to coach, write essays, build a company, spend time with family, stay healthy, do certs/trainings, and read. Now I have a better idea. I feel like I know you (and as a result know myself better too) -- and I'm excited to see where the next phase of the journey takes you with these parts in an evolving relationship. I relate to a ton of this and maybe it's a synchronicity of some sort, but I've been wondering what it would feel like to actually stop, like really stop and breathe, and not strive to achieve anything, during the few months I'm spending in Dharamsala. This is great inspiration to keep exploring that😊
Thank you my brother. I hope your journey continues to unfold at the right pace for you.
To answer your question, in order to create the balance and depth in my life I have to say no an awful lot. Equally as important, I protect big blocks of time for my writing and study. And to be fully revealed I write and study after my girls go to sleep. I can't pull late nights like I used to, but it works for me and is enough.
Sending love.
Ah appreciate the answer...wasn't expected and that makes it even more of a gift! Really admirable. The commitment comes through your words 🙏. Please keep sharing stories like these. Sending love back.
Such lovely words. For me, the fear is both scarcity and the sense of being judged by the world (really me judging myself) for always being that loser who could never accomplish anything.
Thank you for your sharing so openly Deidre. I see you.
A really powerful post Steve.
Makes me consider what role society has in the need to constantly hustle.
Yes, we are not separate from our culture and environment. The messages we receive, especially early in life, shape the stories we tell ourselves.
Thank you for sharing this—it truly resonated with me and we might be living parallel lives. I was feeling a deep sense of sadness today but couldn’t quite understand why. I asked the Universe for clarity, and then I came across your article. Suddenly, it all made sense. I really appreciate your perspective on embracing the Achiever and allowing it to work in harmony with the soul. It’s a beautiful and refreshing approach that I will try. Thank you for this insight. 💙
May this one be the year of the snail 🐌 for all of us.
Really enjoyed your exploration of the tension between achievement and presence—your "Achiever" and "Fire Snail" metaphors bring it to life vividly! I wonder, though, what if this tension isn’t something we have to hold forever, but a sign of unresolved misalignment? I've found that when people gain deep clarity on their true direction, the need to balance these forces fades. Presence and purpose stop feeling like opposing forces and instead become mutually reinforcing. Perhaps the Achiever doesn’t need to be tamed so much as redirected, because once it’s aligned with what genuinely matters, striving and stillness can coexist without conflict. Appreciate you sparking these reflections!
Steve, you’ve put into words something I’ve been grappling with since exiting the company I spent 20 years building—driven by ego, by Achiever mode.
Your essay helped me articulate the difference between that chapter and what I’m now trying to "do" (or be?) with my second half of life (I’m 40).
Like you, I’m grateful for my Achiever—it gave me everything, including the luxury of contemplating all of this as I stand happily unemployed at this moment.
I’ve been deep in this reflection for the past two years, and your writing continues to resonate. Every piece you put out adds clarity to the journey—keep it up, and thank you!
Great stuff - thanks as always for sharing.