#2 The Fellowship

Hi wonderful people!

My life is guided by four pillars: Society, Nature, Human Psychology, and Spirituality. Each requires its own investment and care.

I’ve come to realize that sharing all four pillars is essential. A chair can’t stand on just one leg, and neither can I thrive without investing in these areas.

My focus is on helping you live happier and healthier lives, and these pillars are the foundation of that mission.

Quote from my week:

"The energy of a conversation flows to the person who is the least free."

Enjoy!

Society (US Health System)

This is a formative moment for the US health system, marked by a gradual collective awakening. We have the most sick people we have ever had, but emerging policy changes have the potential to reshape everything.

Historically, the health agencies designed to safeguard our well-being have been corrupted by institutions incentivized to profit from illness. Big Pharma and major food companies (really the cigarette companies) have set the standards and funded research to serve themselves. As a result, 76% of Americans are overweight or obese, and 93% have metabolic issues (I explore in more detail here).

This has made it clear how deeply interconnected our government is with our health system. Meaningful change will happen when we work with these systems rather than against them. Those leading our health institutions hold the power to establish standards, enforce accountability, and shape the future of health policy.

In a big step forward, Dr. Marty Makary was appointed Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of our food and medicine. Dr. Makary, a surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins, has been an outspoken advocate for healthcare transparency and reducing unnecessary medical procedures. His focus is on restoring scientific integrity and standards for food and medicine.

Changes at the top, combined with individual efforts to adopt healthier habits, will serve as the catalyst for transformation. Good health is a universal value, and recognizing the preciousness of life reminds us that without caring for our bodies, we risk losing sight of life’s true purpose.

Nature

In the past few weeks I’ve been leaning into my love for nature.

Austin has a lot of it.

Most mornings, I run along the Green Belt, a serene, forested path filled with greenery and towering trees. Heaven.

Earlier this week, during one of my runs, I was dodging rocks and roots, soaking in the sound of chirping birds, and feeling the morning air when I heard a noise in the distance: music.

At first, I thought it must be coming from a speaker. But as I got closer, the sound grew to be classical. As I turned the corner, I saw a man standing amidst a beautiful rock structure, playing the most moving music on his violin. Around him, three people were meditating. No one paid me any attention as I paused my watch and stood there, experiencing the present moment. The music, the birds, the trees—it was a reminder of our deep interconnectedness with nature.

If you’re ever in Austin and want to experience this magic, turns out it’s a thing! Look up my man, award-winning violinist Will Taylor— stringsinthewoods.

Human Psychology

The more I understand myself, the more I can create an environment and life that aligns with my strengths.

Understanding myself means stepping away from the identity and stories I’ve carried for years: You are this. You are that. You can’t do this or that.

Hogwash.

I recently read a book called Writing to Awaken. In one of the chapters, it explores how we often mistake the identity given to us by others as our true self, instead of uncovering who we genuinely are.

The story goes:

A group of tigers left a cub, Leo, alone in the forest. A herd of sheep found him and raised him as one of their own. Leo learned to bleat like a sheep, walk like a sheep, and eat grass like a sheep. As time passed, Leo did everything a sheep does.

One day, another tiger found Leo jumping around like a sheep. The tiger took Leo to a pond and asked him to look at his reflection. For the first time, Leo saw himself for what he truly was—a tiger. Slowly, Leo began learning to roar. At first, it was weak and awkward, but after many tries, Leo finally let out a great roar of freedom. He understood who he really was.

Most of us live like Leo. As sheep. Shaped by the stories and labels we grew up with, mistaking them for our truth.

I have been on my own journey of self understadning. One tool I’ve found helpful (and recommend to friends) is My Human Design. When I discovered my energy type, I used ChatGPT, asking questions like: Where does this type get its energy? What do we often forget? Where are we at our best?

Using these insights, I have stepped closer to a life of alignment and truth. If you are curious to learn more, I recommend checking that tool out.

Once you get your energy type, here are additional helpful resources: Generator | Manifesting Generator | Manifestor | Projector | Reflector

Spirituality

Life has been moving fast. And even faster when I’m in alignment.

Over the past two weeks, each day has been just as full and unique as the last. It’s as though leaning into the things that give me the most energy opened the floodgates.

It felt like God and the universe responded in kind, filling my life with moments and experiences that gave me life.

At one point, my schedule hardly mattered because, no matter what I planned, something entirely unexpected would unfold. What I didn’t realize at first, though, was how little time I was taking to recharge. I’d sit down to work, and, almost as if on cue, I would run into someone I knew or someone would sit next to me and a convo ensued. I invited the convos because of the meaning each held. By the end of the week, I hadn’t accomplished much “work,” but I had a wealth of stories and new relationships to show for it.

This past week, though, I needed to focus. I avoided the places where these synergistic encounters kept happening. I got work done, but it felt like the magic dissipated.

In retrospect, I need both in my life: the yin and the yang, the entrepreneur and the coach. Many of my friends embody the yang—masculine energy, entrepreneurial drive, and the ambition to build. But I’ve also been seeking the yin—feminine energy, spirituality, and life’s natural flow.

Then I realized I can give both to myself.

Everything we seek is within us.

That wraps up the second edition of my newsletter. If it resonated with you, I’d love for you to share it with a friend who might find value in it too. I’m excited to see what’s next on this journey!

Book I Just Read: Good Energy by Casey and Calley Means

Company I’m Exploring: Superpower — my man Aidan Murphy is doing some incredible work here!

Best Recent Purchase: A portable hammock! Great addition for my nature adventures.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday everyone!

— Ben