Sonny the Alien: The Love Holiday

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Earth Log Entry #9: Love Bites

Sonny had been awake for an hour. He sat at the kitchen table eating a protein bar and reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Chad shuffled in, half-conscious.

“Good morning, Chad,” Sonny said cheerfully.

“Morning,” Chad croaked.

Chad started his coffee and grabbed the newspaper. “Ahh, Valentine’s Day. Just another day for us single people.”

Sonny stopped chewing. “Valentine’s Day?” he asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

Chad didn’t look up. “Yeah. Holiday where you celebrate love with your special person and blah blah blah. What are you and Firecracker doing?”

Sonny slowly set his book down. “A…love holiday?”

“Yeah. Happens every year.”

“EVERY year? And it is TODAY?”

“Yep.”

Sonny stood abruptly and began pacing. “My romantic standing on this planet may be in jeopardy.”

He sat back down and stared intensely at Chad. “What is the minimum acceptable tribute?”

Chad sipped his coffee. “Red roses. Chocolates. Stuffed animal. Dinner. Some people go bigger.”

Sonny leaned closer. “If I fail to perform adequately, will Firecracker withdraw her warmth?”

Chad flipped to the sports section. “…Potentially.”

Sonny grabbed a notepad and began writing furiously. “Ten dozen red roses. Five boxes of chocolates. Three giant teddy bears. Dinner at Earth’s finest restaurant.”

Chad glanced over. “That’s way too much, dude.”

Sonny didn’t blink. “Overdeliver. Establish dominance.”

“She might be freaked out.”

Sonny stood, staring into the distance. “It is a risk I am prepared to assume.”

He grabbed his Earth Log Device and began typing.

Humans create holidays for many variables, including love. I was blindsided. I have recalibrated. I will dominate. Concern: Spatial limitations within my vehicular transportation.

What’s Your Story?

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Someone asked me this the other day: “What’s your story?”

And I froze.

I should know my own story, right?

But I hadn’t actually thought about how to tell it.

Most of us don’t. We live it, but we don’t frame it.

We move with intention, never stopping to define what we stand for, what we’ve built, or what we’re building toward.

But here’s the truth—the man who can tell his story clearly can shape his future clearly.

Your story is your compass.

It’s how people understand you, follow you, trust you.

Craft it. Sharpen it. Be ready to tell it with conviction—short, precise, intriguing, and real.

An elevator pitch for your life.

Because you never know when the next door opens, or who’s standing behind it.

Yes, the Gym Is Your Gym…but the World Is Your Gym, Too

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Yes, the Gym Is Your Gym...but the World Is Your Gym, Too

Yes, the gym is where the work gets done.

It’s where you track lifts. Chase progression. Build muscle with intention.

The gym is the forge.

But the forge is not the battlefield.

Musclebuilding was never meant to live under fluorescent lights alone.

If all your strength exists inside a building, it’s incomplete.

The Gym Builds Muscle. The World Builds Capacity.

Inside the gym:

  • Controlled tempo
  • Structured sets
  • Progressive overload
  • Measured rest

Outside the gym:

  • Terrain
  • Weather
  • Chaos
  • Play
  • Reactivity

The gym builds the physique.

The world builds the man.

What Feeds the Musclebuilder Outside the Gym? Examples

Run

Not as punishment. As power. Sprints. Hills. Shorter distances. Move your body through space.

Hike

Test your stamina, grit, and explore new places.

Bike

Build lungs. Save joints. Clear your head.

Hit a Calisthenics Park

Pull-ups in the sun feel different. No mirrors. Just gravity and grit.

Play with Your Kids—Actually Play

Sprint. Wrestle. Chase. Be the strong dad, not the tired spectator.

Pick Up a Sport

Competition sharpens timing, coordination, aggression.

Grab Kettlebells and Go Outside

Carries on uneven ground. Swings in the grass. Presses under the sky. Strength feels different when it meets the elements.

Why This Matters

The modern world is engineered for stillness.

Chairs. Screens. Climate control.

The Musclebuilder resists that.

He lifts…

…and he moves.

He doesn’t just look capable…

…he is.

Train in the gym.

Prove it in the world.

Capability

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What can you do?

Carry heavy things?

Sprint away from danger if life demanded it?

Walk long distances?

Break a fall, catch your kid, hold your ground?

But capability isn’t just physical.

It’s also emotional.

It’s also spiritual.

Can you keep faith when things look bleak?

Can you hold discipline when the world tests you?

Can you stay calm under pressure?

Can you take a hit, or two, or three, and keep moving forward?

Capability is the sum of a thousand small disciplines:

  • The reps you log (in and out of the gym)
  • The miles you walk (and run)
  • Everything physical
  • The books you read
  • The food you prepare
  • The nights of sleep
  • The habits you build
  • The storms you endure

Capability is not a gift.

It’s not luck.

It’s not talent.

It’s built.

Choice by choice.

Day by day.

Brick by brick.

Build capability…not out of paranoia. Not out of fear.

But out of respect—for life, for responsibility, for the people who count on you.

When life ask you the question, “What are you prepared to do?”

Be capable of answering, “Anything that needs doing.”

Rest & Relaxation

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You need R&R.

But not too much.

It’s a balancing act.

Too much R&R leads to stagnation—or worse, regression.

Too little and you’ll crash and burn out.

You need to stop sometimes, but remember life doesn’t.

Rest, then rise.

Relax, then return.

Find the balance, and you’ll keep building without breaking.

Is It the Destination or the Journey? Both

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People love to debate this one.

“It’s the journey that matters.”

“No, it’s the destination.”

The truth?

It’s both.

The journey shapes you.

The destination directs you.

Without a destination, you wander.

Without a journey, you stay weak.

The journey builds your discipline, your grit, your reps.

The destination gives those reps a reason.

One without the other is incomplete.

A man needs a mountain to climb.

And he needs the climb to become the man who stands at the summit.

Set your target.

Walk the path.

Grow as you go.

Mission in front.

Steps beneath you.

Forward, always.

Resistance Training

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In the gym, resistance stimulates muscle growth. No resistance, no reason to grow.

But resistance training isn’t limited to the gym. The chance to train with resistance is everywhere.

Writing when your mind wants to scroll. Reading when TV is easier. Tough conversations that are easy to avoid. Emails that need to be sent but you’re unsure.

Each is a battle. Each is a brick. Each is a chance to grow.

Don’t avoid resistance—embrace it.

Because if it feels heavy, it means you’re building.

Sunday Sendoff #34: Let It Go

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

We often hold a death grip on things.

We want control. We want to impose our will. We want things to go the way we planned.

A lot of the time, this backfires.

The tighter we grab, the more things seem to pull away.

Opportunities. People. Progress. Peace of mind.

And what’s funny?

The opposite usually attracts.

When we loosen our grip…

When we stop trying to force…

When we stop trying to control every outcome…

Things start to move toward us.

Because Builders don’t force life.

We prepare for it.

We show up. We do the work. We build ourselves into someone who is ready.

Ready for opportunity. Ready for growth. Ready for the right people. Ready for whatever comes next.

You don’t have to squeeze life into submission.

You just have to become the kind of man life wants to move toward.

Let go of the death grip.

Do the work. Stay ready.

And let it come to you.

Builder Principle

Release the outcome. Control the preparation.

Something to Ponder

What’s something you’ve been holding with a death grip? What would happen if you let it go?

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall