Sunday Sendoff #57: Plant Seeds

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

We live in a world that wants things NOW.

We want overnight success. We want instant results.

But some of the best things in life take time.

A capable body. A meaningful career. A healthy relationship. Close friendships. Financial security. Experience and wisdom.

None of those come about quickly.

They’re grown over time, like a tree from a seed.

You plant the seed.

You water it.

You care for it.

Day after day.

Year after year.

At first, it doesn’t look like much is happening.

Then one day, you realize you’ve been growing something all along.

Every workout is a seed.

Every dollar you save is a seed.

Every book you read is a seed.

Every new skill you learn is a seed.

Every word you type is a seed.

Every hour you spend with your kids is a seed.

Most seeds don’t reward you immediately.

That’s what makes them so easy to neglect.

But your future is often determined by the seeds you’re willing to plant today.

The beautiful thing is, many of the trees you plant won’t just benefit you.

They’ll provide shade for your family. Your friends. Your community. Maybe even people you’ll never meet.

So don’t get discouraged if the results aren’t immediate.

Keep planting.

Keep watering.

Keep showing up.

One day you’ll stand in the shade of trees you planted years ago, grateful you started when you did.

Guiding Principle

Plant trees your future self will thank you for.

Something to Ponder

What seed could you plant today?

It doesn’t have to be a big one.

An email. A walk. A workout. A page. A dollar. An apology. A new idea.

Small seeds can become mighty trees.

See You In the Arena

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

Brick by brick.

Sonny the Alien: The Heat

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Sonny the Alien

Earth Log Entry #24: Summer Sizzle

Sonny, Chad, and Vanessa stumble through the front door.

Sonny put down his Menard’s bag. “Why is the planet trying to kill us?”

Chad slipped his shoes off and looked at his phone. “It’s only…95 degrees.”

Sonny looked over at him. “ONLY?”

Vanessa plopped down on the couch. “I drank my entire water bottle before we even got to Target.”

Chad chuckled. “Rookie mistake!”

Sonny sat down on the couch next to Vanessa. “The inside of the truck was the temperature of a young star.”

Vanessa laughed. “I burned my leg on the seatbelt buckle.”

Sonny looked out the window. “The humidity makes the air seem like you’re swimming through it.”

Chad grinned. “Welcome to Minnesota summers.”

Sonny frowned. “I do not approve.”

Chad walked over and sat down in front the of the air conditioner. “AHHH…this is giving me life.”

Sonny looked over. “Is he charging?”

Vanessa smiled. “Pretty much.” She got up and started toward the kitchen. “Anyone want something to drink?”

Chad looked over. “Yes. Bring everything!”

Sonny nodded. “Everything.”

Vanessa laughed. “Everything it is.”

Sonny looked over at Chad. “I’ve been sweating since Tuesday.”

Chad didn’t look up from the air conditioner. “We’ll be sweating until October.”

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Dale opened the door and sauntered in, Margarita in hand. There was another man with him. Tall. Muscular. Like an upgraded version of Dale. “Hey, y’all. Hot enough for ya out there?”

Sonny looked over. “I do not approve.”

Chad didn’t look up, and just moaned.

Vanessa walked in, arms full of every drink you can imagine. “Oh. Dale. Hi. Who’s this?” She asked, gesturing towards the man.

Dale laughed. “Oh yeah! This is my younger brother Randy. He came down for some truck parts. Randy, that’s Vanessa. Sonny right here. And over there sucking down the AC is Chad.”

Randy tipped his beat up Packers ball cap. “Nice to meet y’all.”

Vanessa put the drinks down on the table. “Packers fan, huh? Here you guys, have a seat on the couch.” She pointed to the other couch.

Randy smiled. “Guess you could say that.” Dale and Randy settled onto the couch.

Chad looked up from the air conditioner. “You look like a buff Alan Jackson.”

Randy chuckled. “I stay in shape.”

Sonny studied him carefully. “It seems you are on the upper end of human height, fitness, and muscularity. A true genetic outlier. Impressive.”

Randy shrugged. “Guess you could say that. Ya ain’t too shabby yourself.”

Sonny smirked. “Well thank you.”

Vanessa looked over at Sonny. “Don’t give him a big head.” She popped open a sparkling water and looked back over at Randy. “So where do you live, Randy?”

Randy adjusted his ball cap. “Just outside of Wahpeton, North Dakota.”

Dale took a sip of his margarita. “He comes down a couple times a year.”

Sonny’s eyes widened. “Wahpeton…in the fertile Red River Valley.”

Chad chimed in, still sitting in front of the air conditioner. “Sounds cold.”

Randy chuckled. “Good land. Hot right now.”

Sonny nodded thoughtfully. “The climate appears…unfavorable.”

Randy shrugged. “We get through it.”

Sonny leaned forward. “What’s your strategy?”

Randy took a sip of the iced tea Vanessa had handed him. “Summer, you dress lighter. Winter you dress warmer.”

Sonny blinked. “It’s that simple?”

Randy nodded. “Pretty much.”

Sonny looked toward Vanessa. “I believe he has mastered adaptation.”

Vanessa smiled. “Most of us just call it dressing for the weather.”

Sonny looked at Randy. “Consistently solving life’s greatest challenges with simple solutions.”

Randy smirked. “Makes it easier.”

Sonny looked over at Dale. “I like him.”

Dale grinned. “Everybody likes Randy.”

Sonny took out his Earth Log device and began typing.

The weather on Earth can be hostile to life. Randy, Dale’s younger brother and a genetic specimen, has a simple solution: in the summer, you dress lighter. In the winter, you dress warmer. Profound. Chad appears to have bonded with the air conditioner.

Fitness Is Important, But It Should Not Be Your Life

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For years, I hid behind fitness.

I trained constantly. I obsessed over food. I skipped opportunities because they might interfere with a workout or a meal or my gainz.

I was in incredible shape, no doubt.

But I was also broke. I was aimless. I felt stuck.

I only felt like I had something in one place: the gym.

Looking back, I realized something.

Fitness can become a coping mechanism. It can become the thing you hide behind instead of facing the harder parts of life.

It’s healthier than alcohol or drugs.

But it can still become an escape.

Here’s the hard truth:

Fitness, by itself, doesn’t build wealth. It doesn’t build meaningful relationships. It doesn’t make you a better father. It doesn’t make you a better man.

Fitness, by itself, isn’t enough.

What fitness can do is support all that. It can run quietly in the background while you focus on the other important things.

And that’s where fitness is best.

Not when it’s your identity…but when it’s helping you feel better. When it’s helping you move better. When it’s helping you think more clearly. When it’s helping you have more energy. When it’s helping you be stronger for the people who depend on you. Yes, even when it’s helping you look better.

Fitness should be the foundation. It’s important, of course—but it’s not the whole house.

For years, I was trying to live on nothing but the foundation.

Today, I still lift weights. I still run. I still want to be fit.

But it lives to serve me…not the other way around. It’s not my life anymore.

In the end:

Don’t build incredible fitness while neglecting everything else that matters.

Put fitness in its place—and let it be a part of the better you.

Sunday Sendoff #56: Small Steps, Every Day

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

We love to think about the end goal.

Building 30 pounds of muscle. Doubling your income. Starting a million-dollar business. Running a marathon. Reading 100 books.

The problem?

This is putting the cart before the horse.

It leads to overwhelm. Paralysis. Putting things off until you’re “ready.”

The truth is, those things are accomplished one small step at a time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say.

Things happen quietly.

One training session. One chapter. One conversation. One lesson learned. One dollar saved. One kind gesture.

By themselves, those things don’t seem like much.

In fact, they can feel almost insignificant.

But here’s the secret:

Small steps compound.

A little bit each day.

String enough days together, and you’ll cover miles.

So go take a small step. Then take another tomorrow. And another the next day.

Years later, you’ll look back and realize you’re stronger, wiser, healthier, more skilled, and more confident than you were before.

Not because you made one giant leap.

Because you kept taking small steps.

Don’t underestimate the power of consistency.

A few training sessions each week become a muscular, strong, capable physique. A few extra pages each night become books you’ve finished. A few miles each week become races you’ve completed. A few thoughtful conversations become lasting friendships. A few improvements to your craft become expertise.

The little things have a funny way of becoming big things.

Just not overnight.

Guiding Principle

Take small steps. Cover big miles.

Something to Ponder

What small step could you take with the rest of today?

Then tomorrow. Then the next day.

What might your life look like a year from now if you simply started, no matter how small?

See You In the Arena

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

Brick by brick.

The Best Workout Is the One You’ll Do…To an Extent

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You’ll often hear people say, “The best workout is the one you’ll do.”

There’s a lot of truth to that.

A “perfect” program that you never follow isn’t better than a decent one you actually stick with.

But don’t let that advice become an excuse.

If your workout consists of randomly wandering around the gym, doing your favorite exercises, never challenging yourself, and never progressing…

You’re probably not going to get the results you’re hoping for.

Effective training still follows some basic principles.

Progressively challenge your muscles.

Train consistently.

Recover well.

Eat enough quality food.

Give it time.

You don’t need the perfect program, of course.

But you do need a program that’s enjoyable enough to keep you coming back—and structured enough to actually move you toward your goals.

The best workout isn’t just the one you’ll do.

It’s the one you’ll do consistently that actually works.

Sunday Sendoff #55: Don’t Tie Your Identity to One Thing

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

One of the biggest mistakes we can make is tying our identity to one thing.

One job. One hobby. One title. One relationship. One accomplishment.

It might feel safe.

But it isn’t.

When your entire identity rests on one thing, you become fragile.

Lose the job…

Who are you?

Get injured and can’t play your sport anymore…

Who are you?

Your kids grow up and move out…

Who are you?

A relationship ends…

Who are you?

Life changes.

It always does.

That’s why it’s dangerous to build your identity around something that can be taken away.

Become a well-rounded human instead.

Learn new skills. Pick up new hobbies. Read books. Lift weights. Run. Build something. Teach. Volunteer. Learn an instrument. Write. Travel.

Become curious. Become adaptable.

The funny thing is, the more dimensions your life has, the stronger each one becomes.

You’re no longer just a lifter.

You’re also a father. A friend. A craftsman. A teacher. An entrepreneur. A student. A creator.

If one chapter changes, the whole book doesn’t end.

You simply turn the page.

That’s freedom.

Guiding Principle

Don’t be a one-trick pony.

Something to Ponder

Have you become a bit one-dimensional? Why not try something new, build a new skill, and create new opportunities for yourself?

See You In the Arena

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

Brick by brick.

This 4th of July, Remember

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Muscle and Freedom: Declare Your Independence

Before the flags waving in the breeze. Before the burgers. Before the fireworks.

Take a minute.

Remember that the freedoms we enjoy today weren’t free.

They were earned by people willing to do extraordinary things. Scary things. Difficult things. Sometimes simply by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Parents who raised their children with character.

Workers who showed up every day and kept the country moving.

Entrepreneurs who built businesses that changed their communities.

Soldiers who carried out their missions.

First responders who ran toward danger when everyone else was running away.

Freedom survives because people choose responsibility.

So today…

Enjoy the food.

Laugh with your family.

Lift some weights.

Go for a run.

Play catch with your kids.

Call your parents.

Watch the fireworks.

And don’t forget to appreciate just how fortunate we are.

Not because our country is perfect—

But because we have the opportunity to keep making ourselves, our families, our communities, and our nation better.

Happy Independence Day.

Stay safe. Stay grateful. Stay strong.

Sunday Sendoff #54: What You Got

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Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

Comparison gets a bad reputation.

Most of the time, for good reason.

It can steal joy.

It can convince us that what we have isn’t enough.

This week, though, comparison did something unexpected.

I toured a beautiful old house.

It was huge.

Tall ceilings. Tons of rooms. Character everywhere. The kind of house that makes you stop and think, “Wow.”

But something funny happened on the way home.

I found myself appreciating my apartment even more.

It’s not perfect.

It’s not the quietest. Storage is…creative. Extra bedrooms would be nice. I’d love a garage someday.

But then I started thinking about everything my apartment is.

It’s where I write. It’s where I build websites. It’s where I sometimes train. It’s where my kids eat, sleep, and watch TV. It’s where ideas turn into projects. It’s where Brickwall grew. It’s where I’ve laughed, struggled, learned, and started building a better life.

It’s home.

(Not to mention I don’t have to worry about fixing things, mowing the lawn, foundation problems, moisture problems, and spending every weekend at Home Depot. 🤣)

Sometimes we’re so focused on the next thing that we forget to enjoy the thing we’re standing in.

The bigger house. The better job. The nicer car. The dream garage.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things.

In fact, I hope you keep chasing them.

Just don’t make the mistake of believing your life begins when you finally arrive.

Life is already happening.

Your apartment. Your first house. Your tiny office. Your beat-up car. Your budget gym.

These aren’t just places you’re passing through.

They’re chapters.

And someday, you’ll probably look back on them with more fondness than you expect.

Keep dreaming. Keep building.

But don’t forget to appreciate what you’ve already built.

Guiding Principle

Appreciate what you got, but keep striving for more.

Something to Ponder

Has your head been off in the clouds, thinking about what you don’t have?

Why don’t you come back down for a minute, look around, and appreciate all the good that’s already around you?

See You In the Arena

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

Brick by brick.