Seek Out the People (and Places) That Inspire You
Inspiration isn’t passive. You have to put yourself in the places where it lives—whether that’s a gym, a baseball field, the woods, or a gallery. And when you do, it changes you.
You’re Not Talking to Everyone. You’re Talking to the Ones Who Are Listening.
I got bullied on Reddit last week for saying something sincere.
It wasn’t even controversial—just a thoughtful, earnest reply in a thread about coaching youth baseball. Someone snarked back. The crowd rewarded him. My comment got downvoted like I’d brought a library book to a knife fight.
The message was clear: You care too much, man.
And for a moment, I questioned myself.
Was I too earnest? Too soft? Too out of step?
But here’s what I’ve come to believe:
You’re not talking to everyone.
You’re talking to the ones who are listening.
Some people just aren’t ready for sincerity.
It makes them uncomfortable. It forces them to feel. And in spaces where sarcasm is currency, caring too much looks like weakness.
But that’s not weakness. That’s courage.
That’s leadership.
Because anyone can throw out a clever insult.
But staying kind in a room full of critics? That takes real strength.
It’s like a Jedi trick they don’t even see coming.
So no, I wasn’t too earnest.
I was being the kind of man I’d want my kids to learn from.
And if even one person saw that and thought, “That’s the kind of coach or dad I want to be,”—then it mattered.
If you missed the first post, where I wrote about this moment as a parenting lesson, you can read it here.
“Know what’s enough. Build what matters.”
“Know what’s enough. Build what matters.”
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