Can we just be honest for a minute?The holidays are the worst. Yeah, I said it. The holidays are absolutely terrible. I’ll say it with no shame: I am 100 percent a Scrooge this time of year. It’s not that I dislike the idea of the holidays. Honestly, I like the idea of slowing down, showing a little reverence, and spending quality time with family. I even enjoy a few Christmas movies. (Michael Caine as Scrooge is still one of the best portrayals ever put on screen—fight me.) But let’s be...

I’ve either owned or helped run several karate studios in my life—some with resounding success, others with abysmal failure. Owning and operating your own business is fraught at best. At times it can feel incredibly difficult, and at other times unbelievably rewarding. In many ways, it’s a lot like raising kids. After COVID shut down my last studio, I even swore I was done with martial arts. Yet somehow, I always find my way back. Recently, I read an article in Men’s Health about the...

Keeping the stoke high can be incredibly difficult. There are times I catch myself asking, Why do I keep this up? Why do I always feel the need to push so hard? Why can’t I just slow down and coast for a while? Sure, I could do the bare minimum and probably be marginally happy. But the truth is — I wouldn’t be happy. I’d be bored . And while I try to make space in my life for stillness and rest, that kind of boredom would drive me insane. I’ve had friends laugh when I talk about the idea of...