The Cost of Being Different

Today’s Topics

• Put the Work In 🪖

• Your Private Island 🏖️

  3 Mins Read Time

Put the Work In 🪖
By Jo

If you haven’t experienced failure or embarrassment—and don’t know how to handle it when it comes—then honestly, I don’t even want to be friends like that. I’ve been through enough, and I know you probably have too.

Let’s work on calling a spade a spade, bro. Most people can’t handle their insecurities when someone points them out. Sometimes it’s meant to annoy you, sure. But other times it’s because someone actually cares and wants to see you win.

The problem is, most people don’t know how to control the way they receive the message when it hits. They freeze, get defensive, or let pride take over. Even worse, a lot of people can’t translate hate, illusions, or lies into constructive criticism—or flip the narrative in their favor.

Here’s where thinking different comes in. That mindset is costly because it sets you apart. People may not get you at first. They may criticize, doubt, or even dismiss you. But if you can train yourself to see things differently—especially in a way that benefits you moving forward—you’ll realize how valuable that really is. Thinking different sharpens problem-solving, helps you filter out distractions, and keeps your focus locked on what matters most.

The world doesn’t owe you anything. You’ve got to take the nonsense, the negativity, the rejection—and form it into something positive for yourself. That’s the work. That’s the growth.

The Golden Rule: So put the work in. Fail, get embarrassed, fall flat on your face if you have to. Just don’t waste the lesson. And if you’re bold enough to think different, be ready to pay the price—but also reap the rewards.

Your Private Island 🏖️

By Marcus

Ever get the feeling you need to step back from everyone?

Sometimes the world around you becomes too much, and you just need to get away from it all.

That’s harder to do now with technology, smartphones, and algorithms designed to farm your attention, create the illusion of choice, and “guide” your emotions. If those algorithms ever became open-source (wishful thinking, I know), the truth many avoid would likely be proven.

As attached as we are to these tools and apps, stepping away—even briefly—can have a surprisingly positive and enlightening impact.

Having a place, time, or activity that lets you disconnect from the world and reconnect with yourself might be the necessity you didn’t know you needed.

Isolation Yields Discovery

People change over the course of their lives. But for many, those changes are only realized through isolation and reflection.

We process so much on a daily basis that it’s easy to lose track of how we’re changing as individuals.

Intentional isolation is often misunderstood. People may see it as being distant, weird, or antisocial. They’ll jump to judgment without understanding.

But along the way, you may discover:

• Opportunities for growth you overlooked

• Shifts in how you approach problems and life

• Which relationships still serve you—and which don’t

• A solution to an old problem or perhaps the root cause

• Your purpose, or what truly recharges your battery

• An idea that changes how you see and engage with the world

Your Private Island

I hope you have a place where you can focus on yourself for a while. Even if it’s briefly.

You may gain perspective—or the clarity to tackle the next round of challenges life throws at you.

Don’t be afraid to step away from the mainstream. It’s okay to disconnect and rediscover who you are.

Find your private island. Find your peace.

Fall is on the way…