Approaching a Season of Gratitude

As Thanksgiving draws near, embodying the essence of thankfulness means harnessing your inner strength not just to conquer challenges but to uplift those around you with genuine gratitude. All of your victories — big or small — can be traced back to people, opportunities, and even setbacks that fueled your fire.

Think about how you can integrate gratitude into your daily grind like a ritual of resilience. Hit the gym not just to build muscle, but to honor the body that's carried you through storms. Lead your conversations with appreciation — thank your partner for their unwavering support, your team for their hustle, or even strangers for small acts of kindness that brighten your path.

Pausing to give thanks isn't slowing down — it’s accelerating, drawing from a well of endless motivation. Let the aroma of turkey and pie remind you of abundance, not entitlement. In a world craving real leaders, be the one who conquers with kindness, leads with legacy, and thanks the universe for every damn step. You've got this — now go own it.

A Navy SEAL’s Guide to Not Losing Your Mind in the Deer Stand

When it comes to fitness for enjoying the outdoors, we often focus on building our physical strength to make the most of our time in the fields and woods. If you don’t also dedicate some time to mental fitness, you could be missing out.

John Barklow, ex-Navy SEAL turned Sitka whitetail guru, calls it straight: the deer stand is a mental meat-grinder. No ridge to climb, no elk to chase—just you, the cold, and a brain begging for the truck heater. His fix? Treat your gut like a checkpoint: snack every 45 minutes, sip soup on the hour, and let each bite be a tiny “mission complete.”

Prep like you mean it—cold plunges, dialed gear, six years of tag lust—and the 12-hour sit shrinks to a playlist of small wins. Skip the homework and you’ll bail while the buck strolls past. Moral: the guy still smiling at shooting light fills the tag. Pack the thermos, gag the quitter, and let the deer blink first.

What are we reading?

Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride 

David DeSteno’s Emotional Success flips the script on grit: skip the willpower grind and lean into gratitude, compassion, and authentic pride instead. Backed by solid research and told in plain English, it’s the rare self-help book that feels like a coffee chat with a smart friend, short, practical, and genuinely useful. Perfect for anyone who wants to stick to goals without burning out.