The 4
FUNdamentals.

I am still a baby Christian finding his place in the world, but I consciously chose to walk with Jesus and God because they were always there. I have spoken their names since I was a kid in primary school, right up into my adult years — a 32-year-old man building a business by writing my thoughts coherently for anyone capable of ingesting the truth.

I honour them by not using their names in vain, holding the utmost respect for the Most High because He has had my back through all of this. Because of that grace, I am free. I am free to write, free to express my creativity, and free from the worldly nonsense that has nothing to do with me. I actively chose to unplug from their feeds to create my own.

The art of this digital renaissance is built through the asset of education — designed to challenge the hearts and minds of those who feel limited and unheard because they don't yet believe in their own art.

I call this trauma control. It means diving deep into the shit that makes you feel insane or afraid — and walking out knowing it won't physically destroy you. The alternative is doing self-harm just to prove to everybody that you're hurting. It's not worth it.

I know this from personal experience. Being a former stoner — even relying on legal medical cannabis here in Australia — wasn't enough to make me the true version of myself, or put me on the level of the artists and rappers I look up to. I begged God for the strength to quit, and it was so. I found myself entrenched in writing these essays because it feels good to speak in text. And I don't mean text messages — you really shouldn't be sending paragraphs to people anyway.

If you are constrained by complexity, or you don't know how (or want) to talk to a "health professional," do this instead:

Grace is found in those random "ah-ha" moments — or when things actually turn out okay simply because you gave a damn about yourself and pushed the needle.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is your life or your empire. I've spent the years from 25 to 32 navigating this "self-improvement" mumbo jumbo. I've survived the stupid red-pill cults, bought courses that delivered zero memorable knowledge, and failed at in-person business as a PT. But through all of that, I learned my true path forward is writing and making content that speaks in my own distinct cadence.

Views, likes, and shares are all nonsense — unless I am actually changing the hearts and minds of those in strife. I experience small triggers of inspiration from consuming the deep thinkers, the dream chasers, and the ones who went all-in on their lives, because working a standard 9-to-5 or a FIFO gig can only last so long.

Honestly, when I look at people on both sides of the spectrum — from online business operators to people in the trenches of hard labour — I get visions of how I can help both. It takes time, patience, trial, and error. We are social creatures designed to learn from one another, but the more prodigious bullshit we consume, the stupider we become.

Drop your fucking ego and be human. Get outside and be retarded. — Elisha Long

Here is a massive truth that most of you won't act on because of your ego: turn off your fucking notifications and delete social media.

Nobody will miss you unless you run a legitimate business — like branded ecom — that relies on it for financial gain. For everyone else, it just forces your monkey brain to absorb problems that aren't yours. Be realistic. Have enough self-respect for yourself and your loved ones who actually need your support during these alleged "tough times" to unplug.

Learn to take notes, regardless of whether you ever go back and read them. Write or type something multiple times a day to replace the TikToks, Reels, Shorts, and the cheap dopamine you've used to dig your own grave. You will only become truly free when you stop feeding your mind the exact poison that makes you submissive, angry, and incapable of hearing your own thoughts.

Make a thank-you video or message to the ones you love. Remember — your parents, siblings, aunties, uncles, and grandparents would really, really love a message, video, or call from time to time, just to know you're alive and healthy. Unless you already do that — then do more to show your love to them, or to anybody who has had your back in tough times.

We forget the little things are meant to be appreciated in gestures of good faith.