Emerging Strength

05/23/2026

Wanting wanting wanting.

Most people struggle with a desire for consumption. Could be alcohol, drugs, s*x, attention, complicated coffee, cars, and so much more.

Some if this is about getting relief from things we don't feel any control over. There are many reasons to gain mastery over your desires for more.

Figure out what's really important to you and stop wasting resources on what's unimportant. If it doesn't matter to you, then let it go. Concentrate resources elsewhere.

The average car payment in 2026 is $785. The graph below, explains one reason why all this wanting, wanting, wanting costs you a future. What does your future self really need you from you right now?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18uqYwdfBA/

📊 Investing $1,000 a month at 7% annual growth, the first $100K takes about 79 months to reach.

The second $100K arrives in roughly 54 months, because the $100K already invested is now compounding alongside new contributions.

By $200K, the acceleration is visible: the third $100K takes 41 months, the fourth takes 33 months.

The 14th milestone, from $1.3M to $1.4M, takes under 12 months.

At $1.9M, the portfolio generates approximately $11,000 a month in growth at 7% annual returns.

That puts the 20th milestone, from $1.9M to $2M, at roughly 8 months.

The first $100K takes nearly 10 times longer to earn than the last.

This assumes a consistent 7% annual return with contributions reinvested and no withdrawals.

Sequence of returns risk means the actual timeline near retirement can vary significantly from these projections.



P.S. Every Friday I send a short email with the week's top post, my take on the best article I read, and what I'm writing about on the site. Link in the comments.

The content shared here is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not personalized investment, tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult a licensed professional before making decisions based on your specific situation.

05/22/2026

For years I have noticed people with anxiety often gravitate to cleaning and organizing. This article discusses that pretty well.

A Simple Chore Could Help Calm Your Mind, And It's Popular With Zen Monks : ScienceAlert

It's spring cleaning season, and for some people that can mean drudgery or anxiety.

05/06/2026

Been thinking about how we get lost sometimes, in our thoughts, feelings, memories, judgments, and expectations. And wanted to share a resource that I have appreciated.

This book, is written in a way that can be really helpful. When you are not sure where you stand. For example:

Chapter 1: Places We Go When Things Are Uncertain
Chapter 5: Places We Go When Things Aren't What They Seem

I find that personally and professionally, this "not knowing where you stand" is happening more and more often to all of us. AND there are things you can do about it.

The first thing I do is figure out what I am feeling. Like a lot of people that usually starts with "ok" or "I don't know". Those are not feelings. So I keep working.

The second thing I do, is the ACT Matrix. And if I am still unclear about where I stand, I go back to Brene Brown's, Atlas of the Heart. It has been really helpful.

We find our strength when we understand where we stand and how that shapes our feelings.

04/23/2026

Relationships can be complicated.

Do you find that in your relationship you or your partner is frequently the least interested in something (s*x, where to eat, cleaning the house, planning a vacation)?

The least interested party is the one who holds the most power.

It makes you wonder about the social contract between the parties. And as a fallout of that, the viability of the relationship.

Be cautious, this pattern can destroy relationships.

Learn to share the remote, plan together, validate feelings you don't understand. Try saying, yes and before that let's try...

04/05/2026

Stuck in Neutral: Why Starting "Real Life" Feels So Hard Right Now (And How to Get Moving)

If you are between 18 and 25 years old or you’re parenting someone who is, you might feel like the engine is revving, but the car isn’t moving.

We see this every day with our clients. Many young adults today are incredibly self-aware, but they feel stuck. The truth is, a lot of the "normal" challenges previous generations faced, like navigating the world without a GPS or a safety net, were actually training sessions for the brain. Without those "reps," the real world can feel like a high-stakes minefield instead of a place to learn.

The "Anxiety" Misunderstanding

That uncomfortable friction you feel when trying something new isn't always "anxiety". Don't avoid this, embrace it because it is the stimulus your brain needs to grow. When we mistake growth for a signal to stop, we end up stagnant. Over time, stagnation creates "I can’t do this" beliefs. This is why therapy is such a powerful tool, not because something is "broken," but to help clear out those self-limiting thoughts so you can see your own potential again.

The 10x Reality Check

Because there is a decade of missed experiences to make up for, the old advice of "taking one small step" usually isn't enough. To get that momentum back, we have to turn up the intensity.

Independence is a skill, and like any complicated skill, it takes more than we expect. It’s helpful to go in knowing that:

It will take 10x more effort than you think.
It will take 10x longer than you want it to.
It will require 10x more grit than you feel like giving.

The Good News: You’re Wired for This

Even if you feel stuck, there is a natural drive inside you. A biological imperative signaling you to get going. It's trying to push you forward. Your brain is incredibly adaptable and ready to learn; it just needs the activity to prove it. Evidence of this may show up as a feeling like you are behind the learning curve, or losing the race. These feelings are fuel to be ignited for developing your character strength to stand on your own.

For the Parent: The best way to help is to move from "fixer" to "consultant." Stop doing things for them. It's a disservice to take away their experiences. Let them feel (experience) the struggle—it’s where their confidence and growth will actually be built.

For the Emerging Adult: Action is the way. Your mental chatter is often holding you back, tell your brain you're committed to trying new things and learning from them. Lean into the discomfort, embrace the 10x effort, and trust the process that has worked forever.

You aren’t broken, defective, or less than your ancestors. You're inexperienced.

Here is a simple system to apply to daily life. Do 4 tasks for your daily survival, do 3 tasks that make tomorrow easier, do 2 tasks for personal growth, and 1 task to make next week easier. That's 10x daily.

This system can be applied to building a life you love, becoming the person you want to be, earning respect, and finding belonging in an adult world. You can contribute and you can make a difference.

03/09/2026

Here's our latest blog post with a few ideas for how to deactivate your stress alarm and recover from modern living.

The modern world is designed to keep you activated. Choosing to deactivate is an act of strength. The more you do it the stronger you will be.

You don't get stronger the first time you pick up a weight; you get stronger when you recovery from the weight you picked up. Here are a few ideas for practicing recovery.

https://emergingstrength.com/blog/healing-the-modern-mind--deactivating-stress-and-building-strength--one-actionable-moment-at-a-time

03/01/2026

At Emerging Strength we help people find their strength to build a life they love.

I was working on financial strength today. It's been a brutal 3 months. Lots of big expenses and I feel defeated.

So I turned to an educational podcast by Ray Dalio. He said, most people ask how to get rich and he says that's the wrong question.

We should start by asking, what would guarantee staying poor forever, and how can those things be avoided?

02/28/2026

Do you want to refine yourself and be better than you were last year?

Do the hard work you've been avoiding.

Did you notice what just popped into your mind? Was it the hard work you have been afraid to do? No? Wait for it...That's what you need to do.

Engaging in hard work is the most refining process you can engage in over the course of your life.

Embrace this process in the major domains of your life: relationships, finances, personal growth, fitness, mental health, etc.

02/27/2026

Do you rely on your mind to make a living?

This can cause us to trust our mind in situations where it isn't helpful.

For example, you want to do something physically difficult like 100 push ups or hike to Mt Le Conte (10mi round trip). Your mind will start telling you to quit when there is discomfort. Discomfort occurs long before any risk of physical failure is real.

We must learn to override the message that says, it's too much.

Be warned, when you tell your brain you want to keep going, it will not be convinced. It will resort to giving you evidence as to why you should stop.

We must learn to say, one more.

We get stronger and experience joy, gratitude, and peace by embracing voluntary suffering. The juxtaposition of suffering to good things is a corner stone of mental health.

02/25/2026

When fear is present we lose two important things, our sense of time and how hard we worked.

Losing these senses distorts everything. We think we worked a long time, and we tried really hard.

When things are hard and fear shows up, don't give yourself an easy out. Learn to grind longer and push harder.

Take the pickle jar test.

The next time you can't open your pickle jar, get a stop watch to measure exactly how long you actually tried to twist it open.

If you failed, try again. This time use more strength. Find another level and try harder for longer.

Notice how leaning into this changed your experience of trying.