Back in the Ring
Hello again—it’s been a while.
I realized recently that I’d been winning—yet somehow still losing.
I’ve dropped the ball on writing for over a year, but in the words of Rocky Balboa:
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward—how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”
So here I am—back on my feet, metaphorical pen in hand—ready to put some good thoughts back out into the world.
Finding Your Center
Lately, I’ve been thinking about principles for life.
I’ve been reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and about 120 pages in, Covey introduces an idea that was like a squirt gun of cold water to the face. He talks about how each of us has a “center”—an internal compass that quietly governs our decisions, priorities, and sense of meaning.
Some people are friendship-centered.
Some are money-centered.
Some are work-centered, family-centered, or religious-centered.
Covey argues that the most stable and fulfilling way to live is to be principle-centered—to make daily decisions based on timeless principles rather than shifting circumstances. Principles, unlike goals or emotions, don’t change with the market, your mood, or your comparison set.
As Covey puts it:
“Principles are not values. A gang of thieves can share values, but they are in violation of fundamental principles.”
The Uncomfortable Truth
That distinction hit me harder than I expected.
Because I realized something uncomfortable:
For the past five-plus years, my center has largely been money.
Most of my career and life decisions have been filtered through one question:
What gives me the greatest financial upside right now?
And to be clear—money isn’t bad. It matters. It provides stability, opportunity, and options. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being a tool and became part of my identity.
There were months where I hit financial goals I’d dreamed about—and still felt anxious. Not satisfied or settled. Just… behind. Like if I wasn’t making more, faster, then something must be wrong.
I’d catch myself thinking:
“If I’m not making buckets of money, I must be failing.”
There’s always another benchmark. Another comparison. Another finish line that moves just as you think you’re getting close.
What the Research Shows
What’s interesting is that research backs this up. Psychologists studying motivation have found that people who organize their lives primarily around extrinsic goals—money, status, image—tend to report lower long-term well-being than those centered on intrinsic principles like growth, contribution, and relationships. Money improves comfort, but it’s a poor compass for living a good life.
Re-Centering Around Principles
Since reading that chapter, I’ve decided to be far more intentional about re-centering my life around principles—things that ground me and orient me regardless of circumstances.
Principles like:
- integrity over optics
- growth over comparison
- stewardship over accumulation
- consistency over intensity
This isn’t about rejecting ambition or pretending money doesn’t matter.
It’s about choosing a compass that doesn’t spin every time circumstances change—one that points somewhere steady, even when progress feels slow or invisible.
A Better Way Forward
I don’t have this fully figured out yet. But I do know this:
Chasing money alone feels like running on a treadmill that never turns off.
Living by principles feels more like walking a trail—longer, slower, but actually headed somewhere.
And that feels like a better way to live life.
Questions for you:
What’s been at the center of your life lately?
What’s an upcoming decision you can make based on principle?