Happy Sunday Monday Friends!

This one’s going to be shorter; I have almost no connectivity since returning to Augusta, but it’s been pretty great!If you find it useful or interesting, please feel free to forward this along to some friends or others!

One Quote I’m Musing

“To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the rage of the sea falls still around it.”

-Marcus Aurelius

I’m sitting by the window in my Augusta home, typing this with intermittent internet, relying on my cellphone after Hurricane Helene wiped out most of the infrastructure back in Augusta. The storm took out more than just power lines and water mains—it took away the routines that keep everything moving smoothly (including my beloved internet). Strangely, it feels as though internet access has crept into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, right alongside food, water, and shelter.

Without the distractions of constant connectivity, I could have easily spiraled into frustration. No streaming, no easy work access, no mindless scrolling—just me, my family, and a lot of downtime. The usual comforts—steady internet, reliable power—are gone, and what remains is a quieter, more uncertain environment.

But without the constant distractions, we slow down, instead of focusing on what’s been taken away, on what we don’t have, we’ve shifted our attention to what we can do. The family is spending the extra time reading together, playing games, and engaging in the kind of connection that can be so easily overshadowed by screens. The chaos around us—both in the aftermath of the storm and the sudden disconnect from technology—also gives us an opportunity: presence, stillness free from the ever present tug of technology and algorithms.

That’s the thing about hardship: it brings the chaos, but it also gives us the chance to reconnect with the simpler, more important things we may have lost touch with. An opportunity for clarity. It forces us to focus on what truly matters, to find a sense of purpose in what needs to be done.

When the easy comforts of technology is gone, when life feels disrupted, we find new ways to fill that space. We could sit around, waiting for normalcy to return, or we can be the rock that Marcus Aurelius spoke of—the one that stands unmoved as the waves crash over it.

This idea was reinforced when, after the storm, I had to deal with a partially fallen tree on my property. It was a hazard that could have caused more damage if left alone. Rather than seeing it as just another problem, we saw it as a chance to act. Felling the tree wasn’t just about safety—it became a focus, a task that demanded precision and presence. As my chainsaw ate through the wood, the world quieted, and all the storm’s chaos faded into the background.

Together, my family and I turned a hazard into something useful: a cord of firewood, bundles of brush, moments of teaching, togetherness, and new skills. A shared sense of accomplishment. In those moments, the act of working through the aftermath was more than just a response to disaster. It became a way of transforming chaos into order, of finding stillness in doing. It gave me a chance to acknowledge the efforts of my children and tell them that I’m proud of them. Which children, especially now a days, need to hear.

When life is stripped of its usual comforts—whether it’s the loss of internet or dealing with the wreckage of a hurricane—it’s easy to focus on what’s been taken away. But what happens when we see it as an opportunity to grow, to build, to find peace in new places? To embrace the moment, be present, and make the most of what we have, even if it’s not what we’re used to?

As Marcus Aurelius reminds us, life will crash over us like waves. But it’s in those moments that we find our strength, our ability to stand firm and turn hardship into something useful. It’s in these times of chaos that we can choose to embrace stillness and make the most of the time we’re given.

-e

No Research This Week… I’m out chopping wood with my kids!

Favorite things?

20” Stihl Chainsaw

6lb Splitting Maul

A pair of loppers

Two five-year olds with so much energy to spend on stacking wood

A beautiful wife who will grab a rope and pull a tree down for you

One Question

Truly, is it just a hardship or could it be an opportunity to put in the work, to try it a different way?

Have a wonderful week,

I’ll see you Sunday.
​-e