Finding Solace

the art of a perfect summer - #046

In today's episode, I talk about why the modern obsession with treating summer as a 90-day productivity bootcamp is completely ruining the most magical time of the year. It's so easy to fall into the trap of using the summer months strictly to optimize your future by endlessly grinding on a business or side hustle, but those aren't the summers you'll look back on fondly. Instead, I outline the formula for a renaissance summer and finding the perfect middle ground between rotting away on the couch and burning out from overwork. By picking just one specific, daily challenge to anchor your routine and spending the rest of your day deliberately saying "yes" to spontaneous, offline experiences with friends, you can actually build a lasting foundation for a happier, well-rounded life. --- Check out my habit tracking app:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://feelwrite.app/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://feelwrite.app/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the show? Buy me a coffee or become a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://solacespeaks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/solacespeaks] My bookshop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join The Discord: ⁠https://discord.com/invite/jreFGvRmGd [https://discord.com/invite/jreFGvRmGd]

this is your sign to go all in - #045

In today's episode, I talk about why doing things with half effort is the quickest way to end up going absolutely nowhere. Instead of falling into the toxic self-improvement trap of trying to juggle a million different "priorities" at once, I explain why you need to pick a singular focus and go all in. We explore the core lesson from the book Essentialism about preserving your energy for what actually matters, and draw inspiration from the movie Perfect Days to show how dedicating maximum effort to a simple task can bring profound fulfillment. Finally, I touch on the philosophy of Byung-Chul Han's The Burnout Society to remind us that when we choose to go all in on a goal, we should be doing it solely to meet our own internal standards of excellence—not for external validation or the approval of others. --- Check out my habit tracking app:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://feelwrite.app/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://feelwrite.app/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the show? Buy me a coffee or become a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://solacespeaks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/solacespeaks] My bookshop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join The Discord: https://discord.com/invite/jreFGvRmGd [https://discord.com/invite/jreFGvRmGd]

we are funding the world we hate - #044

In today's episode, I talk about how our constant pursuit of convenience is actually making us more disconnected, anxious, and lonely. While it is easy to blame corporations for the lack of community spaces and the rise of mindless consumption, the truth is that we are voluntarily voting for this world with our everyday choices and our wallets. We trick ourselves into thinking that drive-thrus, food delivery, and AI tools save us time for things we care about, but we usually just waste that saved time scrolling on our screens. Worse, we are now outsourcing the core experiences of being human (like thinking, writing, and connecting with others) to algorithms and apps. To break free from this passenger mode lifestyle, I share how we can reclaim our humanity by deliberately choosing inconvenience in small ways every day. By making the conscious effort to walk to a local coffee shop, go to the library, or just leave the phone at home, we introduce the healthy friction needed to build genuine relationships and make our neighborhoods feel alive again. --- Check out my habit tracking app:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://feelwrite.app/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://feelwrite.app/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the show? Buy me a coffee or become a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://solacespeaks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/solacespeaks] My bookshop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join The Discord: https://discord.com/invite/jreFGvRmGd [https://discord.com/invite/jreFGvRmGd]

how to make new friends in 2026 - #043

In today's episode, I talk about why making friends as an adult in 2026 feels so much harder than it did back in the golden days of 2010 gaming lobbies, and how we can actually fix it. I dive into how our constant reliance on smartphones and social media is creating an invisible barrier that blocks spontaneous, real-world connections. To help you break out of that cycle, I lay out a practical step-by-step guide to building lifelong relationships. We cover the importance of putting your phone away in public to invite natural interactions, how to strike up casual conversations using simple observations, and why diving headfirst into new, even weirdly niche hobbies gives you the perfect material to connect over. Finally, I explain why establishing a routine in your local community is the secret to getting those crucial repeat interactions, and exactly how to confidently "shoot your shot" to turn a casual acquaintance into a true friend. --- Check out my habit tracking app:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://feelwrite.app/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://feelwrite.app/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the show? Buy me a coffee or become a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://solacespeaks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/solacespeaks] My bookshop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join The Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/jreFGvRmG [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://discord.gg/jreFGvRmG]

why crushes are so painful - #042

Have you ever wondered why crushes are so painful? Have you ever thought about someone all day, even though you've never spoken to them before? In today's episode, I dive deep into the world of crushes and explain why they make you feel the way you do. --- Check out my habit tracking app:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://feelwrite.app/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://feelwrite.app/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the show? Buy me a coffee or become a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://solacespeaks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/solacespeaks] My bookshop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bookshop.org/shop/solacereads]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join The Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/jreFGvRmG [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://discord.gg/jreFGvRmG]