I started journaling in the Otisville federal prison library. I needed an outlet. I needed a safe place to process all the crap coursing through my brain. I needed to get what was inside, out. Nine years later, I rarely miss a day. I used to count the days and…

The weather was outstanding in the Northeast last week, and I decided to take full advantage by going to the beach. Thankfully, it’s only a 5-minute drive. There’s nothing like sitting on the beach in CT in the middle of April. I sat at the edge of the beach right…

3 experiences I’ve created that seemed utterly impossible when I was incarcerated. Delivering a TEDx Publishing an Amazon Best-Seller Traveling the world for speaking (booking into 2024 already) I’m wickedly grateful for the 3 experiences above; they’ve changed my life. All 3 ideas were born in federal prison, they were…

If you consistently ask yourself, “Is this all there is?” you’re living superficially. And when you settle for living superficially w/o ever going deeper you: Feel empty Feel stuck Feel lost Here’s the thing: You’ll never find a rich, deep, and meaningful life on the surface; it requires excavation and…

I wrote an Amazon review for one of my favorite authors this week. As a writer, I know how critical reviews are to a book’s visibility on Amazon. His work has helped me tremendously, and it was something small I could do to say, “Thank you.” He and I have…

I was a landscaper in my teens and early twenties, and I planted hundreds of trees during that time. The homeowner would show me where they wanted their tree planted, and I would trace a circle in the grass outlining where I would dig. Shovel in hand and a pick…

19 Steps I Took While Writing “Blank Canvas, How I Reinvented My Life After Prison.” 1. Read Beautiful Writing: I’d read (still do) what I believed was beautiful writing. And then, one day, while I was in prison, I took it to another level. …

I checked all the boxes I thought I had to check. I had the career, the cars, the homes, the watches, the clothes, and the VIP status at the hot restaurants. I did more than check them; I excelled at them. But there was one box that wasn’t checked, and…

5.9.23 It hit me when I wrote the date in my journal this morning. I don’t want to say I forgot, but another circumstance directly related to May 9th was at the forefront of my mind, obscuring the beauty of this day. The other circumstance is one of fear and…