Project Reclaim

How many times have we started something meaningful, made a little progress, and then decided one difficult day meant we needed to begin again?

In this episode of Project RECLAIM, we explore why a fresh start can feel so appealing, and how perfection can keep us dismantling work that still matters. Through the story of a man who never finishes his boat, we look at the difference between fixing a problem and turning it into a judgment about who we are.

We talk about flexible consistency, honest adjustments, and learning to return after an interruption. We also consider when changing course is the responsible choice, and how to take a useful next step with the time and energy we actually have.

What is one thing in your life that needs a repair rather than another beginning?

We say yes, then wonder why we feel resentful. Sometimes we’ve agreed to more than a favor. We’ve agreed to keep being the person who never needs anything.

In this episode, we explore how being dependable can become the way we earn our place in a relationship. We talk about the difference between being appreciated and being known, and why disappointing someone can feel harder than acknowledging what we need.

Being of service matters. So does having enough left to keep showing up. This conversation looks at honest limits, the discomfort that comes with saying no, and making room for ourselves among the people worth caring for.

Where have we been saying “it’s no problem” when it actually is?

A painful experience can keep happening in your mind long after the event itself is over.

In this episode of Project RECLAIM, we explore the Buddhist teaching of the two arrows and the suffering we add through self judgment, replaying the past, and turning mistakes into statements about who we are. We look at how to separate facts from the stories we create, hold ourselves accountable with compassion, and choose a useful response.

When you notice yourself reaching for that second arrow, what would help you put it down?

For a long time, I thought getting wealthy meant making more money.

Then I started noticing the time, health, relationships, and peace I was giving up to get it.

In this episode, I talk through four types of wealth: financial, time, physical, and relational.

I share how my own definition of success has changed, why buying back your time later can be a risky plan, and what it means to have a body and relationships that let you enjoy the life you’re building.

I also look at the trades we make between those four areas and how a temporary sacrifice can quietly become a way of life.

The point is to understand what you’re spending to get what you want, and whether the trade still makes sense.

Where are you wealthy right now, and where are you going broke?

Most of us have been taught that if something isn’t working, we need to try harder. A lot of the time, that’s good advice. But have you ever tried really hard to fall asleep? Or put so much pressure on a relationship that it started to feel strained?

In this episode, I talk about what happens when effort turns into force. I share what martial arts taught me about unnecessary tension, a story from Alan Watts about holding on too tightly, and why happiness and creativity often show up when we give them some room.

I also talk through three questions that can help you figure out whether to keep pushing or loosen your grip.

Where in your life are you trying so hard to make something happen that you might be getting in its way?

What if the thing that once saved you is now the thing holding you back?

In this episode, we explore the Buddhist parable of the raft and how the habits, beliefs, identities, and coping mechanisms that helped us through one chapter can become baggage in the next.

Sometimes growth isn’t about adding something new.

It’s recognizing what you no longer need to carry.

The raft wasn’t the problem.

Refusing to put it down was.

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I’ll be happy when…”?

When I lose the weight. When I make more money. When the business takes off. When I find the right person.

When I finally get the house, the freedom, the life I’ve been working toward.

But what happens when you actually get there… and you still feel exactly like you?

So let's talk about the arrival fallacy: the belief that happiness is waiting for us at some future destination.

Because if we’re constantly waiting to arrive before we allow ourselves to enjoy your life, there’s a good chance we’ll spend our entire life chasing a finish line that keeps moving.