read before bed or in the early morning. my take away tonight. Don't you know that you yourselves are Gods temple and God dwells in your midst. 1 Corinthians 3:16

The way I see it, The Proving Grounds isn’t about being perfect it’s about showing up when most people would quit. Life, business, fitness, mindset… all of it gets tested here. Lately I’ve been pushing myself to stop overthinking and just take action. Even on days when I feel tired or unmotivated, I remind myself that this is where growth actually happens. This is the stage where you prove to yourself that you’re built for more. I joined this community because I want to keep challenging myself and stay consistent, no matter how messy the journey gets. If you’re here for the same reason, then we’re already on the same path. Let’s keep pushing and show ourselves what we’re really capab le of.

I spent years trying to engineer the "perfect" holiday memory. I usually ended up ruining the actual moment. I remember standing in the living room one year, sweating in a wool sweater that scratched like crazy. We were trying to take the "perfect" family Christmas card photo. The baby was crying, the dog was chewing the wrapping paper, and my wife was stressed out of her mind. And there I was, barking orders like a drill sergeant. "Just sit still! Smile! Look happy!" I was so focused on capturing the image of a happy family that I was making my actual family miserable. I wasn't present; I was performing. And the tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. I realized that day that I was trading connection for perfection. A perfect photo of a miserable family isn't a win. It’s a lie. The "good enough" holiday isn't about being lazy. It's about choosing presence over performance. My kids won't remember if the gingerbread house looked like a masterpiece or a disaster. They will remember if Dad was laughing with them or yelling at them about the frosting. We are here to be memory-makers, not stage directors. The men in this brotherhood know that the real magic happens in the messy, unplanned moments. 1. Where are you suffocating the joy in your home by demanding perfection right now? 2. What is one thing you can let be "messy" this week so you can actually enjoy your family? Your action today: Pick one "perfect" expectation you have for this month (the card, the meal, the decorations). Intentionally lower the bar. Choose to laugh at the chaos instead of fixing it.

I was deep in the grind, answering messages from dads who needed support and trying to build this business. I had convinced myself that what I was doing was "critical." I felt the pressure to get just one more post up. Then my son walked in. He looked at me and said, "Dad, come play with me." My thumb hovered over the screen. I started to tell him, "Just a minute, buddy, I have to finish this." I felt that pull—the addiction to the work, the need to feel productive. But then I looked at him. Really looked at him. I realized that the post could wait. The algorithm doesn't care about me. But this boy? He needs me right now. I only get this age once. I put the phone face down. We got on the floor. We dumped out the Legos and the Matchbox cars and we just played. We built a city and crashed the cars, and we had an amazing time. I realized something powerful on that floor. I do all this work to help other dads show up for their families. But I almost missed showing up for mine. You can't automate presence. You have to choose it. We work hard to build a future for our kids, but we can't let the building get in the way of the being. The real legacy isn't the business you build; it's the memories you make on the floor. 1. What "important task" are you letting steal time from your family today? 2. If your son or daughter wrote a story about you today, would the main character be you, or your phone? Your action today: Put the phone in a drawer. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Get on the floor and play blocks, throw a ball, or just listen. Be all there.