Going back and forth, finding balance seemed impossible to achieve, and it never seemed to end. But there were moments when I achieved serendipity. When I experienced balance while facing the two opposing views.

The Dichotomy of Life

For me, before knowing extreme ownership, I found myself wanting to blame others when issues arise. To point at other’s faults. To not take responsibility. What I learned, though, is that extreme ownership challenges us to not blame others, have humility, and take greater ownership to change.

Extreme Ownership

My hope was to hear my manager's thoughts on 'being awkward through real talk'. Instead he one upped me.

Radical Candor

Many times, we find ourselves yearning for a specific vision to be fulfilled. There is an end goal we want to achieve. Focused on the hustle, we can find ourselves wanting to break our way into the top. But success never happens overnight.

Put In Your Reps

The impact that changes lives and captures souls requires a willingness to do what isn’t easy and to do what’s right. For me, even as I write this, I can’t help but know that talking the talk is so much easier than walking the walk.

Courageous Kindness

An “Unfair Advantage” is anything that cannot be easily copied or bought by other stakeholders. This can be technical knowledge, unique skills, connections, patents, or a large sum donation from a distant uncle.

What's Your Unfair Advantage?

I was listening to an audiobook called Tribe of Mentors, a book by Tim Ferris in which many inspirational people answered 11 questions to give insight to readers on lifelong living. One of the mentors who spoke, Debbie Millman, quoted something, that hits really hard. 'Busy is a decision.'

Busy is a Decision

We are making decisions every single moment of our life; what food to order at a restaurant, which YouTube recommended video to watch, or what color mask (if any) to wear before heading out.

Make Decisions Easily

When planning out your life, knowing your beliefs, your perspective, and how you approach certain aspects of life will help you assert where your true 'Your location' is,  ensuring you won’t plan your life out from the wrong starting point.

Design Your Life

Life is not a finite game, where a loss in a year means a loss for the rest of our life (though sometimes, it may feel that way). Rather, it is an infinite game where we are not be tied down by a single outcome in our lives and can continue to learn & grow.

Infinite Mindset

Whether it’s spent working on a project, exercising, leisurely watching some shows, or reflecting on the purpose of life (a timely activity I partake in), being able to know where your time goes allows you to know how you’re using your time.

Know Your Time

I’ve always believed that more is better. The more resources, experience, or time you have, the better you’re able to do things. That extra dollar, extra skill, and extra hour can go a long way. But sometimes, having more can be a hindrance.

Less is More

When faced with a problem, how would you solve it in the simplest manner?

Keep It Simple, Stupid

What if I could turn my greatest enemy, into my friend?

Social Media Tools, not Addictions

It’s important to look at where our time, money, and talents are going, that way we know where our heart is truly at.

Show, Don't Tell

Through what we build, what we say, and how we live, I believe each of us has the ability to inspire and change the world.

Dream Big, Start Small, Scale Up

Each season brings a new set of priorities. Recently, I started to shift my attention from my priorities to understanding my faith calling (a.k.a. values).

Priorities, Values, & Calling

At work, I started to turn my camera on at big company calls 📷 (as in 100+ or all-company gatherings). The reason I started to do it was because I listened to a podcast that mentioned a perspective to take in order to achieve success. "To achieve what nobody has, you must do what nobody else does."

Step Out To Stand Out

I found myself forced to do one of the things I disliked most: asking for help. When it comes to sending a message to ask for help, I struggle with formulating the right words to ask a question. Overanalysis, overthinking, and obsession over the intention of what I send stops me from moving past my discomfort of sending the question.

Help in Humility

Have you ever thought about how when we die, how many unfinished things we’ll have? 🤔 Whether it’s small things like organizing the closet, or big things like finishing a side project or hobby, in the end, we will have much-unfinished work.

Rest Amidst Unfinished Work

When I lead, many times I feel like I need to uphold an image. Though it is fun playing around with the idea of becoming like these leaders, the problem with chasing after so many different ideals was that I easily lose myself and forget who I am.

Shedding the Image

Leadership is hard. As someone who is obsessed with leadership topics, I find myself burdened by the never-ending list of expectations that I feel are implicitly expected of leaders. But people would rather follow a leader that’s real, than a leader that’s right.

Real Over Right

As someone who personally struggles with leadership, whether it’s leading a bible study or making decisions in a startup, I’ve been inspired to keep the end in mind.

Keep the End in Mind

Our spiritual lives are heavily influenced by our physical and emotional well-being.

Spiritual Embodiment

There have been many people who have inspired me through their words of encouragement. Words that motivated me to pursue coding, enter into entrepreneurship, and serve as a leader in my church.

Unconcious Inspiration

I grew up with a lot of different dreams. Each of these dreams was inspired based on the season I was going through.

Dreams and Aspirations

A reminder that life can bring storms, and they are challenging, but they will end eventually. In hindsight, everything will make sense and it will be a growing experience.

Storms are Temporary

After the workout, and a chill nights rest, I woke up feeling stiff and uncomfortable. I tried to lift my arms up to stretch, and felt the sharp sting of pain enter my right elbow. I looked down and tried to bend it, but it wouldn’t budge.

Grateful Fatigue

I learned a lot about tennis rating systems from my friend, as well as the competitiveness of tennis. Essentially you’re ranked against the world, and most people who try to get into the field start as early as their teen years, skip college to compete, and only the top 100+ people can maintain a tennis career as a salary.

Tennis Talk

I think the biggest takeaway is that if I feel I have a stake in the conversation or great enough reason to speak up, I would.

Family Zoom Time

Did you know, when you look in the mirror or a video call, who you see every day is a mirrored view of what everyone sees?

Your Reflection is a Perceived Lie

How can a leader lead if their heart is not for what they follow?

Season of Disobedience

The news didn’t register quick enough and before I knew it, it slid swiftly by.

Reflection of the El Paso Shooting

I tend to look at myself with a low regard, and expectations that seem almost disgusting. What is it about this juxtaposition? Why do I do this to myself Something is wrong with how I approach this insecurity.

Negativity Redeemed

How can we chase after pointless and empty dreams that lead to despair? Why do we mindlessly pursue after the many broken pieces in life that are insignificant — like grains of sand that struggle to fill the gaping hole of desire in our hearts — when there is a spring that brings about the living water of life which desires to completely engulf the darkness and fill us with peace, joy, hope, and love?

A Rant to Stir Up a Dead Heart For God

If anyone is able to turn people’s desires towards Him through reading the words of faith by others, it can only be Him

Well-Read Faith

Have you ever felt those moments where you don’t want to exert energy to be noticed by people? To be isolated and alone. At the same time, the embracing feeling of loneliness sparks a desire to be reached out to, even with the paradox of running away?

Misplaced Affections

What do you do when the world seems to go against you?

What Do You Do?

Do They Care?

I’ve always approached listening to people to understand where they’re coming from.

Grace-Filled Communication

I see my imperfection so clearly. Whether it’s maintaining friendships, finishing my work, cleaning my apartment, cooking meals for myself, following after God, or living life day by day, I see so many ways I couldn’t meet a certain standard. Things I should’ve improved on, but became after-thoughts that were never acted upon.

All about God’s Grace

Prayer is our communication with God. As communication is important in any worldly relationship, prayer is important in our spiritual relationship with God. Many things can hurt or further grow our relationships: whether it’s having small talk, sharing a story or life update, telling about your day, fighting over a belief or value, or making amends and asking for forgiveness.

Praying for More Prayer

Free from guilt and experiencing freedom from guilt are two different things.

Guilty but Guiltless

With all these thoughts on my mind, you can tell one of the hardest things I wrestle with during this 2-week period is knowing where my heart is at. The question I always have to ask is: What is my intention behind this fast?

One Desire Fast 2018

What is the connection between personal relationship with God, vulnerability, and biblical community?

Cling to God and Biblical Community

Do you ever feel selfish whenever you ask someone else to pray for you?

Helpless Prayer

Honestly, standing in front of a group of people and being able to relay ideas, thoughts, or concepts is so difficult, especially when there are so many distracting factors that come into play. Here are 7 insights that inspire me to speak publicly.

Speak Now

When I went up to Michigan in the middle of September, I was so excited! But something was wrong. Michigan holds a special place in my heart — a place where I think about friends, food, and memories. But nowhere during the time had I thought about Him. Jesus. God. The Father. The Creator.

What About Him?

As I returned from my mission trip up in Michigan at the end of summer, I felt unsure in what the future held for my church.

A Story of Great Change

Who are you? How did you come to be here? What drives you to be you?

What’s Your Story?

The hardest struggle regarding my faith is making sure my intentions are clear — where is my heart at when I do something? Whether it’s worshipping, praying, or fellowshipping with others, I wrestle with being fully present in the moment and wholly dedicating my time to God.

"Heart Check" Me Out God

This past Sunday, I went to a Christian benefits concert, Helping Hands, and I didn’t experience God.

God Works Without You

This past summer, I spent time up in Michigan doing a missions trip, doing an after school program for a high school in the Southeast part of Detroit During that time, I was challenged a lot in my faith, facing faith-crises and working through many insecurities that God revealed in my life.

Only Through Him

One of the things I dislike the most is unstructured free time over break. As much as it’s relaxing and I get to sleep in for more than 8 hours a day (which I rarely get to do at school, if at all), it can be mind-numbing for me to not have something to look forward to do for the day. In fact, many times I feel very lonely during this free time.

Loneliness in Summer

I found that my lack of experience and knowledge when initially working in JavaScript had stopped me from wanting to work with it. I realized that if I hadn’t been forced to program in JavaScript, though, I never would’ve opened myself up to working on the language in the future, if ever.

Leaping Through the Closed Door

If I, who claim to be a Christian, am timid when it comes to sharing my testimony with people of the same faith, how in the world am I able to share the story God wrote in my life to others?

👋 Hey, Eric here!

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