Blood & Ink: Day 1

It’s always Day 1…

We are BACK – Happy New Year everyone! ✨

Writing from the winter wonderland of New Hampshire, US—probably with a case of mild Covid 😅—gearing up to head back to the cloud forests of Costa Rica in a few days.

The New Year energy is in full force. Celebrations. Hangovers. Maybe a bit of reflection. Time with family. Lots, and lots, of food.

“It’s always Day 1” is a line I’ve come to love.

I use it at every core meeting in our 100-Day challenges with Phoenix Culture. I say it to people on plant medicine retreats. It’s my guiding principle.

There’s always that surge of energy, optimism, focus, and discipline that comes on the first days of a new commitment. The vibe is high and the adventure is underway.

After a week, a month, maybe even a few days, ‘reality’ sets in and the initial shine fades. Motivation sags, optimism fades, and the first string of ‘misses’ or ‘mistakes’ takes root.

It doesn’t have to be this way…

Every day is Day 1 of the rest of your life.

Take a deep breath. Reorient. Reconnect. Recommit.

Every day is Day 1.

It’s like the deathbed request of Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo. He asked to be buried in a white belt instead of his black belt. He wanted to be remembered as a learner, not a master.

I’ve got some new developments coming through this year. I will merge my publications (Serious Play & Blood x Ink). I’m going to evolve them in a new direction, I think you’re going to love it. I do.

Continual refinement. Courting the muse.

The decision to split them was necessary to build this momentum. But it’s now a burdensome split of my lists and attention.

More to come.

It’s Day One, let’s go get it.
EB