“Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.”
― Ancient Christian Prayer

On September 10, 2025, America lost a good man. Charlie Kirk wasn’t a perfect man, by his own repeated admission, and perhaps that’s what made him such a good man. He had the self-awareness and integrity to acknowledge his own flaws, but the determination to never let those flaws distract him from his mission.

His assassination immediately reminded me of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. No, I wasn’t around for it, but the feelings I feel now could be described the same way many people from that time describe their feelings from when they heard the news about King. I feel a mixture of sadness, anger, frustration, and uncertainty about the future. I feel like I lost something I never really owned, but rather something I shared with many others. I feel like we’re a nation on the brink of devastation. I want answers and justice, but deep in my soul, I want peace even more.

King and Charlie both died a senseless death as young men in their 30s, leaving behind heartbroken families. They both stood up as best as they could against injustice, racism, bigotry, lies, and hate. They both pushed for discord over violence during a time of great anger and distrust. They both stood up for truth, love, and hope. They both simultaneously recognized the flaws of America and yet never stopped believing in America. They both knew the risks were real, but instead of hiding and cowering in fear, they were driven by unwavering courage. They didn’t hold back to protect their families, but instead pushed forward to build a better world for their families and for all of us.

Both Charlie Kirk and Martin Luther King Jr. knew and spoke openly about the importance of faith motivating politics. This is why they were both so committed to nonviolence as a way of life. They both openly sought to live a life of Christian integrity and charity. They both, obviously, fell short of their own ideals, but both also visibly sought to be true followers of Jesus Christ, whatever the consequences.

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. changed America in a way we still feel today. It understandably inspired a great deal of anger and, in the immediate aftermath, temporarily widened the gap in American society. There were riots and more violence. But over time, King’s death transformed him into a symbol of hope for future generations. We were forced to reflect on who we were as a nation, and we were inspired to keep his ideals and the best parts of his mission in the public consciousness.

Perhaps the assassination of Charlie Kirk can have the same positive impact. If we let it, the anger of this moment can be transformed into the unity of a people who actively seek our own ideals. That’s not a given. That’s not automatic. I would even say that moving from tragedy into such hope requires heroic virtue. It requires intentionally deciding to do better, not just for ourselves but for our families and friends, our communities, our nation, and our world. It requires making all our actions prayer and all our prayers action. It requires the active choice to spread love even when we feel hate.

If Martin Luther King Jr. and Charlie Kirk had engaged in a conversation, I think they would have disagreed on many things. In fact, that’s even how they conversed with their own friends while they were still alive. But they would have agreed on the most critical things. They would have agreed that we need to build a world of honesty and sincerity, that truth spoken through love is more powerful than lies and hatred, and that we need to be willing to risk everything for principles that transcend our own moment on Earth. Most importantly, they would have agreed that we must love our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and never “fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.”
― Jiddu Krishnamurti

Your diploma is a receipt, not a certificate of completion. Your formal education was just the tutorial. The real game has started, and the rules change without warning. The skills that made you valuable five years ago might be obsolete tomorrow. This isn’t a problem to be solved; it’s the new reality of work.

You can complain about the pace of change, or you can use it to your advantage. While others are busy reminiscing about “the way things were,” you can be acquiring the knowledge that will define the way things will be. The choice to learn is a choice to win. Stagnation is a choice to become irrelevant.

This isn’t about endlessly consuming content. Watching tutorials and reading articles can feel productive, but it’s a passive act. True learning is active. It’s about application, experimentation, and getting your hands dirty.

So, how do you make continuous learning a part of your life?

Do the work. Don’t just read about coding; build an application. Don’t just watch a video on public speaking; volunteer to give a presentation. The most valuable lessons are learned through the friction of doing. Failure is a better teacher than observation.

Invest in yourself. Stop seeing learning as an expense. It is the single best investment you can make. Spend the money on a good course, a quality book, or a session with a mentor. The return on investment is a more capable, more valuable version of you.

Stay humble. The moment you believe you are an expert is the moment you stop growing. Assume you have something to learn from everyone. Ask the “stupid” questions. Approach new skills with the mind of a beginner, and you will constantly find new levels to achieve.

The world doesn’t wait for you to catch up. You can either grow or be replaced. There is no third option. Get to work.

“One does not learn computing by using a hand calculator, but one can forget arithmetic.”
― Alan J. Perlis

I’m seeing more and more articles with salacious headlines, like “AI is Making Us Dumb” or “How LLMs Rot Your Brain”. These headlines aren’t made up out of thin air. There’s some actual science somewhere in the mix. Several real scientific studies, conducted by real scientists, at reputable institutions, seem to suggest that using AI causes inevitable brain atrophy. This study from Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft Research, this one from MIT, and this example from SBS Swiss Business School, among others, are feeding this narrative.

Now, it’s possible to critically examine these studies and point out some of the problems or how they may be misinterpreted. But instead, let’s just address the fundamental fear: offloading cognitive exercises to AI reduces our abilities in such exercises.

This fear isn’t without merit. Our brains form connections to help us solve problems and complete tasks efficiently and effectively. In order to build up those connections, we need to repeat a task many times over. This is why it was hard to ride a bike on your first attempt, but eventually it became second nature. It’s why goaltenders develop cat-like reflexes or baseball players can adjust between a 100 MPH fastball and a 72 MPH curveball (some of the time). It’s why you can drive home and suddenly realize you don’t even remember the trip (scary, I know).

On the other hand, you’ll lose or never develop brain connections for tasks you don’t practice on a regular basis. If you always let a robot solve the puzzle, you’ll never build the neural pathways required to become a puzzle solver. I know morse code operators who have been experts for 30+ years, but they need to brush up their skills and rebuild their copy speed if they go a couple of months without a CW contact. If you hand a contractor a traditional hammer when he’s used to working with a nail gun, it’ll take him some time to adjust. Our brains are amazing at optimizing for the skills we need right now and offloading to tools wherever possible.

Using AI will reduce our abilities in some areas, just like any other technological development of the past, but the question is: How much can AI free us to focus on higher impact tasks?

Easy to cook meals don’t make us fat. Eating junk food makes us fat.

Labor reducing machines don’t make us weak. Not exercising makes us weak.

Social media doesn’t make us lonely. Not spending time with family and friends makes us lonely.

AI doesn’t make us stupid. Not using our brains makes us stupid.

The choice is ours. We can choose to be lazy, or we can choose to think. We can choose to remain ignorant, or we can choose to study. We can choose to use AI as a crutch, or we can choose to use AI as a tool.

“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled.”
― Anne M. Mulcahy

Good leaders always treat each member of the team like actual people.

You know…

They’re people with families, needs, dreams, and passions.

They’re people with struggles, insecurities, and difficulties.

Your people aren’t just cogs in a machine. They have unique circumstances, and they need support, trust, and a sense of belonging.

“80% of success is showing up.”
― Woody Allen

Some days, you can’t handle it.

Some days, it’s mentally exhausting.

Some days, you’re not ready.

Some days, it doesn’t seem worth it.

Some days, you’re too busy.

Some days, you need a break.

Some days, you don’t have the time.

But you show up anyway. You get it done anyway. You make it happen anyway.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
― Napoleon Hill

Success is something you go out and earn every day.

There are no holidays.
There are no vacations.
There’s no end to the day.

Success is achieved when you work.
It’s achieved when you play.
It’s achieved when you exercise.
It’s achieved when you eat.
It’s achieved when you meditate and pray.
It’s achieved when you sleep.
It’s achieved when you wake up and get out of bed.

Success is a constant pursuit. It’s a daily battle that must be fought with dedication, discipline, and determination.

“By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.”
― Eliezer Yudkowsky

I’m an AI optimist, but…

AI is overhyped and underwhelming, amazing and frustrating, the solution and the problem… just like every technology that preceded it.

Which also means the future is bright!

“Remote work isn’t about being busy; it’s about being productive. The best workers are those who achieve more in fewer hours.”
― Anonymous

There are four types of people who hate on remote work:

1. Managers who lead by attendance (“How will I know if my people are working?!”)

2. Old people who can’t adapt (“I’ve been doing it this way for 30 years!”)

3. Unproductive people who can’t focus (“If I can’t focus at home, no one can!”)

4. Jealous people who can’t stand others’ success (“It’s not fair that they get to work from home!”)

“When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
― Eleanor Brownn

Take care of yourself so you can take care of your spouse.

Take care of your spouse so the two of you can take care of your family.

Take care of your family so your family can take care of your relatives and friends.

Take care of your relatives and friends so all of you can take care of your community.

Take care of your community so your community can take care of your city, town, and state.

Take care of your city, town, and state so your homeland can take care of your country.

Take care of your country so your country can take care of the world.

“The only thing a person can ever really do is keep moving forward. Take that big leap forward without hesitation, without once looking back.”
― Alyson Noel

Your past is full of lessons, scars, and victories. But let’s be clear: your past is not your future. Too often, we replay mistakes or cling to former glories, letting them define us. Why? Because it’s easier to stay anchored to what we know than to navigate the uncertainty of where we could go.

Recognize your past for what it is—a guide, not a map. You’ve stumbled? Good. Learn from that. You’ve succeeded? Great. Build on that. But don’t let the past dictate the next step.

Your past may echo, but it doesn’t hold a pen. The future is yours to write. So use the past as a reference to navigate, not as a script to follow. Start now. Make the next chapter your best chapter.