From collapse to traction—field notes for the climb back.
Before you rebuild, you need traction. Last night was my second night on the new job, and some of it is finally starting to sink in. It’s going to take a while, but it feels good to have work again. And in the “real life doesn’t pause” department: I came home to evidence the propane … Continue reading Footing First Then Forward
You can be relieved and irritated in the same breath—and that doesn’t cancel the win. You know this moment: the one where life finally gives you a “yes,” and then immediately asks if you can carry it uphill in winter boots. Because rebuilding rarely shows up as a clean, cinematic turnaround. It shows up as … Continue reading When the Good News Arrives on a Hard Day
You don’t arrive here because life is calm. You arrive here because something cracked—money, work, health, identity, trust—and you’re still standing anyway. This is the through-line of the whole project, written in second-person on purpose: so you can recognize your own moments as you move from rubble… to footing… to traction. Chapter 1: The Rubble … Continue reading Our Story from Day 1 until this moment
You can handle a lot—until the waiting starts to feel like a verdict. You’re doing everything you’re supposed to do. You show up. You follow up. You keep your voice steady. You tell yourself, any day now. And for a while, that works. Then the days stack. The calls don’t come. The “don’t worry” starts … Continue reading When “We’ll Call” Starts to Echo
If you woke up numb today, you didn’t wake up “broken” — you woke up protected. You’re still here. Even if you don’t feel inspired. Even if you don’t feel brave. Even if you don’t feel much of anything at all. You’re reading these words, which means some part of you is still reaching for … Continue reading The Shutdown Exit Ramp
Active Avoidance: Doing the Wrong Right Thing Hey, welcome back to Standing on the Ledge. Today’s topic: active avoidance. Procrastination. Call it what you will. It’s the act of not doing the thing I know I should do, and doing something else instead. Sometimes that “something else” is still useful. It still needs to get … Continue reading Overcoming Active Avoidance: Strategies for Action
Reading an article today, I ran into another one of those pieces that hits like a “yeah… that tracks.” It’s titled “Psychology says people who grew up in the 1960s and 70s learned 9 life lessons that are rarely taught today” by Farley Ledgerwood (dated January 25, 2026).1 I’m not going to pretend everything was … Continue reading Rediscovering Lessons from Childhood: A Modern Perspective
The text discusses the initial three days following a life disruption, referring to it as a "collapse" where routines falter. It outlines a 72-hour protocol focused on stabilization, decision-making, and practical actions to mitigate damage. Emphasis is placed on maintaining safety, gathering evidence, and prioritizing essential tasks to rebuild effectively.
Chapter 3 emphasizes the importance of conducting an inventory of personal assets after a crisis before defining one's identity. It encourages assessing skills, tools, and networks while identifying gaps. This inventory helps rebuild credibility and self-efficacy, transforming experiences into usable resources and guiding future actions effectively.
The author reflects on a day focused not on achievement but on simply remaining present and stable amidst fatigue and stress. They emphasize the importance of managing basic needs and engaging in small actions to avoid feelings of shame and collapse, drawing on psychological concepts like Behavioral Activation and Maslow's hierarchy.
Standing on the Ledge 