The Work that Matters

….is the work no one sees.

A lesson from the Buddha, the Stoics and fatherhood

Every morning, before my kids wake up, I sit in silence.

Thirty minutes, sometimes an hour. No phone. No agenda. Just breath.
Just me, listening. Returning.

(I know—it sounds like a lot. It is, for most people. It was for me too, for years. But now it doesn’t feel long. It feels necessary.)

It’s not glamorous. It’s not always peaceful. But I try to begin with the same thought:

“May what I do today serve not just me, but everyone I touch.”

This isn’t some trendy mindfulness hack. It’s ancient.
The Buddha said it over 2,500 years ago.
The Stoics, half a world away, echoed the same truth.

“Live for others.”
“Give more than you take.”
“Leave people better than you found them.”

These aren’t slogans.
They’re survival strategies for the soul—especially today.

Success without mindfulness is just noise

It’s easy to mistake motion for meaning.

I’ve done it. I still do, some days.

Emails, ads, leads, content, strategy decks.

Clicks and conversions and dopamine hits.

But then- you burn out. You forget why you started.
Worse: you stop caring about the people your work is meant to help.

The solution isn’t another tool, retreat, or digital detox.
It’s a change in posture.

From: How can I win today?
To: Who can I help today?

You still run the business. You still pursue results.
But the engine changes.
The ego is no longer driving.

2 timeless quotes worth reflecting on

“As a mother would protect her only child, even at the risk of her own life, let him cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.”
– Metta Sutta, Sutta Nipata 1.8

Since becoming a father—not once, but twice—this line hits differently.

When I look at my two-month-old daughter or my almost five-year-old son, the instinct to protect is automatic. Fierce. Complete.

What the Buddha challenges us to do is take that same energy…
and extend it. Beyond the family. Beyond the familiar. To everyone.

It’s radical. And difficult.
But it’s what I try to do in my work:

• Writing things that don’t just sell, but serve
• Building systems that don’t just scale, but uplift
• Showing up, even when no one’s watching

Because in the long run, my kids won’t care what I achieved.
They’ll remember how I made others feel—and how I lived.

“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.”

– Epictetus

I’m a writer. A professional persuader. I live by words.
But I’ve come to learn that words alone aren’t enough.

If I talk about freedom but act from fear… my kids will see it.
If I preach service but treat clients like transactions… my team will feel it.
If I tell others to slow down and reflect, but rush through life myself… what credibility do I have?

This quote reminds me that the real message is not on the page.
It’s how I answer my son’s questions.
It’s how I hold space for my daughter’s cries.
It’s how I handle failure, fatigue, and discomfort.

That’s the campaign that matters most.

Invisible service is the best kind

What I’ve learned is that the most powerful actions are the ones no one sees.

• Rewriting something for a client even if they didn’t ask
• Recommending a competitor when it’s the right thing
• Saying “no” with kindness
• Taking a walk with your child instead of checking Whatsapp (or your chat of choice)

There’s no metric for this.
No dashboard. No bonus.

But it adds up. Over time, it builds a kind of quiet momentum—
one that people can feel.

When your energy is clean, your work speaks louder.

Your life is your practice

You don’t need a monastery.
Or a robe. Or a mantra.
You just need intention.

• The way you talk to your partner when you’re tired.
• The tone you use in a sales call when they hesitate.
• The time you spend with a team member who’s unsure.

It’s all practice.
And if you treat it that way, people change around you.

Not because you’re preaching.
But because you’re living what you say you believe.

Build something useful. Stay human.

You can be ambitious. You can scale. You can market hard.
But do it from the right place.

The best messaging is honest.
The best marketing helps.
The best work leaves the world a little lighter.

So yes, meditate. Yes, optimize.
But also: look someone in the eye today. Thank them. Listen without rushing.

Because how you work matters more than how much.
And in the end, impact isn’t what you achieve—it’s what you give away.

Take care of your energy. It’s not selfish

In a world obsessed with output, rest can look like laziness.
Especially for people like us—entrepreneurs, parents, creators.

But if you’re empty, what exactly are you offering?
A tired version of yourself?
A voice that sounds helpful but feels rushed?

Caring for your own energy is not self-indulgence.
It’s maintenance. It’s leadership.

For me, this shows up in simple things:

• Taking walks without my phone
• Listening to music that reconnects me with who I am
• Sleeping when I can—without guilt
• Moving my body daily, even just 20 minutes
• Eating in ways that don’t create crashes
• Saying no more often than feels comfortable

These aren’t productivity hacks.
They’re ways to stay present for the people who matter.
Including yourself.

When done with awareness, even a 10-minute pause becomes sacred.
And what flows after that pause?
More clarity. More generosity. More you.

Raising free children is daily dharma

I don’t want to raise obedient children.
I want to raise sovereign ones. Awake. Aware. Free.

That means every interaction—especially the small ones—is part of the practice.

How I react when my son asks “why?” for the fifth time

How I respond to my daughter’s cries in the middle of the night

Whether I listen with presence or perform distraction

Whether I control, or co-create

This isn’t easy. It’s humbling.
It reveals where I still act from fear, from conditioning, from ego.

But here’s the gift:
When I drop the script and meet them as whole beings, something shifts.
They become more themselves.
And I become more human.

This too is service.
This too is impact.
This too is part of the work no one sees.

A simple weekly rhythm for people who want to live better

You might be a founder, a freelancer, a parent—or all three.
You want to slow down, but the world doesn’t.

Here’s a humble rhythm that might help.
No dogma. Just space.

Daily (15–45 minutes total):

5–10 min of silence or journaling in the morning (before phone)

10–15 min of movement (walk, stretch, breathwork—no screen)

10 min of intentional presence with a child, partner, or team member

1 “reset pause” in the afternoon (no input, just breath)


Weekly (2–3 hours across 7 days):

1 longer walk or nature moment—alone or with someone you love

1 block of “deep work” aligned with your values (uninterrupted)

1 moment of review/reflection (Sunday night or Monday morning works well)

1 act of invisible service—something helpful no one asked for

1 sacred “no”—a boundary kept to protect your energy


If you don’t have kids, even better. You have fewer demands, more margin.

But if you do— remember this:
Your family isn’t a distraction from your path.
They are the path.