Hey folks,

We're in the final week of summer swim team which means I've spent every evening sweating out every ounce of liquid from my body. Sundried Blake over here. A couple things on my mind...

1. Wired Earbuds: One of the many confusing things I've noticed Gen Z doing is rejecting AirPods and reverting to wired headphones. Some of it is concern about Bluetooth radiation and some of it is that wired is simpler and cheaper. So I dug mine out of the junk drawer and have been using them for a couple weeks. When AirPods came out I thought they were the coolest thing ever, but I'm not sure they actually improved anything. What I've found so far:

• I like being "wired in" to my computer. When I walk away, I have to unplug - and I need more of that in my life.
• The microphone is still superior to Airpods, which matters a lot when using Wispr.
• No switching issues between phone and computer. I keep a wired pair for each. Way simpler.
• The battery life is... infinite.

The only bummer is no noise canceling, but working from home, I'm not sure that really matters? Have you switched back? AMA.

2. Pass the Test: When bad stuff starts happening in your life (people get sick, you lose money, you back into a car, etc...) especially in tight succession, we start to feel like something is happening. We start listing / looking for the bad, and we'll generally attribute it to one of three sources: (a) ourselves, "I did dumb things and here are the consequences", (b) an outside malevolent source, "I'm under spiritual attack" in religious circles, or blaming politics and "the powers that be" in modern ones, or (c) an outside loving source. As a Christian, I believe God sometimes tests his sons and daughters to grow them. The secular version is Jocko Willink's "good" concept, where you decide all adversity is to your benefit. The book of Job actually exists to show that we never really know which one it is. But this week I was reminded that when in doubt, it's best to assume c. Assume a) and I'll just feel dumb. Assume b) and I'll feel like a victim. Assume c) and I have to ask, "What does it look like for me to pass this test?" No other framing sets me up better to endure what comes. And if someone you love is in the middle of a brutal stretch, this might be the most useful question you can ask them: not "why is this happening," but "what would passing this test look like?"

3. My Kids Are Bringing a Knife to a Gun Fight: This week my younger son told my wife Chandler he'd rather skip playing baseball with his older brothers and their friends because he doesn't really like it. Generally not a big deal, but I felt worried that this could be an identity or belonging thing. So I sat down with him and asked why. It came down to him not feeling super confident out there. Understandable, he's never played on a team, he's still doing PT from breaking his arm, and I'm not exactly the sportiest dad on earth. I told him we'd play catch and hit around every night for a week, and if he got good at hitting we'd hit the batting cages. After one night he fully turned around and decided he wanted to go. He had a blast and has played every day since. Look it doesn't always go this way - but sometimes I forget I'm a grown-a** man, and that with a little effort and intention I can change how my kid feels about something. I think often we're tempted to shrug and say "I guess he doesn't like baseball" our of respect for their feelings/autonomy. But its good to remember our kids' obstacles are no match for a loving adult with seemingly infinite resources who decides to lock in.

Kind of all over the place this week - but that's it for this week! Stay cool out there!

Best,

Blake

P.S. Since a couple of you asked - here is the talk I gave last week! I hated preparing, I loved delivering it, and I'm so glad it's over.