Sometimes, the most profound landscapes are the ones that don't shout.

I took this photo on the way to Swan Falls in Idaho. At first glance, it looks like a quiet stretch of high desert—just sagebrush, rolling hills, and the Owyhee Mountains sitting quietly in the back.

​But something massive is missing from the picture.

Sometimes, the biggest sources of motivation don't come from books or seminars. They come from the people right in front of us—or in this case, the people on the other end of a text message.

It’s easy to hesitate when you can’t see exactly what’s coming next. On my cross-country ride, I faced countless roads just like this one...long, empty, and unknown. I learned that the only way to find meaning in the journey is to move toward it. We never know exactly what the road ahead offers, but we know for a fact that standing still reveals nothing. Go find what awaits.

Welcome to the first Monday of the New Year.
Usually, this is the week of grand declarations. I see so many messages telling us to "crush our goals," "reinvent ourselves," and hustle harder than ever before. But if you are reading this, I have a feeling you are looking for something different. You might be looking for a life that is less about more and more about meaning.

​That is why, for my very first Motivational Monday of 2026, I am turning to the late, great rock musician Warren Zevon.