Posts by Michael Earls
The Treadmill vs. the Open Road
Working on Self: A Journey of Mental Strength Self-growth doesn’t happen all at once. It’s not a lightning strike, it’s a process. And like any process, it has stages, moments that test us, shape us, and ultimately build the person we’re becoming. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking deeply about this through my…
Read MoreTime Under Tension
Working on Self: A Journey of Mental Strength Self-growth doesn’t happen all at once. It’s not a lightning strike, it’s a process. And like any process, it has stages, moments that test us, shape us, and ultimately build the person we’re becoming. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking deeply about this through my…
Read MoreThe Power of Micro-Wins
Working on Self: A Journey of Mental Strength Self-growth doesn’t happen all at once. It’s not a lightning strike, it’s a process. And like any process, it has stages and moments that test us, shape us, and ultimately build the person we’re becoming. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking deeply about this through…
Read MoreHandmade in a Digital World
Many stories are circulating today about how AI can generate virtually anything, including photos, art, and even lifelike replicas of things that never existed. I use it myself, and I love what it can do. But on my recent trip to Aruba, I was reminded of something AI will never fully capture: the soul of…
Read MoreGratitude in a Glass
I’ve always loved Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. There’s a purity to it ripe cherry, gentle earth, a silky grace, that makes each sip feel like a familiar friend. Over the years I’ve come to count on these Pinots for comfort, consistency, and that quiet greatness they deliver. But 2020 changed everything. The fires…
Read MoreMental Strength: Training the Inner Mind
Negativity has a way of amplifying itself. One slight doubt becomes a storm, and suddenly your energy is consumed by what might go wrong. I’ve felt that myself as a runner—during pushes, all-outs, and half marathons. The inner voice says, “Stop, this hurts, it’s too much.” But when you train your mind to push through, you discover…
Read MoreRemembering 9/11: Lessons Passed Down
It’s hard to imagine how much time has passed. My daughters, Sydney, now 20, and Olivia, 24, grew up with stories of a day they were too young to remember, but a day that has forever shaped all of us. Olivia was born just 11 days before the September 11, 2001, attacks. We were at…
Read MoreFrom Streetlights to AI: Lessons in Fear, Change, and Opportunity
I was recently listening to a podcast with Simon Sinek where he shared a story about Thomas Edison and the invention of the light bulb. At the time, people weren’t just skeptical, they were scared. Electricity was new, unfamiliar, and disruptive. Communities had to put up signs to educate the public, explain the benefits, and…
Read MoreSalt Water, Palm Trees, and Owning Your Calendar
There’s something about salt water that heals in ways no conference room or Teams notification ever could. Standing with my hand on a palm tree, the ocean stretched before me, and I felt the rhythm of the waves syncing with my own breath. It wasn’t just a vacation, it was a reminder. The ocean doesn’t…
Read MoreSuperfood Aruba: Where Groceries Feel Like Treasure Hunts
Every trip to Aruba has its own rhythm—sun, sand, ocean breezes, and a little ritual of wandering through Superfood, the island’s Dutch-inspired grocery store that feels like a blend of local culture and European tradition. Walking through the aisles, you’ll find everything from fresh produce and local fish to Dutch cheeses, specialty wines, and the…
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