Going Postal (or Not)

Remind me to move my car after this. 

I have a beat up Rav 4 that my ex gave to me for a dollar. It’s a spare car I use for lugging around mulch or whatever. 

One of my kids parked it in front of the mailbox—again. 

I think about what the mailman must feel every time someone does that. 

“Ugh. Again.” 

But think about it this way. This must happen to them tons of times per day. 

❌They don’t throw a tantrum. 
❌They don’t leave nasty notes on people’s doors.

Hazard of the job. 

There are plenty of other occupations where the service provider isn’t afraid to give you a piece of their mind. 

Despite their reputation, maybe postal workers are some of the calmest people around. 

Acceptance is Power

We all waste time on things we can’t control. 

Perhaps worse, we waste energy. 

“Energy” sounds woo, but we’re talking about brainpower, focus, emotion. 

Stewing and lamenting have real consequences. The worst?

You stay stuck. 

Acceptance frees you from these bonds. And you can start solving problems (i.e. things you can control). 

You’re not giving up. You’re “not a cow standing in the rain.” (H/T Tim Ferriss)

Rather, you control the controllables. 

What does acceptance feel like? 

It feels like peace. 

(Maybe the Serenity Prayer was aptly named.) 

When uncomfortable, my instinct is not to avoid the discomfort but to become at peace with it.


—Josh Waitzkin

How to Practice Radical Acceptance

As usual, it starts with a strong foundation. 

That means strengthening your parasympathetic nervous system, making you a calmer person overall. 

You do this through meditation, breathing exercises, and taking walks in nature—among other things. 

Now the hard part: 

1. Sit still with what you haven’t accepted yet:

❌That promotion you didn’t get.
❌That guy who cut you off in traffic. 
❌That love interest who rejected you.

2. Feel it. (As long as you need.) 

3. And let it go. 

If it’s helpful, Tara Brach has a methodology she calls RAIN: 

• R - Recognize

• A - Allow (or Accept) 

• I - Investigate 

• N - Natural awareness (i.e. not identifying with the experience) 

Here’s the magical thing: 

The more you practice this, the better you get at it. 

Eventually you’ll recover faster from disappointment.   

Calm is Contagious

In the SEAL Teams we used to say “calm is contagious.” Great leaders are calm when the s— hits the fan. 

When people start shooting at you, there’s no time to consider how unfortunate it is. 

You just accept it and “work the problem.” 

What’s one thing you haven’t accepted—but could?

❤️ Andrew

Outro

Hadn’t heard this in a while. “Calm Like a Bomb” by Rage Against the Machine:

Cheers

🧠 Let’s talk: Preparing for a life transition? Grab a free slot to meet with me, and let’s talk through some solutions. 💥 🙌

📥 Did someone forward this to you? Make sure to join to receive elite leadership tips directly to your inbox.

🔎 Find me on LinkedIn.
🎧 Podcast: Spotify | Apple
🌐 People tell me my website has some cool stuff on there.

👉 Let me know how I did: [email protected] 

I’d love to hear from you.

Get unstuck, and crush it. Double period. 🔱