This is my journal entry from September 3, 2025, part of my daily autobiography The Kind Divorce — my real, unedited days, published in order.
The day began with dropping the kids at school, followed by a tennis match with a friend. For the first time ever, I won the opening four games, which felt like a huge victory. He then stormed back to take six in a row, I rallied with three consecutive wins, and he ultimately battled through to capture the second set and the match. It was competitive, fun, and an excellent workout for both of us.
After tennis, I returned home and focused on narrating Author in St. Petersburg for Audible and other audiobook platforms. While working through the manuscript, I edited a few sections where I had vented frustrations about friends. At the time of writing, I’d been upset and dramatic, but rereading those parts made me uncomfortable. Even though I tried to disguise their identities, I had provided enough context that it would be easy for anyone to know exactly who I was talking about. That didn’t sit right with me, so I deleted those passages.
The experience gave me clarity about the kind of person I want to be moving forward. I don’t want to censor my diaries after the fact, because that feels dishonest. Yet I also don’t want to be someone who reacts with instant, dramatic outbursts that end up hurting people I care about. I want to cultivate more compassion and patience, to respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively. That doesn’t mean family and friends won’t ever challenge me—of course they will—but I can approach those moments without turning them into tantrums captured on the page.
This afternoon, my massage therapist and her partner came to my house for a coaching session. They wanted to learn from my experiences, especially in online business and content creation, since I’ve lived through nearly every possibility in that world. My biggest lesson has been that much of it is better off deleted, and that a healthier, more fulfilling life begins once you stop chasing the endless cycle of online attention. I encouraged them to consider stepping away from everything digital—no games, no movies, no Netflix, and especially no Instagram—and to explore the countless opportunities that open when you disconnect.
I also had them calculate their net worth. I suspected it would be a valuable exercise, especially for my massage therapist, and I was right. In spiritual or “new age” circles, money is often treated as something dirty or corrupt, something best ignored in favor of free love, gift exchanges, and higher ideals. I support those ideals wholeheartedly, yet there is a danger in swinging to the opposite extreme—obsessing over money, hustling endlessly, and reducing life to a numbers game. The antidote lies in gratitude. Taking stock of what you already have reveals the abundance that is already present.
My ex-wife and I recently calculated our own net worth, which came out negative when tallying all debts against assets. Despite that number, I still feel abundant. When my massage therapist and her partner did their math, their net worth came out much higher. I wanted them to see this clearly—not as a cold calculation but as a reminder of how much they already have to be grateful for. True wealth begins with that recognition. As long as you enjoy and appreciate what you already possess, life has a way of bringing more, without endless effort, strain, or struggle.
Massage
If you connect with how I live and think, you can follow the rest of my days on YouTube in my Life playlist.