*Typing*

When I have fallen off my daily writing practice, my blade becomes dull with each passing day. One day missed and the blade cuts the same. Two days missed and the blade begins to catch. Three days missed and the blade is no longer a blade but a saw. Four days missed and the blade begins to slide. In a week's time, the blade does not cut at all and you must start over again from the beginning. Each day, sharpening. Each day, honing. Until the blade is cutting true, as true as it has ever cut before. Then, it becomes about maintenance; daily maintenance. Focus is a blade you must sharpen every day.

I have a tendency to get lost in large group settings. They make me feel uncomfortable, awkward and strangely exposed. Sometimes I will cling to the walls of the room like a moth. Other times, I will disappear altogether. When there is no place to run or hide, I will become engrossed in my phone. It's a pacifier but a crude one. I prefer not to make a habit of it.

I, of course, am not the only one. You are likely guilty of carrying on conversations in large group settings with individuals who are not in the room. You should stomp out this nasty habit like a horse atop the hissing head of a rattlesnake. However, you should also consider it an indication that you crave one on one connection. Next time you feel the urge to text at a party or gathering, hone in on a single individual in the room. Carry on with them and them alone. You will be better for it. And, you won't piss off the host.

Throughout his career, Ernest Hemingway remained incredibly loyal to his friend and publisher, Charles Scribner. When Scribner passed on and his son took over the reins of his family's publishing company, the legendary writer welcomed the new air with a long personal letter.

In this letter was a list of life rules, one of them being his infamous line...

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk: that will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

His advice is as relevant now as it was then. Under promise. Over deliver. Big mouths might get attention. But, it's the big maneuvers that build trust. Strive to be the kind of person that says less but does more.

May your actions surpass your words. May your reputation precede you.

Intention fuels action like wood fuels fire. Behind every action is an intention. Before you act, question your intention. Go about this questioning without judgement. You are not Mother Theresa. Your intentions will not always be pure. You will do things for money. You will do things for validation. You will do things for notoriety. You will do things for admiration. What matters most is understanding why you do the things you do. You should be able to explain yourself to yourself.

There is a story of a CIA agent who was having difficulty building trust between himself and a tribal elder in Afghanistan. One day, he gifted the patriarch four Viagra, one for each of his young wives. When the CIA agent returned a few days later, a friendship had formed between them.

You should do right by others simply for the sake of doing right by them. However, reciprocity is also a powerful way to build relationships. When somebody does something kind for you, you feel obligated to do something kind for them in return. The Japanese have a word for this sense of obligation. It's called sumimasen and it literally translates to "this will not end".