Newsletter Archives
Mar 12, 2026 — The Woman Who Made Van Gogh Famous
Vincent van Gogh died largely unknown. The world almost missed his genius—until one woman refused to let it disappear. The story of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger reveals a powerful truth about perspective, belief, and the impact we can have when we champion someone else’s gifts.
Take Two
For people who know there’s more to life and don’t want to miss it.
Wheatfield, by Vincent van Gogh
WORDS TO WONDER
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others remains and is immortal.”
— Albert Pike, American writer and poet (1809–1891)
PERSPECTIVES TO PONDER
Last week I was in Amsterdam.
And as I always do when I’m there, I spent hours wandering through my favorite museum—the Van Gogh Museum.
The Bedroom, by Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh died in 1890, largely unknown. Despite producing more than 2,000 works of art, he had sold only one painting in his lifetime.
His biggest supporter was his brother Theo, who financed Vincent’s work for years.
But six months after Vincent died, Theo died too.
That left Theo’s young widow, Johanna, with hundreds of Vincent’s paintings, drawings, and letters, as well as a baby to raise.
She could have sold everything quickly to support herself.
Instead, she chose a different path.
Johanna believed Vincent’s work mattered.
So she made it her life's work to help the world see it too.
She organized exhibitions across Europe.
She built relationships with critics and dealers.
She carefully released paintings instead of flooding the market.
And she published Vincent’s letters, revealing the passion and struggle behind the art.
Slowly, the world began to notice.
Within a generation, Vincent van Gogh became one of the most celebrated artists in history.
Today millions visit the museum that holds the largest collection of his work.
Standing there, looking at those masterpieces, one thought stayed with me:
Without Johanna, the world might never have known Vincent van Gogh.
We celebrate the genius.
But sometimes the person who changes history is the one who believes in someone else’s genius enough to champion it.
Johanna didn’t paint the masterpieces.
She simply made sure the world could see them.
And it raises a powerful question for all of us:
Whose gift could flourish because you chose to believe in it before the world did?
Sometimes the greatest legacy we leave is the success we help someone else achieve.
QUOTES TO CONSIDER
Two reminders about the power of perspective.
“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.”
— Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
Many possibilities in our lives are not blocked by reality.
They are blocked by how we see reality.
Sometimes the most important change is not changing our circumstances, but changing our perception.
___
“It is not things themselves that disturb us, but our opinions about them.”
— Epictetus (c. 50–135 AD)
Events themselves rarely define our experience.
Our interpretation of those events often does.
Change the story you tell yourself, and you often change the way life feels.
STEP BACK UNTIL THE PICTURE COMES INTO FOCUS
Paul Signac was a French painter known for helping develop pointillism, a style of painting that uses tiny dots of color placed close together so they blend in the viewer’s eye to form an image.
Standing in front of a pointillist painting, the image makes little sense up close.
All you see are scattered dots of color.
But when you step back—with the right distance—the image suddenly comes into focus.
Le Chateau des Papes, Paul Signac
I think pointillism offers a powerful metaphor for life.
Sometimes when we are too close to a situation, we lose perspective. We can’t see the forest for the trees. But when we give ourselves space—when we step back—the chaos begins to make sense.
If life feels confusing or overwhelming right now, you might not need a solution as much as you need distance.
Distance from the noise.
Distance from the pressure.
Distance from the problems crowding your mind.
Create some unscheduled space in your life.
Step back enough for the picture to come into focus.
Because sometimes clarity doesn’t come from pushing harder.
It comes from stepping back far enough to see the whole painting.
And the picture you are painting with your life.
BEFORE YOU GO
This week’s ideas all point to the same truth: perspective shapes everything.
Vincent saw the world differently. Johanna helped the world see it too.
Pointillism reminds us that stepping back often reveals what we couldn’t see up close.
And philosophers from Epictetus to Huxley remind us that how we interpret life shapes how we experience it.
Sometimes the most powerful shift isn’t changing our circumstances.
It’s changing how we see them.
Stay inspired by the life you’re living.
Kevin
Feb 26, 2026 — Nothing Left to Take Away
What if progress isn’t about adding more—but removing what isn’t essential? A reflection on simplicity, creative influence, and why sometimes the strongest structures have space built into them.
Take Two
For people who know there’s more to life and don’t want to miss it.
WORDS TO WONDER
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer and pioneering aviator (1900–1944)
PERSPECTIVES TO PONDER
In the late 1800s, building blocks were exactly what you’d imagine: solid slabs of concrete, each weighing around 100 pounds. Heavy. Dense. Impractical. Strength, at the time, was measured by mass.
Then along came an inventor named Harmon S. Palmer, who began experimenting with molded concrete blocks. Instead of adding more material, he removed it. He designed hollow cores inside the block — empty spaces that dramatically reduced the weight while maintaining structural integrity.
The result?
A block that was lighter.
Easier to handle.
More efficient.
And in many applications, structurally stronger.
The breakthrough wasn’t in adding more concrete.
It was in knowing what to take away.
Saint-Exupéry understood something similar about design — and about life. Perfection isn’t accumulation. It’s elimination.
We live in a culture that equates progress with addition:
More commitments.
More possessions.
More goals.
More hustle.
We assume strength comes from stacking more weight onto our shoulders.
But what if we’re carrying more weight than we need to?
What you leave out is just as important as what you leave in.
The structure matters more than the mass.
Maybe the reason life feels heavy isn’t because you lack effort — but because you haven’t removed what isn’t essential.
The unnecessary obligation.
The draining relationship.
The endless scrolling.
The outdated expectation.
The belief that busier means better.
When life isn’t working the way you hoped, the answer may not be to add something new. It may be to subtract something old.
Strength doesn’t come from carrying everything.
It comes from building wisely.
And sometimes, the strongest life is the one with space built into it.
WHEN THE PLAN ISN'T THE PROBLEM
You don’t need a better roadmap.
You may need the courage to change the passenger list.
I wrote about why strategy often isn’t the real issue — in business or in life.
Read the full article here.
MORE TO THE STORY — PET SOUNDS
Last week, I told you how Pet Sounds took thirty-four years to be certified gold — a masterpiece the market was slow to understand.
But that wasn’t the whole story.
Before Pet Sounds ever existed, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys heard Rubber Soul by The Beatles.
And it changed him.
For the first time, he heard a pop album that felt unified — not just a collection of radio hits, but a cohesive artistic statement. It redefined what was possible.
Wilson later said that when he heard Rubber Soul, he thought, I’m going to make an album that’s just as good — maybe even better.
That challenge became fuel.
He stopped touring. He went into the studio. He obsessed over arrangements, harmonies, emotion.
The result was Pet Sounds.
Then the ripple reversed.
When Paul McCartney heard Pet Sounds, he was in awe. He later called “God Only Knows,” one of the album’s standout tracks, the greatest song ever written. The Beatles studied Pet Sounds carefully while working on their next project — the album that would become Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Producer George Martin put it bluntly:
“Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper never would have happened. Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds.”
And Sgt. Pepper is now regarded as one of the most influential albums ever recorded — a record inspired by an album that initially few appreciated.
Think about that.
An album that felt underappreciated in its own moment helped spark one of the greatest records ever made.
Influence doesn’t always earn applause.
Sometimes it’s the spark in someone else’s mind.
You may never see the full reach of your work.
You may never know who is quietly studying it.
You may never realize who is being challenged to raise their own standard because of what you created.
But thoughtful, intentional effort has a way of multiplying.
So keep creating, regardless of the recognition.
Because your work might be someone else’s Rubber Soul.
And they might turn it into their own Sgt. Pepper.
BEFORE YOU GO
Strength isn’t always about adding more.
Sometimes it’s about carrying less.
Sometimes it’s about choosing who (and what) gets space in your life.
Build with intention.
Subtract with courage.
Trust that even quiet influence matters.
Stay inspired by the life you’re living.
Kevin
P.S.
I recently had a great conversation on the Pivotal People podcast about my latest book, Words to Wonder. We talked about courage and contentment, purpose, and the importance of living intentionally.
If that resonates, you can listen here.
Feb 12, 2026 — Unseen. Not Unimportant
Pet Sounds once peaked at #10 and was called a disappointment. Decades later, it became a masterpiece. A reminder that unseen work is not unimportant.
Take Two
For people who know there’s more to life and don’t want to miss it.
WORDS TO WONDER
“Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.”
— André Gide, French writer, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1869–1951)
PERSPECTIVES TO PONDER
In 1961, The Beach Boys crashed onto the music scene.
By 1963, they were climbing the Billboard charts with “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Surfer Girl,” and “Be True to Your School.” Soon came three #1 singles: “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” and “Good Vibrations.”
They were America’s soundtrack to sunshine.
Then, in 1966, they released Pet Sounds.
It was highly anticipated but only reached #10 on the charts.
Compared to their earlier chart-toppers, it was considered a disappointment.
Fans expected more surfing, cars, and carefree fun. Instead, they got vulnerability. Longing. Emotional depth. Songs like “God Only Knows” that sounded less like beach anthems and more like prayers.
It didn’t fit the moment. But moments change.
Sometimes what feels like a miss is simply ahead of its time.
A decade later, Paul McCartney said:
“God Only Knows is the greatest song ever written.”
Then, in 2000, thirty-four years after its release, Pet Sounds was certified Gold (500,000 copies sold). Two weeks later, it went Platinum (1,000,000).
The first half-million took 34 years.
The second took two weeks.
The album didn’t change. The world finally heard what had been there all along.
Our work isn’t always recognized when it’s released into the world. Sometimes it’s misunderstood. Sometimes it feels invisible. Sometimes it feels like shouting into the wind.
It’s tempting to abandon what’s meaningful when no one seems to notice.
But greatness is often ahead of its time.
If you’re discouraged and it feels like no one is listening, don’t confuse delayed recognition with lack of value.
Trade the desire for immediate applause for the pursuit of lasting impact.
Keep building.
Keep writing.
Keep creating.
Great work is not measured by its first reaction.
It is measured by its staying power.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Am I chasing visibility—or impact?
Are the results I want the natural outcome of the actions I take daily?
If recognition were delayed for years, would I stay the course?
NOT-SO-ORDINDARY FINDS
Kindness in the Quiet
A couple of minutes that will brighten your day.
BEFORE YOU GO
Not everything meaningful is immediately noticed.
Not everything unseen is unimportant.
Press on with your purpose—even when the world doesn’t seem to notice.
Stay inspired by the life you are living.
Kevin
Feb 5, 2026 — The Cost of Staying the Same
Comfort has a cost. This reflection explores how habits, familiarity, and the past can quietly shape our lives—and the courage it takes to begin again.
Take Two
For people who know there’s more to life and don’t want to miss it.
WORDS TO WONDER
“The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
— Warren Buffett
PERSPECTIVES TO PONDER
After college, I lived in a small two-bedroom, one-bath house with four other guys. Our tiny house was never meant for five people. We assumed it would be temporary—but comfort has a way of extending timelines, and we ended up staying for years.
The landlord had one unusual rule: we were not allowed to change the phone number.
The house had belonged to his grandmother, and the number was etched into his memory. He cared about it so much that he offered to pay our phone bill himself, just to keep the number the same.
A free phone bill was a nice perk. Over time, it became a windfall.
A few of the guys were in long-distance relationships—some international. Phone use exploded. So did the bill. Eventually, the monthly phone charges exceeded the rent.
And still, the landlord paid.
He was losing money every month, not because the house wasn’t rentable, but because he couldn’t let go of something familiar.
It’s easy to see the mistake from the outside. But it raises a quieter, more uncomfortable question:
Where might we be doing the same thing?
Most of us carry at least one habit, belief, or pattern we’ve outgrown, but keep anyway. Not because it serves us, but because it’s familiar. Comfortable. Known.
Over time, the cost adds up.
Momentum slows.
Opportunities narrow.
Life becomes more expensive than it needs to be.
If you’re honest with yourself, where is your unwillingness to change costing you?
And if there were one change—just one—that would improve your life in the long run, what would it be?
Maybe it’s time to change the phone number.
WHEN THE PAST STILL LINGERS
This week I’m in Dallas, and I’m struck by how heavily history hangs over this city.
Dealey Plaza.
The X’s painted in the street marking where John F. Kennedy was struck.
The Sixth Floor Depository.
The theater where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested.
The place where he had earlier killed Officer Tippit.
The Municipal Building where Jack Ruby ended Oswald's life.
Dealey Plaza, Dallas
Decades have passed, yet the past still looms.
And it made me think about how often we allow our own history to do the same.
Old failures.
Past mistakes.
Versions of ourselves we wish we could forget.
Unlike a city—where curiosity and remembrance will always keep certain chapters alive—we’re not required to live in our past. We’re allowed to turn the page. To begin again. To create distance between who we were and who we’re becoming.
So here’s the question I’m sitting with:
Where are you still lingering in the failures of your past?
And what might change if you decided—today—to write a new story?
THINGS WORTH THINKING ABOUT
The Difference Between a Successful Life and a Meaningful One
What if success isn’t the thing we should be chasing?
This short thought experiment reveals why a life can look good on paper—and still feel empty inside. A reflection on success, meaning, and the quieter question that determines whether a life truly feels worth living.
→ Read the full article
BEFORE YOU GO
Life is constantly inviting us to begin again—sometimes quietly, sometimes at a cost.
May you have the clarity to notice where change is needed, the courage to make it, and the wisdom to invest your days in what will still matter when you look back.
Stay inspired by the life you’re living.
Kevin
Jan 29, 2026 — Are You Fighting the Laws of Physics?
Newton’s First Law of Motion isn’t just physics—it’s a mirror for how we live. This reflection explores inertia, momentum, and the small forces that quietly shape the direction of our lives.
Take Two
For people who know there’s more to life and don’t want to miss it.
ARE YOU FIGHTING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS?
Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion—the law of inertia—states:
An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted upon by an external force.
It’s a core principle of physics, but it’s also a quiet truth about how we live.
So it’s worth asking:
Are you at rest?
Not physically, but existentially. Have you lost momentum? Settled into routines that no longer challenge you? Stopped trying not because you chose to, but because it slowly became easier not to?
Or are you in motion?
You may be busy, productive, constantly moving—but motion alone isn’t the goal. Is your movement taking you closer to the life you want to live? Or is it carrying you farther away, just at a faster pace?
Newton reminds us of something important: motion doesn’t change on its own. A life at rest doesn’t suddenly spring forward. A life drifting off course doesn’t magically correct itself.
Change requires a force.
That force might be a decision you’ve been avoiding.
A conversation you need to have.
A habit you need to start (or one you need to stop).
A choice to pursue what matters most.
There are forces acting on you whether you choose them or not. Some energize you. Others quietly slow you down. Paying attention to which ones you allow into your life may matter more than you realize.
The laws of physics are at work every moment of every day. The question is: are you fighting them—or letting them work for you?
QUOTATIONS TO CONSIDER
“It’s not that we need to do more. It’s that we need to do less of what doesn’t matter.”
— Greg McKeown, leadership thinker and author
“You cannot find peace by avoiding life.”
— Virginia Woolf, English writer
“Inspiration is perishable—act on it immediately.”
— Naval Ravikant, entrepreneur and investor
“I was in darkness, but I took three steps and found myself in paradise. The first step was a good thought. The second, a good word; the third, a good deed.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher and writer
THINGS WORTH THINKING ABOUT
Why Indecision Is the Biggest Reason You’re Missing Out
How much life are you missing because you’re waiting to decide? This article explores why indecision is often more damaging than a wrong choice—and how small decisions can restore momentum.
BEFORE YOU GO
This week’s ideas all point in the same direction: momentum matters. Whether it’s physics, perspective, or choice, small decisions shape the direction of our days—and, over time, our lives.
I hope you’re finding meaningful momentum as you pursue what matters most.
Stay inspired by the life you’re living.
Kevin
Jan 22, 2026 — A Perfectly Logical Error
A story about a perfectly logical mistake, the limits of certainty, and why asking better questions may matter more than having the right answers.
Take Two
For people who know there’s more to life and don’t want to miss it.
A PERFECTLY LOGICAL ERROR
My dad once told me a story about growing up in Ireland during World War II.
Out of concern that the country might be invaded, many signs were stripped of their English, leaving only the Gaelic text. The idea was simple: make navigation harder for any invading force.
After the war ended, English signs were slow to return. Most of the time, this caused only minor confusion—until international travelers began passing through Shannon Airport.
The restroom doors were labeled only in Gaelic:
Fear — men
Maighdean — women
To travelers unfamiliar with the language, the reasoning seemed obvious. Fear starts with an F, so it must be female. Maighdean starts with an M, so it must be men.
Perfectly logical. Completely wrong.
People kept walking into the wrong restroom until airport officials finally added English translations.
The travelers weren’t thinking poorly—they were thinking clearly. Their logic worked. What failed was the information underneath it.
Life is full of moments like this. Times when our reasoning is sharp, our conclusions feel obvious, and yet we’re still heading for the wrong door.
Because logic is only as reliable as the understanding it’s built on.
We don’t usually go wrong because we aren’t thinking. We go wrong because we’re thinking from incomplete information—and treating it as if it’s complete.
So perhaps the quiet wisdom isn’t to distrust our thinking—but to hold it lightly enough to ask, What might I be missing here?
Sometimes the most important course correction isn’t a better answer, but a better question.
QUOTATIONS TO CONSIDER
“It is easier to see the mistakes in other people’s thinking than in our own.”
— Simone Weil, French philosopher
“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.”
— Henri Bergson, French philosopher
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
— Mark Twain, American writer and humorist
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
— Charles Bukowski, American poet and novelist
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
At its core, Same as Ever is about human behavior. Housel explores the timeless forces that shape success, failure, progress, and frustration. Technology changes. Circumstances change. People don’t—at least not in the ways that matter most.
Same as Ever is a reminder that progress always comes with friction. Every meaningful pursuit has an “overhead cost”—stress, uncertainty, inefficiency, and inconvenience. The challenge isn’t eliminating these costs; it’s learning how much of them to accept so you can keep moving forward. Another great book from Morgan Housel. Check it out.
BEFORE YOU GO
This week, I’m focused on asking better questions—exploring what I might be missing—and remembering that a little inefficiency is part of the deal. I hope you find the right balance between progress and imperfection as you pursue the life you want.
Stay inspired by the life you’re living.
Kevin