The Core

Let’s think for a moment about why we want something different than our current state — whether that means wanting to have, do, or become something different.

What actually sits underneath our goals?

This is really the central question behind the study of human motivation, which is an enormously complex subject and certainly not something I can fully unpack in one short blog article. But I do think it is worth posing the question.

If we begin with the assumption that most of us want to live a good life — and accept that defining what a “good life” actually means is itself part of the journey — then the discussion becomes a bit more manageable.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this through the lenses of quantity, quality, capacity, and integration.

For example, I want to reduce digital distractions in my life because I want to be more actively engaged in real life instead. But that doesn’t mean I want to eliminate digital inputs entirely. That would be nearly impossible, and more importantly, it is not actually my goal.

What I want is for the quantity of digital distraction to decrease and the quality of what I give my attention to increase.

I want more intentionality.

Then there is the question of capacity.

How much time, energy, money, attention, health, or emotional bandwidth do we actually have available to build the kind of life we want? Because whatever we attend to will require resources from us — at the very least, our time and energy.

My own current experiments with “the good life” center around building what I’ve called a Back on Campus Lifestyle on one hand, and developing my artistic and creative practices on the other.

And the challenge is not simply pursuing both.
The challenge is integration.

How do all the pieces fit together in a way that feels coherent, sustainable, meaningful, and alive?

That question is part of why I’ve been experimenting with the idea of One Hit Wonders — those year-long commitments that remain at the top of the charts in my life and receive consistent daily or near-daily attention.

At the moment, I have two active One Hit Wonders, and I’m already reflecting on when I want to introduce a third, and probably more if I can integrate and sustain them.

But that immediately raises questions about capacity again.

Do I realistically have the time and energy?
Will adding something new improve the quality of my life or dilute it?
Will it create greater integration… or fragmentation?

And then, of course, there is another factor entirely: fortune.
Luck.
Chance.
The unpredictable nature of life itself.

Recently, while reflecting on the origins of my Back on Campus Lifestyle concept and its components, I realized something important.

Even if I successfully recreate many of the external conditions that made that particular year of my undergraduate experience so rich and meaningful to me, there is absolutely no guarantee the deeper experience itself can be recreated.

Some elements can be intentionally designed.

The fitness lifestyle? Yes.
The learning and intellectual stimulation? Yes.
Creative expression and music? Absolutely.
Dorm simple living? Check.
Travel, exploration, and adventure? Those can all be pursued deliberately.

But what was really at the center of that year?

What made it come alive?

When I reflected honestly on it, two things stood out:
luck and relationships.

I was fortunate enough to find myself in situations that resonated deeply with my authentic self.
And I was fortunate enough to encounter people who enriched that period of my life in meaningful ways.

Much of that was outside my direct control.

However…

I also had to participate in my own luck.

I had to take action.
I had to say yes to experiences.
I had to place myself into environments where meaningful things could happen.
I had to show up in real life even when I was tired, uncertain, anxious, bored, worried about money, or tempted to stay comfortable instead.

If I had not done those things, the relationships and opportunities that shaped that year likely never would have emerged.

So what is The Core?

I’m not entirely sure yet.

Perhaps it is not one thing at all, but a dynamic relationship between things like intentionality, openness, courage, alignment, luck, and active participation in life itself.

I suspect all of us are trying to understand this in our own ways.

And for my part, I will keep using this platform — and our music — as a way to continue exploring the question alongside you.