What a dying man taught about actually living, a daily read to think differently, main character energy, the climb from overdose to Everest, reclaim your mornings, strength flow, & a chickpea bowl.
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In The Better Way Weekly
Article Review
Book Summary
Podcast Recommendation
Just Good Content
Weekly Challenge
Workout of the Week
Recipe of the Week
✅ ARTICLE
“Notes from the best book I’ve read: A man dying of cancer wrote how to actually live” — by Cole Jaczko
Cole writes about a book by a man in his 40s who, after a terminal cancer diagnosis, sat down and wrote the playbook for the life most of us are too busy living to notice.
A life isn’t measured in years, it’s measured in the people you touch. We spend so much of our energy bracing for some future version of ourselves that we forget we’re alive now. Cole’s takeaway…most of our planning is just elaborate procrastination on actually being here.
“Death comes in one size. The same cannot be said of lives.”
Maktub is Arabic for "it is written." This little book is a collection of short parables, fables, and reflections Coelho gathered from Sufi mystics, Christian desert fathers, Zen masters, and his own life. Each piece is a page or two. All of them invite you to look at your life differently. I'm on my third time reading through it and start most mornings with it.
The path is the point. Coelho keeps returning to the idea that we treat life like a destination problem when it’s actually a presence problem.
Surrender is not the same as giving up.
Wisdom is mostly remembering, not learning.
The warrior of light shows up anyway. A recurring image in his work: a person who keeps walking, keeps practicing, keeps choosing the harder good.
🎬 JUST GOOD CONTENT
Do you think you’re an important person?
🎙️ PODCAST OF THE WEEK
The Purpose Effect | Ryan Rivard on the Climb From Overdose to Everes
Ryan Rivard was a homeless overdose survivor at 19. At 40, he summited Mount Everest. The most powerful thing he learned along the way? Neither rock bottom nor the summit was the point.
🚀 5 FACTOR CHALLENGE
(Factors of Health | Eat, Sleep, Train, Think, Connect)
This week’s factor: THINK
The Challenge: First 30 Minutes, No Inputs.
For the next seven mornings, do not consume any external input (no phone, no email, no news, no podcasts, no music with lyrics) for the first 30 minutes after you wake up.
Why You Benefit: Your first thoughts of the day set the tone for everything that follows. When you outsource them to a notification feed, you’re handing the steering wheel to whatever the algorithm wants you to feel. A quiet first hour gives your own thoughts a chance to surface.
💪🏻 WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
The 20-Minute Push/Pull/Core Flow
Bodyweight only. No equipment needed. Set a timer for 20 minutes and complete as many rounds as possible. Move at a steady pace, quality before speed.
15 Push-UpsModification: drop to knees, or place hands on a counter/bench for an elevated push-up.
15 Reverse Lunges (total — alternating legs)Modification: hold onto a wall or chair for balance; reduce to 10 if needed.
10 Inchworms with Push-UpFrom standing, walk hands out to plank, do one push-up, walk hands back, stand. Modification: skip the push-up.
20 Mountain Climbers (10 per leg)Modification: slow them down and place hands on an elevated surface.
30-Second Hollow Body HoldModification: knees bent, or hold for 15 seconds and rest 15 seconds.
15 Glute BridgesModification: pause at the top for 2 seconds to make it harder.
Score yourself by total rounds completed. Aim for 4–6 rounds. Beat your number next time.
🥑 RECIPE OF THE WEEK
A healthy, nutrient dense, minimally processed meal or snack.
1 cup farro or brown rice (cooked according to package — about 3/4 cup dry)
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
4 cups baby spinach or arugula
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Lemon Tahini Dressing:
3 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small clove garlic, grated
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
2–3 tbsp warm water (to thin)
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Cook farro or brown rice according to package directions. Set aside.
While the grains cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas in a single layer and let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to begin crisping.
Add smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and continue cooking for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are crispy and golden.
While the chickpeas cook, whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, adding warm water a tablespoon at a time until you reach a pourable consistency.
Build the bowls: divide grains between two bowls, top with spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and the warm crispy chickpeas.
Drizzle generously with lemon tahini dressing, scatter pumpkin seeds and parsley on top, and serve immediately.
