It’s Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Today’s reflection was inspired by the April 5th entry of The Daily Stoic: "Trust but Verify." We often pride ourselves on our "gut instincts," but as Epictetus warned nearly 2,000 years ago, our first impressions can often carry us away into unnecessary anger, anxiety, or judgment. I’m diving into why taking a "beat" to interrogate your own emotions—especially in the face of a frustrating email or a missed expectation—is the ultimate tool for owning your life.

I hope you enjoy it! As always you can learn more and connect with me on my website (andystorch.com) or LinkedIn. And you can find my books - Own Your Career Own Your Life and Own Your Brand, Own Your Career - on Amazon.

It’s Friday, April 10, 2026. Following up on yesterday’s talk about expectations, today I’m diving into another major source of friction: Judgment. Inspired by Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Dad, I’ve been reflecting on how our natural instinct to categorize and "approve" or "disapprove" of everything—from our kids' screen time to global politics—is actually a survival mechanism gone rogue. I share why I’m trying to trade my "judge's gavel" for a "magnifying glass" of curiosity.

I hope you enjoy it! As always you can learn more and connect with me on my website (andystorch.com) or LinkedIn. And you can find my books - Own Your Career Own Your Life and Own Your Brand, Own Your Career - on Amazon.

It’s Thursday, April 9, 2026. Today’s episode was sparked by my morning reading of The Daily Stoic and The Daily Dad. I’ve come to realize that one of the single biggest drivers of unhappiness isn't "bad luck"—it's missed expectations. Specifically, the ones we never actually bothered to say out loud. I’m sharing how shifting from "assumed" to "explicit" communication saved my marriage from unnecessary arguments and why I stopped "keeping score" in my friendships years ago.

I hope you enjoy it! As always you can learn more and connect with me on my website (andystorch.com) or LinkedIn. And you can find my books - Own Your Career Own Your Life and Own Your Brand, Own Your Career - on Amazon.