Brent Alexander

serving up perspective //

smashing the doubt

Category: Personal Growth

Browse the Personal Growth category for ideas on mindset, resilience, and self-improvement. Find actionable insights to help you grow on and off the court.

Rekindling The Love of Words: My Journaling Journey

keeping a journal is something i never kept up with until this year. i’ve never considered myself a wordsmith, but maybe a logophile—a lover of words. and this year, i’ve rekindled that love.

i remember the pre-social media days of livejournal and xanga. every band, every tv show, had its own forum or message board. it’s like the internet could only handle so much, and that was all we needed.

back then, i honed my creativity, but it was surface-level. i only scratched the surface of who i was. today, with more self-awareness and self-acceptance, i can express what i couldn’t in those early days.

there’s something beautiful about the lofi nature of words in a high-fidelity world of tik tok reels, youtube videos, netflix, and endless noise. it feels cozy, intimate. like wrapping up in a blanket by a warm fire.

i don’t journal every day, but i do it more often than not. and that’s something.

here’s to writing more words in 2025. ✍🏻

December 31, 2024
A Celebration of Possibility

“All endings are also beginnings. We just didn’t know it at the time.”

— Mitch Albom

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Today we helped my wife’s sister and her husband move into their new home.

Moving signifies embarking on a new chapter. One door closes, and another one opens. It’s a tangible reminder that life is full of opportunities for growth and transformation. It’s a celebration of what’s possible. The future is wide open with every new step. There’s always room for growth, change, and the unexpected.

The transition from one stage to the next is often laborious. It’s easy to beat yourself up for forgetting where you packed things. And it may take longer than you originally planned. And it will definitely cost more (everyone thinks they are wiser than they really are). But the key that unlocks the door to the next chapter is only found when you release the old one.

Is it a risk? You bet. When you sell the house in which you currently reside, you’re putting your faith and hope in the fact that you have another one ready. But sometimes life has other plans. Sometimes plan A falls through and plan B is living with your parents until your new house is finished. It takes trust, patience, and stick-to-it-iveness. Heaps of it.

But then, the day finally comes and it’s time turn the page. And it’s rewarding. And exciting. And, ever so slowly, all of that stress and anxiety that used to keep you up at night starts to drift away. And you look back and reflect and think about just how far you have come.

New things are new because they are unmarred.

One could say they are perfect.

But they are also blank.

Empty.

Lifeless.

Full of possibility.

A new chapter is a celebration.

A celebration of possibility.

December 22, 2024
Don’t Think. Just Do.

Limits are meant to be pushed. Whether it’s speed, fear, or doubt, the barriers in front of us are only as permanent as we allow them to be.

A “top gun” doesn’t back down because the odds are stacked against him—he thrives because he trusts his training, his instincts, and his relentless drive to succeed. That’s a lesson for all of us. You don’t have to wait to feel “ready.” You don’t need to be the best to start. What matters is taking the first step and believing in your ability to rise.

“Don’t think, just do.” Those four words encapsulate what it takes to break through fear and hesitation. Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s action in spite of it. Every great achievement begins with someone daring to step into discomfort, to face the unknown.

In life, you can be sure that you will face challenges that test you, voices that doubt you, and moments when quitting feels easier than continuing. But the only way to truly grow is to embrace the process and push through the turbulence.

Your mission isn’t just about skill—it’s about mindset. Trust your instincts. Trust the work you’ve put in. Trust the vision you’re chasing, even if others can’t see it yet. Obstacles will come, but they’re there to refine you, not define you. Keep showing up. Keep giving it everything you’ve got. When you do, you’ll find that limits begin to crumble, and the horizon gets just a little closer.

You don’t have to know exactly how the story ends. What matters is flying your own mission, on your own terms. Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about winning—it’s about living boldly, pushing boundaries, and refusing to let fear clip your wings.

The sky was never the limit—it’s just the beginning. All you have to do is take off.

December 14, 2024
Let Me Introduce Myself 😎

I go by Brent. I make and fix the internets. Sometimes successfully. I am a self-proclaimed pickleball addict. I think I’m as cool as Tyson McGuffin but humble myself every time I hit my overhead into the net.

It’s progress. Not perfection. Each day is a journey worth traveling. Life has no rewind button. If you’re living with regret, you’re not living. Choose to be present today. Be who you want to be tomorrow, even when you don’t feel like it today. Adventure awaits. Let’s get after it.

July 9, 2024

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