Hi, I’m Josh Stewart.
These are my thoughts.
→ I write because it helps me think clearly.
→ I share because it keeps me accountable.
Progress is achieved through iteration.
Recent writings:
Hawaii > Florida
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I’m gonna be honest with you guys, I thought Florida and Hawaii were basically the same thing — turns out I was wrong.
Using an algorithm I created myself (based on cleanliness, food quality, population density, and wildlife), I can make a strong argument that Hawaii is (at a minimum) 4 times better than Florida.
Here are a few highlights from our recent trip:
• Ruby was voted loudest person on every flight we boarded (unanimously).
• Gwyn lost a lot of things including her boarding pass (within 5 minutes of me handing it to her, looking directly into her eyes and saying “don’t lose this, it’s very important“).
• Lila “slayed all day everyday” — her words, not mine.
• Jude met the love of his life at the Mauna Kea Luau (just kidding, but photo #8 makes me belly laugh every time).
We’re already planning our return in ‘24.
Shoutout to B-Stew for making me go.
Godspeed.
Bonus: My wife made us visit an active volcano and then it erupted a few days later. This is the documentary telling our family’s story of bravery and triumph in the face of life threatening adversity. Thank you for your support.
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Daily Affirmation
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Definition
affirmation. / (ˌæfəˈmeɪʃən) / noun.
the act of affirming or the state of being affirmed.
a statement of the existence or truth of something.
Start at the beginning
In a world full of distractions, I’ve committed to starting each day rooted in truth.
I’m a big believer that clear writing is a sign of clear thinking, and have found immense value in grounding myself each morning (and often throughout the day) by audibly speaking this affirmation over myself.
I wrote it intentionally to serve as a reminder of who I am and where I’m going.
My Daily Affirmation
I am a son of the one true King.
A spark of the Divine lives within me.
The Lord has equipped me to live righteously in every circumstance.
As the patriarch of my family, I will lead from the front.
I will do the hard things that make me the best version of myself.
I will refuse passivity and confront the things that need correction.
I will be faithful to my Savior, my wife, and my children until the very end.
I will be legacy-minded and kingdom-focused in all I do.
Each day is a gift—I choose to live on purpose.
Application
I can’t begin to explain how valuable this has been for me.
It’s written on my heart and I’ve learned to instantly recite specific portions of it to myself in certain circumstances.
A few examples:
When Ruby is screaming in the car — “the Lord has equipped me to live righteously in every circumstance.”
When I don’t feel like getting out of bed at 5:30 am — “I will do the hard things that make me the best version of myself.”
When I don’t want to have a tough conversation — “I will refuse passivity and confront the things that need correction.”
The list goes on and on.
The older I get, the more I’m becoming the type of person I used to roll my eyes at. And honestly, I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
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Thanks, Dad
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My Dad’s Dad died when he was five.
He didn’t have a Dad to teach him how to be a Dad.
He started from scratch and he figured it out.
As a Dad myself, that is something I refuse to take for granted.
At my Grandmother’s funeral, I got the chance to meet a lot of people who hadn’t seen me since I was just a few years old. There was one conversation I’ll never forget.
I was talking to one of my Dad’s old college buddies, and he was going on and on about what my Dad was like back in the day.
He said my Dad always had this “unexplainable cool factor” about him, that he had an enviable artistic talent, and that he was quite the party animal 😂
After a few more laughs, he said something I’ll never forget:
“You know, everything changed when you were born.”
He continued.
“Your Dad stopped partying.”
“He stopped hanging out with the guys.”
“He put his head down and worked harder than anyone else in school.”
“You changed him.”
Every time I think about that conversation, I get a little emotional.
I was born when my Dad was 19.
The odds were stacked against him.
No one made him do anything.
He chose to embrace the situation.
He chose to lean into adversity.
He chose to rise to the occasion.
His decision shifted his legacy and an entire lineage.
I love my Dad.
I also admire my Dad.
Love is a very powerful emotion, but it’s different than admiration.
Admiration is a feeling of high regard, respect, and appreciation for someone’s qualities and achievements.
The list of people I love is very long.
The list of people I admire is much shorter.
My Dad is at the top of both lists.
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Daily routine: 2023 edition
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If you want average outcomes, do what the average person does. If you want extraordinary outcomes, you’re gonna have to do things differently.
Start at the beginning. Always.
Before I share my daily routine, I believe some context is crucial.
I have no interest in mediocrity. None.
I’ve spent the past 5 years pursuing health and I’ve discovered through a lot of iteration that there is a lot of good on the other side of discomfort.
As the patriarch of my family, I’m committed to leading from the front and doing the hard things that make me the best version of myself.
These things undoubtedly make me a better husband, father, protector, friend, and businessman.
It’s not instant gratification, like when you’re eating Cheetos binging Netflix. It’s delayed gratification and it lasts.
It makes my mind stronger. It makes my body stronger. It gives me energy I can’t explain. It keeps me motivated and inspired to maximize this life.
Discipline equals freedom.
DISCLAIMER:
I didn’t figure these things out overnight. It was a slow and iterative process with plenty of mistakes along the way (like the time I ran a full marathon without eating anything, or the time I got frostbite from staying in my cold plunge for too long — you get the idea).
What works for me might not work for you. The goal is to learn through trial and error.
Morning Routine
My morning routine is something I’ve been perfecting for nearly 5 years.
Win the morning, win the day.
5:45 - 6:15 am (wake up time)
40 oz water with Creatine (5 mg) + Redmonds Relyte
Heart & Soil: Beef Organs, Whole Package, Skin/Hair/Nails
Vitamin D (5,000 IU)
Onnit Alpha Brain
Diindolylmethane (DIM) 300 mg
Red Korean Ginseng
Cod liver oil (1 teaspoon)
Prayer / read 10 pages (15 minutes)
Redlight therapy + breathwork: 10+ minutes on Joovv
Ice bath: 3 minutes at 37° (towel dry)
Lift (45+ minutes)
8:30 am
Coffee (1-2 cups, 2 hours post waking up)
Commute
Work
Mind management > time management. I’ve found that when my mind is in the right place, I can get two weeks worth of work done in two days.
9:00 am
Hook studio — Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Home office — Tuesday/Thursday
Diet
My diet has been iteratively crafted after wearing a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) for 60 days and learning how my body reacts to certain foods. Diet is nuanced and individualized based on a variety of factors. Instead of buying into a fad diet (keto, paleo, etc), I believe it’s important to discover what works best for you.
My Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is 1,845 calories. Depending on my activity level, I aim to consume between 2,250 and 2,500 calories daily.
2 pm
50g raw liver + Bone broth with collagen and ghee butter (40 grams of protein) *Break your fast with highly bioavailable and nutrient-dense protein
Relyte hydration (32 oz)
3:30 pm
Beef protein stick or biltong + cheese (30-40 grams of protein)
5:30 pm
Ground beef (1 lb) or 6-8 eggs (40-60 grams of protein)
Jasmine rice (1/4 cup)
Optional evening snacks:
Salmon
Broccoli
Asparagus
Fruit — primarily blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
Greek yogurt
Macadamia nuts (in moderation)
Dried mango (in moderation)
Golden Kiwis
Purple Sweet Potatoes
Honeycrisp Apples
Avocados
*I consume a minimum of 180 grams of protein + 96 oz water before 8 pm
**I’ll adjust my carbs based on my activity level (they’re typically between 75 and 175 grams daily)
***I fill in the calorie gaps with healthy fats.
Products I Use and Recommend
Things to Remember
Doing hard things is a cheat code. When comfort is always the target, your threshold for discomfort becomes low. When your threshold for discomfort is low, you start to complain about things that aren’t real problems.
You get approximately 2.5 billion heartbeats in your lifetime. Stay calm. Slow down and breathe it all in.
The aging process itself is directly related to inflammation (chronic, low-grade inflammation ultimately characterizes what we refer to as aging). You can easily reduce inflammation by eating real whole foods, exercising, sleeping well, and including anti-inflammatory foods into your diet.
Omega-6 (seed oils) have a half-life of approximately 680 days. 680 days.
Prioritize: sleep, exercise, diet. In that order.
When your HRV is above 60, you are the best, happiest, most driven version of yourself.
98% of all vitamins sold are made synthetically. Source matters.
Voices I Trust and Follow
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