If you been rocking with me for a while, you may have read it… if not, you can watch the podcast episode I did on it here.

Basically, I was talking about how trying to write like every other creator on X was killing my output and my confidence. About how my story—weird, turbulent, real—was my greatest weapon and how I wasn’t using it to my advantage.

I believed I was right then. I still believe it to be true now.

Now, some of you may recall that I was talking about this idea only a couple of weeks ago—if you missed that one, you can read it here:

So why am I still having the same conversation with myself?

Why is this so hard to really get right?

The truth is, I am moving forward (slowly, but surely).

I’ve shipped a newsletter every Sunday for the first 3.5 months of the year without missing. I branched out and started creating the CHAMP CAMP content with a carousel system to bring my newsletters and ideas to IG. The podcast has been repositioned, and I am still writing raps.

The gears are turning. The jigsaw pieces are falling into place.

From the outside, it probably looks like things are moving. I’m productive, things are getting built, I’m doing “the thing” etc etc…

And it is. They are. I am.

But something has been quietly stalling underneath all of it.

My content output has stagnated since I posted about the CHAMP CAMP—and when I sat with why, the answer was uncomfortable.

I don’t always know who is supposed to be showing up.

Is it Savilian — the rapper with war stories and a body of music that still makes me feel like me?

Is it CHAMP CAMP — the stoicism and mindset platform I’ve been building and genuinely believe in?

Is it Sav — the ADHD creative journeyman just documenting his life in real time?

One man. Three lanes.

And when life gets hard (like it has recently), I feel completely paralysed trying to figure out which road to take.

So I do what most people do when they’re confused.

I stall. I second-guess. I overthink the positioning instead of just creating.

I spose the lack of mental capacity over the last month hasn’t helped.

But a moment that really didn’t do me any favours came a couple of weeks back, when a mentor figure and someone whose opinion I really respect said something that was gratifying and also completely derailing.

He told me that my music is good. That the CHAMP CAMP EP is still worth talking about and marketing. That I should be putting out more content around it.

He said, ‘man know one knows it exists, you haven’t told anyone’.

And he’s right.

Although this comment was nice to hear, it probably left me more confused than anything. Feeling like I was getting some momentum going with CHAMP CAMP, only to realise that Savilian still needs me.

Confusing amirite!!?

In my head, I’d been trying to separate the lanes. Rap over here. Stoicism over there. Give people clarity, give them context. Neat little boxes for a messy human life.

But that’s the problem… I’m not neat, my life is not easy.

My brain certainly is not orderly.

What if the things I keep trying to organise and separate are actually supposed to be one thing?

What if the niche, me, is supposed to be just that…

Me.

Identity is still holding me back.

But I am everything I need to do and everything I will ever need to talk about. My stories, my experiences, my journey are not replicable.

Getting clear on the why is the key.

Because the rap, the stoicism, the ADHD, the journeyman life—none of those are separate things. They’re all just chapters of the same story. My story.

Savilian writes about the life.

CHAMP CAMP is the philosophy behind how I live it.

Sav is just the guy doing both, in public, imperfectly, every single week.

Maybe the through-line was never the platform or the content pillar.

It was just me—documenting the craziness of my brain and life instead of performing a version of it.

I don’t have this figured out. Nowhere near.

I’m very much still in the middle of it, grinding through and trying to solve the problems that my brain presents.

But I’m done waiting until the lanes are clean before I create. The lanes might never be clean. And the audience I’m trying to reach doesn’t need clean lanes—they need an honest person showing up consistently and telling the truth.

I need to unshackle myself from needing to be a creator, and just start creating!

So that’s what I’m going to keep doing.

If you’re out there wrestling with the same thing—too many ideas, too many versions of yourself, not sure which one to lead with—just know you’re not alone.

Pick the one that’s most true. Lead with that. Build from there.

That’s it from me this week, thanks for tuning in.

LESGO CHAMP!

SAV

Every week I show up here and tell the truth about what it actually looks like to build something from scratch—the music, mindset and mess in between.

No performance. Just that real shit… that champ shit.

If this resonated, hit subscribe below.

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My internal monologue was crippling.

After many many bad decisions throughout my teens and early twenties, I was left with an inner critic that attacked my every move.

A savage operator. Relentless.

No days off from its violent and crushing assault.

I really hated myself.

Hated who I was, how I showed up, how I kept finding ways to fuck things up. That hate followed me everywhere. Into my relationships, my decisions, my creative work, and my connection to family and friends.

There was no escape.

For over a decade, I carried that weight.

Beginning The Work

In early 2020, I saw an opportunity to begin to turn the tide.

The first thing I did was start journaling.

Not because someone told me to. Because I knew that the version of myself I thought I was and the version actually showing up every day were not the same person. I needed data. Real, honest, unfiltered data.

So I documented everything I did for an entire year.

What I ate. How I moved. How I spent my time. How I spoke to myself when things went wrong.

I tracked the hours I spent drinking, making music, exercising and socialising.

Every detail was put down on paper so that it was real.

I could not run from it.

What I learned was confronting—but clarifying. I could finally see the pattern. And once I could see it, I could start to change it.

Once I had the data, I had 2 options:

1. Acknowledge and begin to make adjustments

2. Change nothing and continue living in ignorant bliss

I always believed I was meant for something more. Some level of greatness, at least in my own universe and understanding of things—so, of course, I chose the former.

From there, I began trialling things to help me fight my way back.

One of the decisions I made to help in this fight was in late 2020 when I got started on antidepressants. I started taking sertraline after a long-term bout of anxiety started taking its toll.

I knew this was not going to be a permanent solution, but I believed it could assist me in my climb back, and it did.

Another (hugely pivotal) thing that I tried was hypnotherapy.

After hearing about the benefits years earlier from my brother Dave, I had been curious to try it, but never felt quite ready, however the therapist I was seeing at the time had suggested a hypno friend of hers, and I knew I had to take the opportunity.

So I booked a session and put myself on the hook.

The Hypnotherapist

Before I walked in, I spoke to Dave to get an idea of what I was walking into—as I said, he had done it a few years earlier and knew what to expect.

He gave me one piece of incredibly potent advice:

I thought deeply about that one thing. So many things needed to change…

• Stop lying

• Stop drinking

• Stop gambling

• What I wanted to be

• What I didn’t want to be

• What kind of man would make me proud

But there was one thing that came out on top. One idea that needed to change above all else. So when the hypnotherapist asked me what I wanted to work on, I didn’t overthink it:

“I want my inner voice to be kind.”

That was it. Just six words.

I lay back as she began talking and felt myself drift into a sleep.

To this day, I cannot explain what happened in that room. I don’t understand the science of it. All I know is that I closed my eyes, and when I woke up, something had shifted. It wasn’t a dramatic change, but something inside me was different.

I slowly learned how to be kind to myself.

The voice inside my head, the inner critic, had begun taking days off. The barrage of hate and spite began slowing down.

Now, 4 years on, I live harmoniously with that voice as my friend.

I still make mistakes. Plenty of them.

Like heaaaaapppss of them!!

But I’m no longer at war with myself when I do.

Don’t Regret This

A while back, I saw a conversation that echoed my thoughts.

Scott Galloway (author and entrepreneur) was on Chris Williamson’s podcast talking about life, regret, and financial freedom.

In the section on Forgiving yourself when you fall short, Scott talks about a friend of his who interviewed people in the last stages of life—specifically, what people say when they’re at the end of their life, looking back.

One of the most common things they wish?

That they had been less hard on themselves.

Not that they’d worked harder. Not that they’d made more money or built bigger things or had more fun.

Just less hard on themselves.

And I have thought about that ever since.

Because here’s the truth—you are the person that you have to spend most of your life with, heck, maybe even all of it. You are going to fall short. Repeatedly. You’re going to make bad calls, miss the mark, say the wrong thing, and choose the wrong path.

That’s called being human.

The question is: what voice do you choose to meet those moments with?

A Final Note from A Stoic

A quote from Seneca has been a big part of my journey toward self-improvement in this regard. In his writings titled Letters From a Stoic, he says:

He wasn’t talking about self-help, morning routines or optimisation.

He was talking about something far more radical—the decision to stop treating yourself like the enemy.

I’m still working on it. I still fuck up. I still make mistakes. Some days, I get it very wrong. But I am no longer spiteful in my reflections. When I make a mistake, I catch myself and gently chuckle before exclaiming, “Oh, Matt you silly man”.

I’m kind. I understand I am flawed, and I do not run from it.

That one shift has changed more about my life than any habit, any strategy, or any external result ever has. Because I now enjoy being me, I enjoy living in my own head and body.

So wherever you’re at right now, be kind to yourself while you do the work.

Silence the inner critic.

They are not your friend.

Just remnants of a person you used to be in a life you do not live anymore.

Another zinger from Seneca to conclude…

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”

And that includes you!

Alright, that’s it from me this week, gang. See you next week!

👊 LESGO CHAMP!

SAV

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Every week, I write about the unglamorous, honest, sometimes uncomfortable work of becoming who you’re trying to be. No motivational BS, just real talk from someone still in the middle of the fight for self-respect.

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My journey toward self-discovery and self-belief started in early 2020.

COVID had set in, we were asked to stay at home, and I finally had the opportunity to begin building habits that I had been putting off.

I got really good at the habits.

Like, really good!

My morning routine for a solid 2-3 years looked like this:

• 7am - Alarm goes off, I lie there for a few minutes negotiating with myself and eventually drag myself out of bed and down to the kitchen

• 715am - Take my time preparing a coffee whilst listening to some pump up music

• 730am - Journal for 20 minutes, practice gratitude and do some reading (eg. think about who I was and who I wanted to be)

• 830am - Listen to a podcast while making brekky

• 9am - Eat slowly, check my phone, then have a shower

• 945am - Sit at my computer and eventually begin to start doing any real work

It was usually 3 hours before I was doing anything that could be considered actually productive.

I felt productive, I felt like I was doing important work.

What I was doing was something different; in a sense, it was some sort of productive procrastination, aka busy work.

This work was important for where I was at, it was a stepping stone.

But I was using so much of my mental capacity every single day on things that were not (in the long run) going to move the needle.

I understand that this was a phase. A very important phase of transition. From ignoring all of these elements of my identity for so long, to finally acknowledging my shortcomings and getting real with who I was.

But in a way, it quickly became a new form of avoidance.

Because the thing that I actually needed, the thing that was missing, was to actually ship the work.

Letting my creations out—into the real world!

That all changed after watching a video from Alex Hormozi.

In the video, Hormozi talks about his morning routine—or more accurately, his anti-routine.

He starts the video in true Hormozi fashion…

“I’m probably gonna piss a lot of people off with this video”

He then goes on to talk about the importance of making the main thing, the main thing. The man behind $100M+ in business revenue wakes up at 5am, drinks a coffee, and works. That’s it. No cold plunge. No 47-step ritual. No hour of journaling before a single dollar gets made.

His argument was simple, and it hit me like a freight train:

Most “morning routines” are habits millionaires formed after they got rich. Not the reason they got rich.

These habits are a luxury, not the lever-pulling priorities.

The cold plunge, the gratitude practice, the elaborate breakfast—these are rewards that successful people added to their lives once the work was already done. The algorithm of Instagram reverse-engineered them and sold them back to us as the path to success.

At the time, I thought I needed these habits, and I don’t regret them, but I now see that doing the hard work was always the answer.

The Solution: Zero Gap Mornings

Hormozi calls it minimising the gap between waking up and working. I call it the Zero Gap Morning. Here’s how it actually works in practice:

Step 1 — Identify Your Lever Before you go to sleep, know exactly what the single highest-leverage task is for tomorrow. The one thing that, if done, moves everything else. For me, it’s writing. For you, it might be creating content, sending pitches, or building something. If you’re an athlete, it could be training. If you’re a trader, it could be studying tape.

Step 2 — Wake and Engage The moment your alarm goes off, you have a 5-minute window before your brain starts negotiating. Don’t give it a chance. Me personally, I don’t even make the coffee until I have written for an hour, but I’ll leave this up to you. Whatever you go with, have the work in front of you and pull the trigger… zero preamble. You don’t get ready to work; you just work.

Step 3 — Protect the Block These first 2-3 hours of the day mean everything. No phone checks, no socials, no emails. This is your deep work fortress. The world will still be there at 12pm. Your best thinking happens here, when your mental capacity is at its highest—do not trade this time for anything, especially notifications.

Step 4 — Let the Work Earn the Ritual Here’s the reframe. I still journal. I still move my body. I still have slow mornings sometimes. But now they come after the lever has been pulled. The ritual is the reward, not the prerequisite. The work earns my self-respect, the rituals help refine it.

What This Looks Like For Me Now

I’m not going to pretend I nail this every day. I don’t.

But the mornings I do? I look up, and it’s 8am, and I’ve already written 1,000 words, or drafted three carousel concepts, or mapped out a podcast episode, or scheduled a week of threads posts.

That feeling has no comparison.

Before the day has even fully started, I have won. I have beaten down the voices that tell me to avoid the hard stuff. I have taken control.

I originally wrote this newsletter in 2023. On that morning, I was slightly hungover, hadn’t showered, and hadn’t eaten. I just opened the laptop and wrote. It became one of the pieces I’m most proud of.

That one moment told me everything I needed to know about where the magic actually lives.

It doesn’t live in the ritual.

It lives in the act of showing up before you feel ready.

Final Thoughts

Your morning routine isn’t broken. Your relationship with it might be.

Ask yourself honestly: is your morning ritual fuelling your most important work, or replacing it?

If you wake up and the first 90 minutes of your day is simply setting up, you are not preparing for the game. You are delaying it.

The champion version of you doesn’t need a perfect morning to perform.

They just need to show up and make themselves proud!

Until next week, champs!

SAV

If this hit different, forward it to one person who needs to hear it. And if someone forwarded this to you—welcome to CHAMP CAMP. Subscribe below, and I’ll see you next Sunday.

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Not just feel. Or react.

To actually stop and ask:

“What does this look like in six months?”

“How do I feel about this when the dust settles?”

I call it a skill because I’ve had to build it from scratch. It didn’t come naturally. It came from enough bad decisions stacking up until I had no choice but to do something different.

Before we get deep, some real talk…

I haven’t mastered this, not even close. I probably never will.

But the stats are in, and the number of bad decisions I’m making has dropped. A lot. And that’s where I’m speaking from. Not from the guy who has it figured out. From the guy who knows where he’s been and is paying close attention to where he’s going.

Since as early as I could remember, my feedback loop looked like this:

For years, I lived here; most people never escape it.

Pulled by emotion, driven by reaction, dealing with the fallout somewhere down the track. And the wild part is that it doesn’t always feel wrong in the moment. Sometimes it feels like instinct. Sometimes it feels like courage.

There’s a difference between trusting your gut and being a slave to it.

That difference took me years to learn.

The old software took me places. I met great people, had wild experiences and learned a lot about myself and the world around me. No regrets there.

But it was flawed from the jump—and a reboot had been long overdue.

In early 2023, I started seeing things differently.

I had come to a crossroad after a long-term relationship had fallen apart, and I was essentially starting again at the tender age of 33.

A few small habits started stacking up:

1. Regular combat sports training

2. Hard physical exercise

3. Showing up creatively

All of these started building my self-belief.

With growing confidence and a much more positive internal monologue, I started questioning things more:

“What if I don’t go out tonight?“

“What if I don’t waste energy on this girl?”

“What if I just do the hard work that I told myself I would do?”

These questions created space, a space that I was not familiar with. That space allowed me to question things, and those questions allowed me to make informed decisions.

The upgraded loop looks like this:

Simple. Not easy.

Looks good on paper, but the real world is where the magic happens.

The updated software only works when something with actual stakes lands in front of you. A real choice. Real consequences.

Instead of diving in, you run the process.

You sit with it. And that pause does two things every time:

1. It gives you options. When you’re not locked into your first reaction, you see angles you’d normally miss.

2. It creates space. Room to make the right call instead of what feels right.

Let me give you two real examples.

Scenario 1

I start training at a gym close to home. Community gym, familiar faces, a space I genuinely value.

I get talking to a woman who captures my attention.

Old Sav dives straight in. Full send. Deal with whatever comes later.

New Sav runs the process.

When I actually sit with it, the answer is pretty clear. The upside is real, but so is the downside. This place matters too much to me to risk making it complicated. A friendship is the better play here, long-term.

So I gave myself enough distance to make the right call. Zero regrets.

Scenario 2

Someone I respect pulls me aside, compliments my work and offers me an opportunity to work inside their vision.

I’m flattered. Old Sav shakes hands before they finish the sentence.

“I’m valued, I’m wanted!! Thank you so much… now let me give up on my dreams to help you chase yours.”

New Sav runs the process.

When I picture what this actually looks like six months down the track, the answer comes up fast.

I need to prioritise myself. My future self is worth more right now.

So I said no. Respectfully, gratefully, but no.

In both cases, old Sav would’ve created complications.

Acted too fast, got it wrong—saying yes to things that pulled him away from the life he’s trying to build.

The result was always a sort of sadness.

An accumulation of bad decisions and a slow drift away from yourself, from things that matter.

That’s what you pay for operating with a short thought-to-action loop.

So before you act, pause. Run your own version of the process. Begin with the end in mind, because when you get there, you’ll be glad you did.

That’s it from me this week, gang.

LESGO CHAMP 👊

SAV

If this landed for you, hit subscribe below. Every week I write about the things that actually matter—mindset, identity, discipline and the unglamorous work of becoming who you’re trying to be.

No fluff. No hacks. Just real talk from someone in the trenches with you.

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If you haven’t done so yet, I would love for you to go check out the Instagram here.

At the tender age of 37, it seems a little strange/scary to be pivoting (ever so gently) away from the only thing I have built success with (Savilian).

It has been a little taxing and stressful.

But it has been exciting, because I know that what I am building here is guaranteed to last the rest of my life.

Due to the burden of this challenge (one that I asked for), I decided to ask for help.

I reached out to a buddy of mine who is a creative professional with many years of experience in branding, designing, UX/UI, and just being generally creative. This was a monumental change, and I needed some human oversight (Claude is not enough).

He sent me 5 questions to ponder on at this moment.

Questions to help me think about what it is that I am trying to achieve in this moment, that will shape the future of both voices.

So, typically, I decided to turn them into content.

Doing so would ensure I got it done in a timely manner, but also allowed me to open up with my responses, and hopefully give you some ideas, too.

Here are my answers.

Question 1

What problem are you hoping to solve by separating the visual identities of Sav/Savilian and Matt Savelberg?

Right now, I am posting everything under one umbrella.

• Music

• Podcasting

• Rap content

• Frameworks

• Stoic content

• Mental health

• Self-improvement

All of the above are posted and communicated as Savilian.

Savilian is a rapper who keeps it real and tells stories. He is a raw entertainer.

Matt Savelberg is a thinker/teacher who practices Stoicism, thinks about mindset and loves to write about life’s challenges.

The 2 identities have very different content and attract different people.

Rap fans + friends and family don’t want to have Stoic essays and reels about self-improvement thrust upon them, and vice versa.

Mixing them creates noise, confuses the algorithm and stunts growth.

This separation is purely to give both voices room to breathe, allowing me to freely post both types of content without affecting the core idea of the page/brand.

The change is to enable clarity, refine direction and plan for growth.

Question 2

How separate should these two identities feel to the audience?

Very different in terms of branding and types of content, not at all different in terms of authenticity and values.

Savilian: darker colours and themes, raw, using #fa5807 as brand accent—more photo content, rap only reels (no educational content or podcast clips). It’s all about me and my journey as a lifelong rapper and performer.

Matt Savelberg: lighter and more inviting, using #c0a0ff as brand accent—carousels, educational reels, brand-centric memes.

They know it is the same guy, but now the content is more consistent across the page/channels. They know what they’re signing up for.

Different colour palettes, content pillars, themes, and branding, same authenticity.

Question 3

How would you describe the personality of each identity in 3–5 words?

Savilian

1. Raw

2. Resilient

3. Courageous

Matt Savelberg

1. Stoic

2. Fearless

3. Empathetic

Savilian creates for the love of the game; he keeps it real but loves to show the work that he’s still here doing. Matt Savelberg communicates, unpacks and solves problems. He loves to think deeply, notice things and share his thoughts.

Savilian shows. Matt Savelberg tells.

Question 4

Describe the average audience avatar for each project (in a nutshell).

Savilian

People who are fans of me, whether they are people I have met, performed with or collaborated with. They are my friends and family, and random stragglers I have encountered on my path.

Savilian/Sav is my core identity, a rapper who has overcome a lifetime of self-doubt to be here creating.

They are also fans of rap.

I want to be discovered by new fans. I want my music to be heard by those who haven’t heard it yet. I want the stories to be understood and cherished (although this is not a priority).

Matt Savelberg

This content is a personal brand, a vessel for me to share the way I think and help people just behind me to get through life’s challenges. This is for people in their 20s-40s who are either rebuilding, starting something or levelling up.

Ideally, I want this to become a movement and potentially a business.

These are tools, frameworks, products and ideas to help people become the highest version of themselves, let go of fear and learn to live the good life.

Question 5

What does a successful redesign look like (in terms of metrics), and what changes?

There are a few ideal goals/outcomes:

1. Remove the internal block from creating—right now if I want to post, there is an internal tension between rap vs teacher. I want to be able to create freely for Matt Savelberg without worrying about the Savilian brand. I want the freedom to ship work daily.

2. Grow my Substack to 1000 subscribers by the end of 2026—this is really hard at present due to the discoverability limitations from Substack, having separate brands will attract the right type of audience and increase the likelihood of reading my writing.

3. Content shared more easily—I want my ideas to be shareworthy, I want people to get enjoyment and glean insights from the way I see the world, this can only happen if the messaging is clearer and more targeted.

4. Monetise my creations—asking for money for the things I build has always been difficult. For example, I have 250 gratitude journals just sitting in boxes because it felt weird pushing them on a rap page. Removing that barrier will allow me to create things with purpose and get them into the hands of people who need them without worrying about contaminating my friends, family, fans and supporters. Having this clarity will allow me to more actively pursue turning my creations into a supplementary source of income eventually.

5. Help people—the blockages I have placed on myself from not being clear on my brand and content strategy, lead me to post less and therefore reduce any chance of my writing/products reaching the people that need it. There’s a lot of fear and pain in the world, and I believe I can help some people overcome their fears and push through their pain through my writing, podcasting and content.

I do not wish to stop posting as Savilian (because I do have an album planned for this year), but I do want to give both voices space to find their audience.

Savilian will be a lot freer and more casual. Updating fans and followers on the new music I am creating, showing them the process of making new music and just posting what I want, when I want.

Matt Savelberg will be posting consistently, building systems and optimising for growth and impact.

Alright, that’s a wrap!

These questions were meant to help my mate understand my brand.

They ended up helping me understand myself.

If you’re in the same boat, trying to work through who you are and how you want to show up in the world, steal these questions and try them for yourself.

Ask the questions. Write the answers. See what comes up.

LESGO CHAMP!

SAV

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My content output has been consistent—I was getting reps in!

I’ve done everything, tried everything, published many (many) things in every format across all the channels.

• 2 Rap projects

• 6 quality music vids

• 7 content pages

• 20+ digital/physical products

• 80+ newsletters/articles

• 100s of reels/short content

• 150+ podcasts

And almost nobody saw any of them.

Every one of my channels has stalled at the same number for 3 years. Every project I’ve released has been heard by a small, important, but small group of close associates and friends. Video views top out at 30 views, X posts get no engagement, and the 100s of hours I’ve spent building digital products have amounted to a total of 6 sales over 4 years.

Showing up under these circumstances is frustrating.

I allow myself to become frustrated momentarily, but that is not going to fix the problem. So I use the frustration as fuel to help propel me toward a solution.

It’s easy to blame external factors.

Bad timing…

The algorithm…

Short attention spans…

An uneducated audience…

But I don’t, so I do as Marcus would do—I look within.

People didn’t know what to connect to because I never gave them clarity.

I was a rapper posting stoicism carousels. A podcaster dropping MMA commentary. A mindset creator releasing music. All through the same channel, under the same name, with no clear signal about who it was for or what I stood for.

Content is not the problem. Creating is not the bottleneck.

Clarity is.

The world is changing fast—clarity is no longer optional

So if you haven’t read the news lately, there is a thing called AI floating around.

It’s not coming—it’s here, and it’s reshaping how content is created, distributed and consumed. The barrier to entry has never been lower. Quality, specificity, value and clarity are now at a premium, and the creators who avoid these will perish.

Generalists are exposed right now, but not in the way that you think.

Being a multifaceted creator is a real benefit because you can now use AI to fill the gaps that would’ve required big spend to deliver.

The defining factor here—you have to have a clear value proposition and identity!

I’ve spent years getting my reps in—and I don’t regret a single one. Those reps taught me that I am someone who shows up and does the work. But reps without direction are just motion. I want movement. I want to build something that actually reaches people and improves their lives.

So I made a decision. This is the year I master something.

And you guys are the first to hear about it…

One final bit of preamble

I’ve started MMA content pages, faceless Stoicism channels, music-based communities, and tried to combine them into one and everything in between.

I’ve picked up momentum every time.

And just when I started getting momentum… I would pivot.

This can be put down to several factors: fear, shiny object syndrome, ADHD, etc…

But really, it was a lack of clarity and a shortage of discipline.

So before making this decision, I had to step back and really think about things from a bird's-eye view. I had to weigh up who I am now and where my life is placed, what I have capacity for, as well as who I want to be in 5 years from now.

So I examined the options one by one:

1. Rap music

   1. Making rap music is something I will never stop doing; I’ve been releasing music for 20 years, it is a part of my identity, but can I talk about it every day for the next 5 years? Can I relate to the young guy coming up? Do I want to be a famous rapper? Probably not.

2. MMA/UFC

   1. MMA is something that I love and enjoy creating content around/chatting about frequently, but for the next 5 years? Can I be the MMA guy? Do I have an edge here? Probably not.

3. Entrepreneurship/Sales

   1. Something I do find fascinating from time to time, pulling on the threads of the mindset required to succeed in certain settings and what they can tell us about life. I believe I can provide some value here, but do I want to be known for this? Can I be an expert in this? Probably not.

4. Gratitude

   1. Ok, we are getting a little warmer here! A powerful tool that I have used and talked about extensively over the last 5 years. Do I believe I could have an edge here? Yes, actually. But do I believe that it is something I can base a brand/identity around and build content around every day for the next 5 years? Probably not.

5. Stoicism

   1. Ok, this is by far the warmest we have been. Stoicism is unique; it is misunderstood, it is powerful, and I could literally make content about it til the cows come home. I could definitely have an edge in Australia, so it is ticking a lot of the boxes. But do I have a fresh enough angle? Do I feel confident enough leaning on the Stoics as the base of my content every day? Do I want to be known solely for Stoicism (eg. Ryan Holiday)? Probably not.

After examining all possible trajectories and consulting my buddy Claudius Loopius Maximus (aka Claude), I landed on an idea.

And here it is…

CHAMP CAMP…

CHAMP CAMP is not only the name of my previous rap project (listen here), but it is also a powerful learning tool that I have borrowed from the MMA world.

In the fight game, the champ camp is the training camp you undertake in the months leading up to becoming a world champion. Fighters go through hell to leave no stone unturned, and it’s their job to drag themselves into the deep end to ensure they can still swim when shit hits the fan.

This is the point.

CHAMP CAMP is similar in that we choose the pain, we choose the hard.

So many of life’s challenges are chosen for us, but now we are choosing to wade out into the deep end with no assurance of safety, and in the process, revealing who we really are in preparation to become the champion of our own lives.

Not the highlight reel version that overpromises.

The 5 am version that over-delivers.

The version where you’re sitting with discomfort, but doing the work anyway.

Choosing discipline and conviction when motivation and hope have packed their bags and left the building. That’s where champions are made — not in the fight, but in the preparation.

This intersection of MMA, mindset, my grinding rap journey, stoicism and self-improvement is where I thrive.

What the rebrand looks like

Every week, from now until the end of time (or I see another shiny object), I’ll bring you one piece of content worth your time:

• The podcast — formerly The Sav Show, will be rebranding as CHAMP CAMP. Same honesty, same conversations, sharper focus. One life lesson or powerful conversation, every Wednesday evening on my new YouTube channel, or anywhere you can get podcasts.

• This newsletter — where I go deeper. The thinking behind the podcast. Frameworks you can apply this week. Stories from the journey, including the parts that didn’t go to plan.

• The socials — if you do not mind giving the new page a follow @champcampau for daily doses of stoicism, gratitude and wtf moments.

Everything feeds one goal > sharing raw takes and lessons in order to help you in your own training.

Final thoughts...

Ima keep it G right quick…

I want to build an audience that engages with this work. I want this brand, these channels, to grow. I want to impact the lives of people who have been too afraid to get out of their own way.

I haven’t got it all figured out, far from it, but I know the version of me from 5 years ago could have benefited from someone like the current version of me.

And that’s why I’m going all in.

Don’t worry, Savilian is not going anywhere! I make rap music, that’s what I do, probably until I’m old and wearing an adult diaper, but it’s time for an adjustment.

This is me fixing the positioning.

This is me getting clarity.

Whether you came here for my rap journey or trading content, been here from the start of The Sav Show or even Slap Happy—thank you! You were early. Stick around, we just getting warmed up, baby!

If you’re new—welcome to the camp. You showed up at the right time.

Training starts now.

Matt Savelberg | The People’s Champ

If this resonated with you at all—subscribe to get every newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. One week at a time, one rep at a time.

Join the camp at champcamp.substack.com 👇

Subscribe now

If you want to go deeper, the CHAMP CAMP Podcast drops every week—find it on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

LESGO CHAMP!

SAV

Not your job. Not your relationships. Not your body or your habits or your goals.

Just you. Alone. Reduced to nothing.

James Van Der Beek faced that reality—and what he discovered on the other side of losing everything is incredibly powerful.

I haven’t stopped thinking about it…

The Video

JVDB was an international sex symbol in the early 2000s.

An American actor who captivated the attention of teenage girls around the world in his roles on various adolescent dramas.

He played a hunky heartthrob called Dawson on the very popular teenage romantic drama series Dawson’s Creek. This role saw him catapult into stardom and saw him gain international appeal. After that concluded in 2003, his Hollywood trajectory continued—scoring roles in other TV series and plenty of films as well.

I never watched Dawson’s Creek or followed VDB’s career, but everyone from my generation knew who he was.

I hadn’t thought about him in over 20 years… until last week.

A video was sent to me by my darling Mother. In the video, VDB is talking to his back phone camera in a very intimate/raw POV style piece of content.

He goes on to say that he had been fighting cancer, and during this fight (and the ensuing tidal wave of emotions), he had spent a lot of time thinking about his identity and the purpose of his life.

He talked about how when you’re sick and clinging to life, nothing matters. All your roles/ideas/dreams and identifying features are stripped away:

• Father

• Husband

• Provider

• Steward of his land

All stripped away as he fought for life.

Unable to fulfil his duties or play the roles assigned to him, he was faced with a question…

After meditating on that question, the answer came to him…

“I am worthy of God’s love, simply because I exist… and if I am worthy of God’s love, shouldn’t I be worthy of my own?”

After that, he permits listeners to remove the word "God" if that, in some way, triggers them and detracts from the meaning. Reiterating that the core concept of “I am worthy of love” still holds.

This video was posted on 9th March 2025, when he was on the road to recovery.

He had a sense of optimism as he slowly fought his way back from a life-threatening illness and pondered life’s big questions.

Sadly, he passed away on 11th February 2026.

Watch the video below.

The Conversation

I was having dinner with a female friend recently (a sneaky little Nandos run on a Tuesday night, mind you), when she revealed a few concerns she was working through that day.

She had been flat all day and was struggling to process the feelings:

• Burnt out

• Lacking motivation

• Not having the energy to train

• Beating herself up for things out of her control

I acknowledged her feelings and gave her my full attention.

We talked about the underlying motivation behind the feelings and what actions she had at her disposal to combat them, and discussed a few practical ideas based on the wiring of her brain.

Like 99% of human beings, she has a strong internal motor and positive self-talk when things are going well, but not as strong when life gets shaky.

A common hurdle (and the one that mostly triggered today’s feelings) looks like this:

1. Long work day

2. Finish work late, exhausted

3. Takes a moment to decompress

4. Doomscroll for quick dopamine/mental break

5. Spend too long on phone due to its addictive nature

6. Put off the important task (gym) for long enough until its too late

7. Beat herself up because she avoided the task she knew would bring real joy

This is a very VERY human cycle that we are increasingly finding ourselves caught in.

She was overworked, burnt out and needed some relief.

But the catastrophising on the back of this very human behaviour is not at all helpful, leading to increased negative self-talk and a feeling of failure. Noticing through her language, I saw that there was a clear link between her actions and her self-esteem, so I began probing…

“You’re upset with yourself because you didn’t go to the gym?”

“Yes”

“Why?”

“Because it’s what I do”

“Why?”

“Because if I don’t go, I don’t feel like myself”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve done it for so long, it’s part of my identity”

“And if the gym were taken away, would you still have an identity?”

“Yes, because I have work and other hobbies”

“And if they were taken away?”

“Then I wouldn’t be much”

“Ok, what if you had more gym, better work, more money and more hobbies, would you have more identity or be happier?”

I think you can see the point I was getting at.

We didn’t reach a resolution or clear answer, but we had a very lovely conversation, talking openly and honestly about what it means to have nothing and still be everything.

The Question

Jimmy VDB posed a truly remarkable question as one of his final acts on Earth.

When everything is stripped away, when my responsibilities have faded, when I am reduced to nothing but an infinite soul, wrapped in a temporary vessel, traversing my final moments on this plane, what am I?

After you strip everything away…

• Status

• Job title

• Relationships

• Sexual orientation

• Identifying features

• The several roles you play

• All your knowledge and wealth

Who are you? Really.

My friend had clearly tied too much of her ‘self’ to her outputs and roles.

• Gym goer

• Hard worker

• Loving partner

• Budding creative

• Responsible adult

When any of these were not aligned, it rocked her.

I tried to remind her that this negative feedback loop is normal, but not helpful, and certainly not permanent.

My question to her, as is my question to you…

Without your worldly possessions, friends, family, hopes and dreams, who are you?

What are you?

Nobody has a clean answer to this question. Not me, not VDB, not your most enlightened friend.

But the people who sit with it — really sit with it — live differently.

A certain weight gets lifted.

I guess.

If you have an answer, I would love to read them—simply reply to this email and share it with me (I read them all).

Thanks for reading!

With gratitude,

SAV

If you’re trying to rebuild yourself—financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically—you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that life can be hard, but you’re harder!

LESGO CHAMP!

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

After 9 months of hitting target and putting up big numbers, I was getting worse, so I did something crazy: I volunteered to leave the safety of an elite campaign.

No pipeline.

No fund knowledge.

No sales methodology.

Week one nearly broke me—by week four, I had unlocked a newfound confidence.

In December 2024, I started a new career.

I started a role in sales.

I spent the first 9 months of 2025 in a relatively easy campaign.

The role was technically private health sales, but there wasn’t a lot of sales methodology at play; most people in the office knew it was more like order taking.

Order taking because you didn’t really have to build value.

You didn’t really have to sell. The campaign sold itself.

The fund I was representing had everything:

• Exclusivity

• Great brand

• Not for profit

• Really well priced

• Amazing products

• High levels of trust

There was little to no downside. So when you got on the phone with a potential customer, it was your sale to lose.

The prospects wanted to be a part of the fund—they sold themselves.

Hence, order taking.

Sure, our targets were higher than other campaigns in the company. Expectations were higher, too. But regardless of how high the target was, it never seemed high enough to really make me stress.

The brand, products and price were just so good.

Now you might be thinking ‘Sav, this sounds amazing’…

And you would be right.

But for a guy less than 12 months into a career in sales, the work was too easy. With no solid foundation in the art of value building and proper selling, I slowly became soft.

The results were still good.

I never missed target. I worked my butt off and was getting paid well.

But I knew it wasn’t right, or sustainable.

My calls had little to no structure, and I didn’t feel like I was improving as a sales agent and evolving as a private health expert.

So when a team meeting was called around month nine, to discuss the future of the company and certain campaigns, it was announced that my campaign would be slimming down to a skeleton staff.

My results had already stalled over the previous 4-6 weeks.

I was burning out a little and needed a fresh start.

I saw the writing on the wall and knew that I needed to conquer a new frontier, whilst venturing back onto an old frontier.

My own self-belief.

So I did the unthinkable. I put my hand up and volunteered to leave the safety of the previous campaign in search of a test.

New campaign.

New target.

Back into the broker space, which was infinitely harder and basically needing to relearn everything.

I tried not to see this as a step backward, but as a step forward.

A challenge I had to undertake if I wanted to improve.

My final month in the previous campaign concluded at the end of September, and by October 1st, I was dialling in the broker space again.

Let me tell you…

It. Was. Rough!

• No pipeline

• No fund knowledge

• No structure to my calls

• No objection handling skills

• No sales!

After 2 weeks in the new campaign, I was averaging 1.2 sales per day, when previously I was used to 3-5 sales per day. Hitting target was something I had come to expect, and it was looking more and more likely that I would not hit this month.

With a trip to Hong Kong booked for the end of the year and other external pressures mounting, the panic began to set in.

Around the beginning of week 3, things started to change.

Momentum started shifting.

I was getting coaching from my sales manager, putting in longer hours and starting to get a feel for the whole process. My fund knowledge was increasing, and my pipeline management was tightening up.

By the close of week 3, I had put myself within firing range. My target was going to be extremely hard to hit—but not impossible.

What started as 2.63 sales per day had ballooned to needing 6 SPD.

Time to activate CHAMP ENERGY!

For the last week, I kept it simple, real simple…

I knew if I just hit these 4 markers every day, then I would come out of the last week and the month feeling proud of my effort:

1. Wake up and get an early win

An early win outside of my work hours would help me build confidence and momentum by the time I sat down at the screen.

It didn’t matter what it was:

• Reading

• Journaling

• Breath work

• Some life admin

• A walk with my girl

• Working on content

• Writing my newsletter

Just something to set me up for success and feel a sense of achievement before clocking in for the day.

2. Dial as hard as humanly possible

Once I got to the screen, it was all about productivity.

Hit the ground running and don’t look up until you had set a solid foundation for the day.

• Good quotes

• Good conversations

• Hopefully some sales

• No breaks in the first 4 hours

Dialling hard requires you to get scrappy.

Efficiency over everything.

Make a sale > straight into another call.

The goal was to keep stacking up numbers throughout the day and let the volume do the talking for me.

1. Talk time

2. Good quotes

3. And of course, sales

Dialling hard also requires a keener attention to detail around real prospects vs tyrekickers (time wasters).

Every minute and every conversation counted.

3. Make myself proud

Amongst all the final week craziness, it was still imperative that I maintained my self-respect at all times.

Be stern, but don’t be rude.

Go hard, but don’t get sloppy.

Get the sale, but do it ethically.

When pressure is on, that is where you get to see the real you.

My job was to make sales, but my purpose is to always act in accordance with my principles—and to be like the boxer who never puts down his weapons.

4. Rest and recover

This was arguably the most important part.

Poor sleep leads to a lack of energy and concentration, which snowballs into worsening results and a lack of productivity if not managed.

At the end of each day, I wrecked.

• Little movement

• 100s of conversations

• 12+ hours on the phone

After work, I kept it simple… like, real simple!

Go for a walk > hit the sauna for 20 mins > eat something > kiss my girl goodnight > get to sleep as early as possible.

That was it.

This is all I had the capacity for, because tomorrow I had to do it all again.

The model for the application of your principles is the boxer rather than the gladiator. The gladiator puts down or takes up the sword he uses, but the boxer always has his hands and needs only to clench them into fists.
— Marcus Aurelius

That final week was brutal… by 8 pm on the final night, I was shaking—my nervous system was in overload.

But…

I did it! I hit my target!

I didn’t give up, I put my head down, and I got it done.

Hitting target meant I was going to get paid commission, which, of course, is nice. It also meant that my pivot into this new campaign validated the success of the previous 9 months as not entirely luck/campaign.

Most importantly, though—it unlocked a newfound self-belief.

Despite what the market was doing…

Despite what adjustments I had to make…

And against the odds…

I was able to work hard, stick to the process and get the result.

Hitting target felt good.

But what it gave me was bigger than commission—it gave me proof. Proof that I could adapt, grind, and come out the other side without compromising how I operate.

This next level of self-belief would buoy me as I entered the quieter months of the year (Oct-Jan), and give me the perfect base for a big run at the most profitable months of the year (Mar-Jun).

If this landed, reply and tell me where your hard campaign is right now.

I read every one.

With gratitude,

SAV

If you’re trying to rebuild yourself—financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically—you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that life can be hard, but you’re harder!

LESGO CHAMP!

Subscribe now

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

There’s no point.

Over the years, I’ve had many pages reach out to me, but the experience of opening this spam folder has been nothing short of embarrassing—it’s a constant cycle of spammers, dodgy salespeople or people acting genuine only to be spammers/dodgy salespeople.

These people feed into the validation we all seek and then act as if they value you, only to turn around 10 minutes later and ask to be paid for their help.

It never ends.

So I stopped opening my requests.

Then, out of nowhere and probably out of boredom, I decided to open them.

I saw a message that appeared like all the others…

• Replying to my story

• Not at all recognisable

• Leading with congratulations

I almost disregarded it as spam because my goldfish brain doesn’t have time for comprehension.

Then I reread it…

I couldn’t believe it… I didn’t believe it.

I replied in cautionary disbelief:

He told me that he had been weighing up a big life decision and was at a crossroads—he received advice from friends and family, but then took to Google to look for further feedback and guidance.

After punching in testimonial of cold-call salesperson, my newsletter popped up!

He clicked the link, read the thing, and became inspired.

Not only did my writing.

He took some wisdom from it, acted on what I wrote about and then found me on Instagram to thank me for my work.

We went back and forth on Instagram over a few days.

He told me that he had taken my advice and gone headfirst into the unknown—trusting the universe and the scary opportunity he had been presented.

The joy of receiving a message like that from a stranger is unmatched.

You see, I make a lot of stuff…

Like — a lot — a lot of stuff!

And to be honest, I don’t know if anyone reads/listens to any of it, so it is nice to know when someone does.

Which brings me to my 2 takeaways from this message:

#1 - Don’t stop sharing your creations

If you make stuff, do not stop.

And if you haven’t started yet, that’s ok… start now!

There are so many people in the world, and in some random pocket of some random country, someone needs to hear exactly what YOU have to say.

Someone who is lost needs to hear your story.

Someone who is battling depression or addiction needs to know it is possible to win.

Don’t overthink.

You don’t need to:

• Have a personal brand

• Generate a wage or make any money

• Have an audience or heaps of followers

You do need to be courageous!

You do need to start.

You just need to create… and never, ever, stop!

#2 - Normalise telling people they’re valued

This guy consumed my content… found me on IG… made an effort to share with me how my writing helped inspire him.

We need more of this.

If someone makes something amazing, tell them.

Fuck being cringe.

Fuck being seen as trying too hard.

Fuck people saying you need to play it cool.

Don’t fawn. Don’t gargle sack.

Just be real, be honest and authentic. If someone makes something that changes the trajectory of your life, let them know!

If someone makes something that simply makes you smile — tell them!

We’re becoming more and more disconnected as a race. It’s time to fight back against that by connecting and showing our humanity.

Anyway, that’s it from me this week.

Shoutout to my American friend for keepin’ it 100 with me.

Good luck with the week ahead, gang.

Stay safe and keep doing your best!

With gratitude,

SAV

If you’re trying to rebuild yourself—financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically—you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that life can be hard, but you’re harder!

LESGO CHAMP!

Subscribe now

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

A lot of death, a lot of pain, a lot of love, a lot of gratitude.

On Tuesday night, I travelled to my hometown to support my best mate as he said goodbye to his little brother.

Accompanied by my Mum, we headed to the funeral on Wednesday.

The small local church was very familiar to my family—between 2017 and 2019, we attended it three times to say goodbye to my Pop, my Aunty Colleen and my Uncle Timmy.

Now I was back to farewell someone much younger, with so much life left to live.

My best mate, Eamon, gave such a beautiful and strong eulogy.

I cried, not only for the sudden and tragic loss of this beautiful soul’s life, but for the courage on display from Eamon, despite the pain he was feeling.

This was the second of his brothers that he was saying goodbye to in only 6 months.

I could not imagine that heartbreak.

Seeing my friend stand tall and hold himself together in that moment is something that I will never forget. I was so proud of him.

After the funeral, I spent one quality hour with my Nen (last remaining grandparent), brother and parents over a coffee before heading back to Sydney to board a flight to Melbourne.

On Thursday, I went into the office, tired and emotionally pretty low.

It was a grind, but I got through.

I headed into the office again on Friday, fairly well rested and ready to get stuck into my work, when I received a call from my brother James.

Our family dog, Lochy, had multiple seizures, and his body was giving up.

Lochy had been living for the last few years with my brother Luke and his partner Alex in Melbourne. Along with James, and with his condition clearly deteriorating, they had decided to euthanise him.

I immediately left work to meet them so we could say goodbye.

When I got there, it was pretty evident that the old boy was on the way out. He was a lifeless blob in my brother’s arms, no tail wagging, no kisses, just a quiet acceptance of what was to come.

We laid him down on the table, gathered around him, and surrounded him with love.

The vet walked in, injected a few vials of fluid into his leg, and within seconds, his heart stopped beating, and his journey on this plain was complete.

We were inconsolable.

I have never cried that much in my life.

The pain of watching the life disappear from something that brought you and your family so much joy and love was unbearable.

We had a beer for Locho and reminisced on all the good times—sharing photos, videos and stories of what a trooper (and a total weirdo) he was. Basking in the good times and honouring the role he played in protecting our family for 14 years.

Ok, enough about me.

Why do I share these stories?

Well, because this week I was very poignantly reminded of something…

Impact!

A few years ago, I heard about something called The Funeral Test—here’s a quick breakdown for those unfamiliar:

The "funeral test" is a powerful, proactive visualisation exercise used to define what a fulfilling life means to you, often associated with Stephen Covey’s "Begin with the End in Mind" habit. It involves imagining your own funeral and considering what you want family, friends, colleagues, and community members to say about your character, contributions, and achievements.

I learned about the idea in an online course that I had bought from Tai Lopez, and it talked about this concept in relation to legendary apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, who literally gave his entire life for his beliefs and the fight for equality.

In the course, you were challenged to think about your funeral.

How many people showed up?

What did they say?

What impression did you leave?

What impact did you have?

The reason Mandela was used to illustrate this idea is that he was beloved by everyone he came into contact with. His state funeral in 2013 brought his home nation of South Africa to a standstill and received 4500 attendees.

The test urges you to consider what you are presently contributing to this world, and what impact you hope to make.

Every decision…

Every interaction…

Every person we help…

Every life that we touch…

Every single moment will play a role in determining what sort of impact we are having on this Earth after our physical journey is completed.

What impact do you want to make? What legacy do you want to leave?

Whether you like it or not, you are choosing exactly what that will look like through the life that you lead and the energy you impart. So choose wisely.

Kieran was 32 years young when his life suddenly ended.

His funeral was a beautiful spectacle of the impact and joy he brought to the world, bringing together a church full of family and friends wishing to say goodbye—in fact, there was not enough room to seat everyone, with many having to stand at the entrance or watch from outside.

He was a kind soul. Always bright and energetic. Adventurous and full of life.

He cared deeply about humanity and the human experience; his gentle and reserved nature had made an impact on so many in such a short space of time.

Lochlan Savelberg was 15 years old when his fat little vessel decided it had enough.

This angel of a dog found his way into our lives when he was rescued from a shelter by my parents at only one year old.

After adopting my baby sister only a year earlier, and with me and my brothers already being in our late teens/early twenties, my parents wanted to provide a playmate—someone she could wrestle with and giggle with.

A friend who didn’t have any responsibilities and would always be there.

Lochlan was that.

I remember vividly, a two-year-old baby girl and a one-year-old pup wrestling around on the floor in a ball of barking, giggling and love.

He would go on to play a huge role in all of our lives.

Locho would witness everything our family experienced across 3 states and dozens of homes; he saw it all:

• Friends come and go

• Relationships start and end

• Grieving loved ones

• Surviving pandemics

• Battling addiction

• Recovering from injury

• Dealing with stress

I know that this is a dog’s duty, but Locho had an awkward energy that felt divine; his love for my family was tangible—our little guardian angel. He knew that his job was to provide comfort and companionship to my family, and throughout all of life’s highs and lows, he did his job exceptionally well.

His impact will never, ever, be forgotten.

Rest in paradise, K-Dawg and little fat man, I love you both; you’re not in pain anymore.

With gratitude,

SAV

If you’re trying to rebuild—financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically—you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that progress is often quiet and unglamorous—but always worth it.

Subscribe now

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

I’m running a 28-Day Gratitude Sprint to help you get your presence and awareness back on track in February.

One short prompt. Everyday. For 28 days. Delivered straight to your inbox.

If you want to join, click here 👈

Where to begin…

Well, the year 2025 was eventful, to say the least.

Massive changes in my life across every imaginable axis—while the global landscape shifted almost daily. Politically. Socially. Morally. Emotionally.

The world is a crazy place right now:

• War in Ukraine

• Genocide in Gaza

• A backflip on Epstein files

• Terrorism on our own shores

• Youth mental health epidemic

• A staggering loss of life in Sudan

• Charlie Kirk’s very public assassination

• Two boys stabbed to death in Melbourne

• A vindictive and divisive American president

There is a lot of pain around me.

I see it in the eyes of strangers. I hear it in the tone of commentators. I feel it in the tension of everyday life.

And yet—I still see the beauty.

It’s still there.

Despite what the media would have us believe, beauty hasn’t disappeared. It’s just been buried under noise, fear, and endless outrage. Sometimes all it takes is looking up from your phone long enough to notice it.

The empath and victim inside of me whispers…

“What’s the point…

this fate is inevitable…

this pain is insurmountable, so just give in to it.”

But the leader and stoic in me urges me to get to work by raising the collective consciousness.

That is my duty.

I open my laptop and begin tapping away.

Nothing good comes from stalling.

Nothing is gained by dwelling on what I cannot control.

So I write.

Not because it fixes everything—but because it’s my duty to contribute something sane to a world flirting with madness.

Today, I want to share the Stoic toolkit I use to stay grounded.

Because sanity and humanity can coexist—even now.

I have 5 tools that help me steel my mental fortress for the daily grind of life.

A Quick Clarification

Stoicism is widely misunderstood.

TikTok bros would have you believe it’s a based “alpha” code for life.

“Get money

Fuck feelings

Fuck the haters”

Etc… etc…

They are wrong. Stoicism is not the absence of fear.

It is the acceptance of fear, pain, suffering as unavoidable themes in our lives, whilst still holding the power and presence to act in accordance with your humanity anyway.

It’s courage in the face of tyranny.

Honesty in a world full of liars.

Love in a room full of hate.

Being quick to rage, quick to retaliate, quick to dehumanise—these are not strong traits. They are uncontrolled ones.

Apathy toward suffering is not Stoic. It is ego.

Stoicism is not cold. It is the realisation and acceptance that some things just cannot be changed.

As Marcus Aurelius wrote:

“There’s nothing manly about rage. It’s courtesy and kindness that define a human being—and a man.”

With that said, here is the code I live by.

1. Radical Honesty

This starts with myself and permeates outward.

I spent a lot of my life living in the shadows… playing in the darkness… scared of being honest and accepting fault.

Now, I refuse to lie to myself to protect my ego.

I name the pain and the lies and acknowledge where I fall short.

I’m not afraid of being wrong.

I’m not afraid of being disliked.

I’m not afraid to hurt someone’s feelings in order to preserve peace.

Darkness is consuming.

Honesty brings me into the light.

It can cause friction from time-to-time, but I don’t have to spend my life looking over my shoulder or covering my tracks.

Deceit and untruthfulness invite chaos.

Truth and honesty provide stability.

2. Gratitude:

This is a discipline. A skill. A muscle.

Not a feeling.

I don’t wait for life to be good to be grateful.

I practice gratitude because life is fragile and transient.

Every moment contains something worth celebrating.

Gratitude reminds me that bitterness is optional—and perspective is powerful. It keeps entitlement in check and anchors me in reality, not fantasy.

It is not toxic positivity.

It is mental strength training.

3. Strength of Body

Speaking of training…

Keeping my body strong and ready for life’s challenges is an important part of being a Stoic… why?

Because the mind lives there.

In the words of Seneca…

I train my body so my mind has somewhere solid to live.

Movement sharpens judgment.

Discipline builds self-respect.

A weak body invites a fragile mind. I refuse both.

Note: Admittedly, I have fallen short of this standard over the last 12 months due to injuries and other factors, but I am determined to get back to my physical best. Watch this space.

4. Journaling & Reflection

Journaling and note taking has been paramount to my growth as a human being.

Since really committing to the practice in early 2020, I have collected a huge cache of thoughts and reflections.

• 4 diaries

• 15 notepads

• 3 gratitude journals

• 150+ podcasts exploring my thoughts

• 50+ reflective newsletters (like this one)

I do this to keep an eye on who I am.

It’s a place where I cannot lie to myself, and the truth of where I am and what I am doing is evident and undeniable.

The Stoics new the importance of this tool.

Keeping track of what you got right, what you got wrong and what adjustments can be made is one of the most Stoic things that anyone can do.

As Seneca said…

5. Tactical Stress

Daily stress is, well, stressful.

• Bills…

• Exercise…

• Commuting…

• News cycles…

• Personal tragedy…

• Failed relationships…

• Annoying coworkers…

• The allure of temptations…

This comes for all of us at some stage. We deal with it when it comes, try not to implode, and get on with our lives.

But that is not what I’m referring to.

I’m talking about choosing stress.

Let me give you an example—let’s say you want to get jacked, so you go to the gym and you choose to put your body under stress by lifting weights to tear the muscles in order for them to grow.

That’s an obvious case of tactical stress… you choose a hard thing (gym), to put stress on a system (body), in order to grow (your muscles).

Tactical stress is the same, but more readily available.

Some people use cold showers as a way to invite stress and manufacture a sense of achievement. Others might put the mostly avoidable tasks at the top of their to-do list.

It doesn’t matter how you do it.

Find hard things, large or small, and do them.

Run toward the fire (stress) as often as you can. That is where growth lies. That is where your real potential can be realised.

6. Premeditatio Malorum (Premeditation of Evils)

I spoke about this in my uniquely bogan way recently—you can read that newsletter here:

Basically I was trying to say that we are surrounded by evil.

Surrounded by bad people.

To expect them to act differently is insanity. It would be like asking a Leopard to change it’s spots—it ain’t happening.

When we have this data, we can brace for its impact.

Premeditation of evil is not acceptance of evil.

It is understanding that it is going to happen eventually, so do not be surprised, find the courage to act rationally anyway.

7. Amor Fati

Amor Fati is a latin phrase that translates to love of fate.

Similarly to Gratitude and Premeditatio Malorum, it encourages us to fall in love with the process and accept the outcomes.

There’s only so many levers we can pull as human beings.

Once we have done what is in our control, we sit back and not only accept, but love what ever happens next.

My life has taken some unusual turns.

Som very high highs and some dangerously low lows.

I love it all.

Because I am still here, and I wouldn’t be me without it.

A Final Reminder

These Stoic tools don’t absolve me of life’s tribulations.

Life still sucks from time-to-time.

I still feel pain… I still make bad decisions… I still doom scroll and waste my most precious resource (time).

Stoicism, these tools, are not designed to avoid suffering.

They are designed to help me realise that life is transient — fragile and precious — and that everything will end.

That awareness doesn’t depress me—it sharpens me.

It reminds me to live wholeheartedly.

To act with care.

To remain human, even when it’s easier not to be.

This is how I stay sane.

Not by escaping the world—but by meeting it with discipline, compassion, and resolve.

Thanks for reading.

With gratitude,

SAV

If you’re trying to rebuild—financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically—you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that progress is often quiet and unglamorous—but always worth it.

Subscribe now

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

I interrupt regular programming for a special announcement…

Now, most of you are well aware that I am a fiend for self-help, gratitude, stoicism and mental health.

I want to live the good life…

And I want you to live it too!

I’ve been thinking a lot about how loud life feels lately.

Not necessarily bad, just noisy. Busy. Mentally cluttered.

As the new year is nearly one month old, a lot of you may not have started with the energy and intention that you foresaw. The same stuff seems to be getting in the way and your’e feeling a little… stuck?

While all these thoughts have been milling around, I received some great messages from people leading me to believe that gratitude is still so essential.

We really do live in a gratitude deficient society.

I want to change that.

With all that in mind, I decided to pull the trigger on something I have been wanting to do for a long time and never had the courage or confidence to pull off…

In February, I’m launching a short email course on gratitude.

It’s a 28-day sprint.

Nothing intense.

Nothing motivational.

Just one short email a day with a small prompt — something you can do in 2–5 minutes, then get on with your life.

It’s not about being positive.

It’s about reps.

Training your attention to notice what’s already there, especially on the average days.

If that sounds useful, you can read more and join here:

👉 Join the 28-Day Gratitude Sprint

And if it’s not for you right now, that’s completely fine.

I’ll still be writing every Sunday to you beautiful folk as usual, but I wanted you guys to be the first to have a look.

With gratitude,

SAV

Most of the country enjoys a day of celebration and fun, while a significant number of its citizens turn to mourning and protest. It’s been this way for some time, maybe forever, but has become more obvious the older I get.

Australia Day is our national day of celebration, or so it should be.

For Indigenous Australians, the day represents pain—a reminder of culture taken, land lost, and a way of life forever altered.

In 2017 I decided to stop celebrating Australia Day in the way that I had been brought up to celebrate, choosing instead quiet reflection, gratitude and the occasional visit to an Invasion Day protest.

Over the last 10 years, my views have remained consistent, but for a long time I was hesitant to speak publicly or take visible action.

Last year I chose to turn to writing to voice my position.

I originally wrote this newsletter in 2025.

Since then, not a lot has changed. The discourse remains divided and the progression for closing the gap has stagnated.

An argument that appears straightforward to me is overlooked by so many.

Look, I get it, and I’m not here to point fingers. Nobody wants to be told what to do or when to celebrate something they love so dearly.

My job here is to ask questions and share my thoughts.

I’m as patriotic as the next bloke, but I am blessed (or cursed) with the tendency to step back and try to see things beyond just my own perspective, instead seeing one that puts the good of the whole (Australia) above the good of the part (the individual).

Or in other words, as Marcus put it…

"What brings no benefit to the hive, brings none to the bee.”

Anyway, here is my 2025 newsletter on kindness, fairness and the argument over Australia Day with a few updates and additions.

Enjoy.

Remind yourself always to be a good man… always, though, in kindness, integrity, and sincerity.
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.5

I am writing to you on January 25.

One day before Australia takes a national break and is encouraged to celebrate our wonderful country and sing its praises—often despite opposition or calls to amend said date.

Growing up, I loved Australia Day…

• Sausage sangas

• Backyard cricket

• Green & gold face paint

• A beer with mates or family

How good.

And honestly… Australia is bloody good.

Over time though, I became aware of the pain this day carries for some members of our society—particularly Indigenous Australians.

So, I stopped celebrating in that way.

Not Australia.

Not my home.

Not my family and friends.

Just that specific day, in that specific way.

Not because anyone told me to.

Not because I felt pressured.

But because once I understood the pain it carried for others, changing my behaviour felt… obvious.

Now, I celebrate Australia every day in my own way.

I give thanks daily for the country I live in.

For the freedom I enjoy.

For the beauty of this land.

For the life I get to build here.

I make an effort to give back where I can—give money, attend protests and fundraisers where I can.

To praise my circle and show up with integrity.

Essentially do my bit to raise the collective consciousness and add positive energy to this place I call home… because Australia is incredible, and I’m deeply proud of so many things about this country:

• Great food

• Multicultural

• Relaxed nature

• Sporting culture

• Healthcare system

• Great beer and wine

• Employment opportunities

• Largely non-violent society

• Naturally beautiful and diverse

I love my country.

And loving the place I was born — the place I’ve been blessed with — doesn’t make me a bad person.

Being patriotic is not wrong.

But throwing that love of country in the face of a fellow Australian on a day that represents trauma, loss and dispossession for them?

That doesn’t sit right with me.

And here’s the thing—this isn’t abstract pain, this is real stuff.

For example, Indigenous Australians, in the same country, under the same flag and legal system:

• Live around 8 years less than non-Indigenous Australians

• Are imprisoned at roughly 13 times the rate

• Are around 10 times more likely to be removed from their families

• And die by suicide at roughly twice the national rate

Same passport.

Same anthem.

Very different outcomes.

That gap isn’t theoretical. It’s lived—by our fellow Aussies.

So when the original custodians of this land tell me, tell us, that a date represents loss, not pride… I really do think it deserves more than a shrug and a public holiday.

No one ever told me to stop celebrating January 26.

I just did.

Literally, the thought just popped into my head in my mid-20s and I’ve never been able to unhear it…

“Wait — so I can still love Australia, celebrate it every other day of the year, and just not be loud about it on the one day that deeply hurts some of my fellow Australians?”

It made sense to me then it makes sense to me now.

Father’s Day taught me something similar.

When I was 26, I found out a close friend of mine lost his father in a bad car accident when he was young.

I was heartbroken for him.

So I changed how I approached that day.

Not because Father’s Day is wrong, but because empathy and solidarity with someone I cared about mattered more than tradition.

Now on Father’s Day…

I message my mate to tell him I love him and that I’m thinking of him, then I hug my Dad and tell him I’m proud of him and that I love him very much.

Same love.

Different expression.

It wasn’t about cancelling anything.

It was about letting empathy override habit.

This isn’t about erasing history.

It’s about acknowledging it — and choosing unity anyway.

A national day should unite.

If a simple date divides our country for even one second, it’s worth asking whether the date is serving the purpose we want a national day to serve.

And no—this isn’t about removing every tradition that offends someone.

It’s about listening when the first people of this land tell us this one does.

That’s not weakness.

That’s maturity.

That’s what the modern Aussie ethos was built on—sticking up for the battlers and looking after your mates.

Every single day, in so many ways, we choose between two paths:

• Ego and self-importance

• Or kindness, integrity and sincerity

So I try to treat January 26 like every other day.

I practice gratitude.

I act with integrity.

I try to be the man philosophy asks me to be.

I speak out against bullies when and where I can — especially when bullying hides behind nationalism, tribalism or “just tradition.”

Because love for Australia is love for mateship.

And love for mateship is love for fairness, respect, and equality of opportunity.

Freedom.

Respect.

Fairness.

Equality.

We didn’t choose this history—but we do choose how we respond to it.

Respect isn’t about guilt.

It’s about responsibility.

And responsibility is simply the price of belonging to something bigger than yourself.

Lead with that.

Be the change you want to see.

You have that power.

With gratitude,

SAV

If you’re trying to rebuild—financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically — you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that progress is often quiet and unglamorous—but always worth it.

Subscribe now

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

Nowhere.

Ever.

Sometimes it is pronounced. Sometimes it remains out of sight, and then, at other times, you need the universe to string a collection of events together to help you see.

In late 2024, the universe started working its magic—and now 12 months on, the results have been magnificent.

After returning from my hometown of the Central Coast to chilly Melbourne, I was met with the opposite of a hero’s return.

Life came right at me…

Fast!

Within two weeks, I lost my job.

Two weeks after that, my temporary housing situation came to an end.

Then I moved into what I can only refer to as a ‘crack den’ in a pretty rough part of Victoria Street in Abbotsford. An old building that was converted into a halfway house of sorts. The 10 smallish rooms, 2 communal bathrooms, and 1 shared kitchen were inhabited by a community of drifters, tourists, and people down on their luck (e.g. me).

I was there for about a week before I attempted to film my first podcast.

I set the camera up, then started recording and flowing. I got halfway through the episode before a yelling match erupted between the old couple at the end of the hall.

Their voices bled into the audio; it was too much.

I stopped recording and simply sat there defeated, basking in the domestic argument that filled all 10 rooms of the building.

At this point, I was living off what little savings I had, but this was the sign I required.

I needed to get out.

I needed money—asap!

The job hunt was already underway, but after this sinking feeling of defeat, I ramped up my efforts. Sending resumes and visiting local businesses like a madman.

Eventually, I got a hit.

I was invited into an office building on Collins Street in the city one Monday morning. The weekend before it, my bestie celebrated her birthday, and in true me fashion, I decided to push the envelope, hitting the agbays with a friend and partying until the early hours of Sunday morning.

The comedown and recovery attempt on Sunday was brutal.

I was in all sorts.

When I woke up Monday morning, I was in absolutely no state to attend an in-person interview and very nearly pulled the pin.

A last-minute and powerful wave of desperation came over me—I needed this job.

Within a couple of minutes, I was up and showered, dressed and on my way to an interview that I had not at all prepared for and knew nothing about.

Upon arrival, I was met with a pleasant feeling of ‘oh, this could work’.

• Big building

• City location

• Young people

• Up-to-date tech

• Everyone dressed nice

• Well-established business

• Lots of movement and energy

I can definitely make this work!

The interviewer (a senior hiring manager named Dan) came out to grab me. We sat down on opposite sides of a table and got into it.

He asked me the standard questions.

About my ambitions…

Had I ever done sales…

How soon could I start…

How I go handling rejection…

I answered confidently and calmly. The interview was going well despite the fact that I was heating up and coming down, and then halfway through, he asked a question that rocked me.

“So how do you feel about the job being commission only?”

My stomach dropped.

Did he misspeak? Did I hear him wrong? How did I not read that in the job ad?

In a moment of pure craziness and desperation, I gathered myself, then answered calmly and confidently…

“I’m looking forward to the challenge”

The universe spoke through me. It knew where I was at and what I needed to move forward—this was it!

Two days later, I went to work for the first time.

The role was crazier than I ever could have imagined, and I was so over my head with this one.

Our job was simple (ish)…

1. Arrive at 845am, ready to dial at 9 am

2. Get given a list of cold leads that had been bought from a lead source

3. Dial every lead from top to bottom and give them the spiel

4. Sell as much as you can

5. Get paid a commission on what you sell (% of your sales) at the end of the week

6. Come back the following week and pray that no one got cold feet, i.e. lose the sale

Sounds simple enough, right…

Right?!

Here’s the catch.

We were selling ad space…

To local businesses…

In a magazine…

That was physically distributed every quarter…

To local SES stations around Australia.

I would call these businesses and sell this ad space and get paid 30% of whatever I sold at the end of every week at around 6pm, and the smallest ad space that could be sold… a business card-sized ad that went for a $440AUD!!

So for some quick math…

I had to cold call 150-200 small Aussie businesses every day and convince them to commit to paying $440 for an ad in a magazine that would be produced and distributed in the distant future to small SES stations and their volunteers and would likely be seen by no one. I had to sell 2 of these ad spaces every day, day after day, for a whole week to earn anything remotely close to a liveable wage, and if I could not, I simply would not get paid.

That was the world I had entered.

Just to put it into context, based on data from the ABS, “for full-time workers, the median for ages 25-34 is about $1,538, while overall average weekly earnings for all men were around $2,294 in May 2025.”

And somehow, in some crazy way… I loved it.

This job, this opportunity, gave me the ability to put into practice all my Stoic training—entering every phone call, every day, every week, with no expectations.

Riding the highs and lows of wondering if I would be able to eat that week, and simply learning how to let it pass.

It was a thrill.

A thrill I revelled in and quickly got good at, but did not see myself doing long-term.

The lack of a base wage and the nature of the work never sat entirely right with me, so whilst I worked hard and gave it my all, I continued scanning for other opportunities in the background.

And I happened upon one that was very promising…

After running into a buddy of mine at the gym and walking him through the rollercoaster that had been the last couple of months, he offered to reach out to a friend who worked at another sales company.

He said the gig was private health and that the company was legit.

He said he would reach out to the friend and put in a good word, and we left it there. I was happy with his concern, but not confident that anything would come of it.

Fast forward 2 weeks, and I am still hustling away at this commission-only gig.

By now, I was getting really good, easily getting my 2 sales a day, and rapidly expanding my sales knowledge.

The training and attention to detail at this company was elite.

Every call was overheard by the manager and tweaked slightly so that any glaring issues were identified immediately, ensuring no lead was wasted.

My skills were being sharpened:

1. Tone

2. Call pacing

3. Value building

4. Circle-working

5. Objection handling

6. Overcoming rejection

I was getting good at sales and had all but assigned myself to the fate of having to commit to this role for the medium term.

Then I received an email that changed my trajectory for good…

My mate’s old work friend had reached out, saying that there was an intake and that a manager would be in touch to set up an interview.

Ok, now we’re talking!

I went to the interview prepared with key terms like talk time, objection handling, circle work and dial attempts. I wore a button up shirt per the advice from another person I had interviewed with the week before. I spoke confidently of a desire to learn, grow and over-achieve if given the opportunity.

My head was high, my energy radiating.

Not because I had made millions of dollars, but because I had taken on something hard and overcome it. I put my best foot forward and now all I had to do was wait—I returned to work the next day, fully committed to improvement and skill building.

Despite my interview performance, my expectations remained low.

Not because I didn’t back myself, but because it was the wise thing to do… expect less, receive more.

The next day I received the call I was waiting for.

“Sav we would like to welcome you to… training starts on the…”

I was in!

Two weeks later I started the training on this new industry. Going through all of the knowledge, compliance and related sales skills.

Two weeks after that I was on the phones, calling prospects and getting active.

I worked straight through the Christmas break, doing as much overtime as I could to shorten the learning curve and within 6 weeks of making my first call I was outperforming and actually getting paid commission.

For the whole of 2025 I worked really hard.

Overtime…

Working on days off…

Going through notes after work…

Calling back prospects early and late at night…

After 12 months had passed, I had built a reputation and a solid foundation in this company and my new career—the upward spiral was in full affect.

• ADHD diagnosis

• Creating content

• Great new apartment

• Making amazing music

• Building new connections

• Started a healthy relationship

In the months after leaving the previous role, I messaged my old manager several times to thank him for the effort he put in and the training he did with me.

My short time in this commission only gig was a stepping stone, but an incredibly pivotal one that gave me a tonne of skills in a short amount of time and made everything that proceeded it possible.

The universe put this strange and scary opportunity in front of me.

A lot of people would’ve borked and exclaimed “this is below me”.

I was lucky enough to find the voice inside me that saw this as an inflection point and in a moment of desperation and blind faith, I grabbed it with both hands and never looked back.

Now, money is no object—I feel rich.

I’m not super wealthy by any means, but I have a roof over my head, I can pay my rent and I have enough money to buy things that I need or go on holidays.

I’m full of gratitude right now for a lot of things…

The universe for opening up a path.

The commission only gig that gave me the skills.

The mate who made an effort to use his contacts when I needed it.

The role I landed in that has changed my life for the better and given me security.

Life will get scary from time to time.

Don’t give up, don’t back down. Trust yourself and the universe that it will all work out, because one or another, it will.

With gratitude,

SAV.

If you’re trying to rebuild — financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically — you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that progress is often quiet and unglamorous — but always worth it.

Subscribe now

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

I had recently returned from a stint in my hometown, and let’s just say that I did not hit the ground running. I did all the hitting-the-ground part, just not any of the running.

I fell flat on my face, and it was looking shaky there for a hot minute…

• Single

• No savings

• Unemployed

• Basically homeless

• Barely making content

Quite frankly, I was lost, but I never stopped believing that it would turn around.

And it did.

I found employment, started a new relationship, secured a great place to rent, began creating great music, and excelled in my career.

At the end of every year and the beginning of a new one, I like to reflect—take some notes, run some numbers and get a feel for what actually happened.

Here are a few numbers worth noting:

• 3 music videos

• 7 podcasts

• 8 songs

• 24 newsletters

They aren’t ground-breaking, but they are real and I created things that I care about.

This year is about systems, efficiency, leaning up (physically, financially, digitally and emotionally) and doing things proactively to set myself up and excel.

But before we look forward, we must look back.

My Year in Review

A couple of weeks back, I spoke about the wheel of life exercise.

I figured that would be a pretty good starting place to formalise and quantify the main things worth analysing from the year.

Eight categories covering every corner of my life—finance, career, health, etc.

Friends

Score: 6/10

Summary: I made some incredible new connections in my community and in my new job. I shared some great events and moments, collaborated with people and shared creative ventures plus just had great conversations. A friendship blossomed with Dan Hamill who I now consider a great friend. I built great relationships with work colleagues like Mirz and AJ. I deepened connections with my oldest friends where I could and did some cool creative stuff with Jeswri and riverine.

Adjustments to make: Be more proactive and have deeper conversations with people I value. Listen and learn. Go for more walks and less trips to the pub.

Career

Score: 8/10

Summary: I worked a lot, made some good money and achieved a fair amount in a short time with my new employer. I believe I have found a home in sales and work within a company that I have grown quite fond of. I like the work that I do as I get to talk a lot (something I like doing) and I get to actually help people (something else I like doing).

Adjustments to make: This year I have to work smarter, not harder. I want to use systems and turn myself into a leader within the company. Last year I laid a good platform, now I have to unlock the next iteration.

Finance

Score: 4/10

Summary: I made a lot of money and did some very positive things with it but overall was a bit indulgent and not effective enough with my money. I am proud of being able to fund a adhd diagnosis, pay my rent and bills, pay for lots of positive things for my health, paid for my EP to be recorded and mixed plus paid for a holiday overseas.

Adjustments to make: Focus on the daily number, too many small things everyday that I am paying for too frivolously that are adding up. I have a tax debt that requires my full attention and my savings needs to grow simultaneously. This year it is about taking accountability for everything that comes in and goes out and staying on top of the numbers through a daily habit and expenses tracker that I have built and have been using.

Health

Score: 3/10

Summary: The first 4 months were good, but as my neck injury deteriorated and the pain grew, my commitment to regular exercise wained. My sleep consistency was a highlight, as well as plenty of daily steps and visits to the sauna, but the lack of strength exercise has been telling.

Adjustments to make: Minimise drinking, cut out vaping, increase strength and mobility, focus on every single action and the compounding effect of all of my actions. I booked a cortisone injection to help stabilise the inflammation in my beck and bought a bunch of strength equipment to focus on working out for small amounts every single day at home to get back to my best physical shape.

Family

Score: 9/10

Summary: I love my family so much and am so blessed to have them. We are far apart in so many aspects but remain loving and united.

Adjustments to make: Proactively calling Mum and Dad more frequently. Spending time to reach out to Cassie and be there for her as a brother and friend. Send more random texts of love and motivation to everyone.

Romance

Score: 10/10

Summary: My relationship has been so incredible, I’m truly in love and things were capped off perfectly with a trip to visit both of our hometowns and spend time with our families, first to the Central Coast and then to Hong Kong. Happy, safe, grateful for my girl and the love that we have found.

Adjustments to make: More structure to our quality time and more efficiency and buy in by me for future planning.

Personal Growth

Score: 5/10

Summary: I did a lot of things that were great for my personal growth and my soul, I stood on business and stood up for myself where I needed to. Toward the mid point in the year a bit of victim mindset crept in as a result of my injuries and inability to train properly, that was something I really didn’t like and need to amend going forward.

Adjustments to make: Extreme ownership. My success or failure depend on me and me only, own your problems, say it with your chest out, get your hands dirty and earn your self-respect. In a way I have to build my confidence one brick at a time by doing what I say I am going to do and acting on my creative desires—die empty! No down time, no reservation… you know what you need to do, now do it.

Hobbies

Score: 7/10

Summary: I created a lot of amazing things last year: music, newsletters, music videos, podcasts… and I am extremely proud of all of it. This year I want it to blossom into something that transcends me as the creator and can be seen or used as a tool for others to find themselves.

Adjustments to make: Get clear on who I am, what I make and who I am trying to help. Focus on those things only, ignore the noise. Consistency with content and output is one thing, but systems and execution is going to be equally important, everything has to have a purpose.

Overall, I am full of joy for the year that was.

I made great music, fell in love, settled into a home, excelled in a new career, created lots of stuff, visited new countries, spent quality time with family, made new friends, and reconnected with old ones.

I am alive and healthy and grateful for everything, the good and the not so good.

Here’s to a beautiful 2025 and a prosperous 2026!

With gratitude,

SAV.

If you’re trying to rebuild — financially, creatively, emotionally, or physically — you’re in the right place.

I write here to document the process honestly, not perfectly.

Subscribe if you want real reflections, practical frameworks, and reminders that progress is often quiet and unglamorous — but always worth it.

Subscribe now

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

Sun, sand, flowing drinks, good food, good people, luxurious villas, unforgettable sights and lifelong memories. All of it or none of it, we all love the concept of a holiday.

But what if I told you about a holiday destination seldom talked about?

Something off the grid.

Something you won’t find in any Instagram influencers’ highlights or on any of the world’s travel blogs. What if I knew about the best (and most secret) holiday destination on Earth?

Would you like to know where it is...

Funny enough, you’ve been there already. You might even be there right now.

It’s you - your mind, at least.

Not a joke btw!

I know at this point a few of you are probably abusing the computer screen, unsubscribing or threatening to sue for misleading information, but hear me out first (then curse me to the gods).

I’ll let Marcus Aurelius take the lead for a sec:

Men seek retreats for themselves — in the country, by the sea, in the hills — and you yourself are particularly prone to this yearning. It is open to you, at any time you want, to retreat into yourself. No retreat offers someone more quiet and relaxation than that into his own mind.

That last part really pokes out to me.

There is definitely a belief in modern culture, especially Western culture, that a holiday is 'the place you go to unwind and take a load off. People travel to faraway lands to ‘find themselves’ all the time. What Marcus is trying to demonstrate in this phrase is that the most meaningful retreat one can make is into one's own mind.

That’s it, that’s the secret sauce—just you and your thoughts!

People tend to think that ‘going somewhere’ or ‘doing something’ is how you really experience and get the most out of life, but I disagree.

I love my mind, my thoughts, my life—every single part of it. So much so that I am happy to sit in my own mind working on my own little projects every single day.

I have everything I need.

My actions reflect that position.

You see, when my friends ask me about holiday plans or what I’m planning over the weekend or Christmas break, etc, I respond something like this:

“No plans, I like my home, my hobbies, my neighbourhood, that’s all I need”

To be fair, it hasn’t always been like this.

I used to hate my life.

I used to constantly wish to escape either physically or mentally, but where I am here and now, a holiday doesn’t interest me.

Now I am not saying that I will not go on a holiday if asked…

In fact, I am on one right now in Hong Kong with my girlfriend to meet her family… but I am saying that being home and in my own mind, with my thoughts and my own creations, is my favourite place in the world.

Very simply...

Your mind is the place you are going to spend most of your time; it's best to make it a place you enjoy spending time in.

But how does one make their mind the ultimate holiday destination?

Here’s a few things that have helped me:

1. Mindfulness

I’m using mindfulness as a blanket term to include meditation and raising your awareness. I believe any practice that forces you to purely observe your mind and the happenings of the world will ultimately give you more control, in turn making your own mind a much happier place to exist.

2. Journaling

Jotting down thoughts, examining decisions and reactions on a regular basis is one of the most powerful things we can do to clear out and tidy up the mind. Here you can pick up things that our unconscious mind might have missed and plot to rectify them in the future.

3. Discipline

Choosing to delay gratification is a superpower that I wish I had discovered earlier. The more disciplined I am in everything I do and say, the more control I have over when and where I choose to react to things... control = power.

4. Exercise

Exercise is great for releasing endorphins, which reduce stress, improve mood and increase alertness, all of which make the mind a much easier place to inhabit. Exercise also acts as a great circuit breaker to disrupt low moods or bad feelings.

5. Knowledge

I know I just said control = power, but knowledge is power. Reading, studying, reviewing, conversing, etc., are all portals to widen our understanding and deepen our connection to things. Learn more, go deeper, be smart, flex that brain muscle... it all adds up to a healthier and more harmonious mind.

6. Gratitude

This is the biggest key for me personally. The turnaround in momentum that my life has experienced can mostly be put down to my acceptance of and ability to see beauty in everything - this feeling stemming from a gratitude practice I built over the last 5 years. If you can be grateful for everything, then nothing seems bad enough to stress over.

That’s it from me, gang, happy holidays and welcome to 2026!

Sending love from Hong Kong, and if you got anything out of this newsletter, feel free to respond and let me know!

With gratitude,

SAV

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

It was so concise and powerful that I instantly shared it with 5 of my closest people—the information was too important to hang onto.

You can check the post here.

For those of you not interested in clicking out of the newsletter, here’s the TLDR:

How to do a hard reset on your life before 2026

1. Do the ‘wheel of life’ exercise

2. Fix your sleep habits (seriously)

3. Declutter your physical and digital space

4. Create a ‘stop doing’ list

5. Curate your information diet

6. Close your open loops

7. Reclaim your mornings

The post was essentially a series of actionable and effective steps for someone to take right now to significantly improve the quality of their life and relationships.

To illustrate the power of the post, I decided to put it into practice.

Using myself as the subject.

I’m going to walk through each concept, explaining what it means, how I have been performing in that category, and how I plan to change it.

Keep in mind, this doesn’t have to be done at the end of 2026.

This can be done at any moment, and in fact should be reviewed and amended as consistently as possible.

Don’t get stuck on autopilot—question your own time and decision making.

Alright, enough preamble, let’s dive in…

1. The ‘wheel of life’ exercise

This one is a cool one to do.

I actually done this exercise with my girlfriend 4 months ago.

Basically you take 8 categories and you rate them out of 10. Then take the 2 things you are performing the worst at and make them your focus for the next period of time.

Here are our results from August:

And here are my results from this week when I redid the exercise:

Clearly, my relationship is great, family relationships are solid, and my career continues to be a strength—however, my physical and financial health still leave a lot to be desired.

So for the first 6 months of 2026, that is where I will set my sights.

Highest intentions will be centred around moving my body, feeling strong again, fixing my pains and spending equal time tightening my belt financially to set myself up for a more fruitful life.

2. Fix your sleep habits

The post referenced a tweet from Andrew Huberman, a very concise template for what is required to achieve optimal sleep.

Sleep is the ultimate force multiplier, the post said.

I thoroughly agree, but this year I have used sleep as a backstop, not a boost.

Basically, time in bed and sleep efficiency have been one of my stronger suits this year (as seen in the data shown by my Whoop device), but tbh, without prioritisation of sleep, my health would’ve declined much more rapidly.

Next year, I want to dial it in, make it a priority, and the force multiplier it can be.

A few very simple adjustments I can make:

1. No alcohol during the week (no exceptions)

2. Wake up at 6 am every morning (no exceptions)

3. Eat dinner much earlier every night (8 pm latest > no snacking)

4. No screen time 30 minutes before bed (reading, talking, stretching)

3. Declutter your physical and digital space

Clutter is the slow, silent killer of productivity and clarity.

Like a termite infestation eating away at the base of a perfectly healthy tree from the inside out before the inevitable and sudden collapse.

It’s there in the background just gnawing away.

The post asked me to pick one space to declutter—I selected my iCloud notes app and spent 2 hours of my flight to Hong Kong tidying/deleting/condensing.

It’s still not finished, but it feels a lot less messy.

A few other spaces that I have on my declutter target list:

1. Clothing

2. Social media

3. External hard drives

4. Drawers and cupboards

5. Subscriptions and accounts

6. Bookmark bar/bookmark folders

7. Emails → read/delete/unsubscribe

The goal with the decluttering is to be a bit ruthless.

Anything not playing an active role in your day-to-day life or that has not been used in the last six months IS clutter.

Bin it!

4. Create a ‘stop doing’ list

The post captures this idea perfectly, so I’ll refer to the original text to set this one up:

Then the post poses a question that I think was the biggest holy shit moment I have experienced in a long time, and genuinely was not something I had thought about.

Mate, what a doozy!

That thought genuinely sent me! A proper out-of-body experience that has caused some serious reflection in the last couple of days.

I have lots of bad micro habits—the same ones we all have:

• Vaping

• Gambling

• Drinking/snacking

• Impulsive spending

But if I were a CEO, these would not be my biggest concerns.

Sure, these are all damaging in one way or another, but every successful person has all or some of these habits.

The 3 things that I believe a CEO would ask me to stop doing immediately would be:

1. Not planning for success

2. Not making time for deep work

3. Trying to do too much, i.e. not being obsessed

5. Curate your information diet

My information diet in recent years has been pretty good.

But it can always be better.

Over the last few years, I have read a lot, listened mostly to podcasts and audiobooks and have cut back on a lot of sports, TV and film.

More recently, I have started to over-indulge in podcasts and YouTube channels offering news bites and political spin.

The reality is that news podcasts and political commentary have become something of an entertainment escape. I have managed to convince myself that this form of entertainment is superior and have kinda given myself a pass.

Look, being informed is important, but skimming the surface is not enough.

In 2026, it is all about intention.

And going deeper!

There is a time to be entertained, and a time to gain knowledge.

Less political commentary, entertainment, and news bites. More audiobooks, long-form conversations and education.

6. Close your open loops

This is a biggie—a big big biggie!

When I sent the above post to my brother David, he reacted with a lot of emphasis to this specific section, and truthfully, so did I.

Because let’s be honest, our lives are mostly built of these things:

• Bills we need to pay

• Paperwork we need to file

• Appointments we need to rebook

• Text messages and emails not responded to

• People we have been planning to catch up with

There is an infinite number of things that we keep open “just in case”.

So, here’s what you do…

Write a list of all these tidbits pulling at your attention. Then, line by line, go down the list and do one of these things:

1. Do it,

2. Schedule it, or

3. Let it go!

Cut the bullshit → close the loop!

7. Reclaim your mornings

My mornings used to be the most sacred thing to me.

Get up early, move slowly, think deeply, and set myself up strong.

Life happens, priorities change, momentum shifts, and you do what you have to do to survive… and so I have.

But my mornings are too important to leave to chance.

So I am taking them back!

Nothing grandiose or Earth-shattering, just some simple steps that I know have the highest ROI from any actions I might do in a day.

1. Wake up at 6 am

2. Start writing straight away

3. Don’t drink coffee in the first hour

4. No social media or phone time until coffee

And that’s it.

Thanks for tuning in, gang. Good luck with your reset, enjoy the rest of your 2025, and I’ll be back next week with a bit of a self-reflection of 2025 and a vision for 2026.

With gratitude,

SAV

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

My sales target has felt unmanageable. My mental health has been shaky. My will to do anything but dwell on the horror of last weekend’s terror attack has been non-existent.

I go to NSW to be with my family for Christmas and then to Hong Kong to visit my girlfriend’s parents in a few days. But I simply can’t care right now.

This tragedy, this loss of human life is not just a talking point.

This isn’t a headline that will come and go before I move onto the NRL pre-season or the next big rap beef.

On Sunday the 14th of December, 2025, our lives changed forever.

I feel that to my core.

The tentacles of extremism found their way onto our land and into our hearts in the most egregious way possible.

It was already here, but now it’s mask had been removed.

Two gunmen, possessed with extremist ideologies and hatred in their heart took aim at a Jewish celebration on Bondi Beach— a setting that is globally recognised for peace and excellence was quickly transformed into a war zone.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7th, 2023, the word antisemitism has been bandied around pretty haphazardly, and I do not use it lightly at all, but in this instance it is 100% justified.

This was an antisemitic attack, targeting the Jewish people.

But not just the Jewish people, this attack targeted the Australian people. My home and my people.

Moments like this shift the air.

People walk a little faster.

You sense hesitation behind the eyes of strangers.

The typical Australian response of ‘she’ll be right mate’ is suddenly dowsed in a monsoon of hate, fear, terror and pessimism.

And honestly? That’s fair.

Fear is ancient, it does what it’s designed to do—it keeps us out of danger and it helps us navigate perceived threats.

But if we let fear keep speaking after the danger passes, it becomes something far more destructive than a single act of violence.

Fear can:

• Pull communities apart

• Redraw the lines between people

• Drain us of our sense of optimism and hope

• Turn neighbours into categories and individuals into symbols

• Suspect innocent co-inhabitants of crimes they haven’t committed

And that’s what I am really scared of…

Because the real threat in the aftermath of a tragedy isn’t only what happened—it’s what we might let happen next.

A Quick Anecdote Before I Progress

In 2015 I was on my way back from Circular Quay in Sydney’s centre.

I was boarding a train home after a day trip.

A few months earlier the Lindt Cafe siege had taken place in Martin Place (just a few stops away), claiming the lives of 3 people.

The man was Iranian born and seemed to have some political motivations but was eventually diagnosed as “a very unusual case—a rare mix of extremism, mental health problems and plain criminality.”

Nevertheless, Australia had been rocked by our first look at Jihadist violence.

The country was on high alert, our senses were tingling, our collective heart rates and temperature rose—the tension was high.

As the train pulled up, I stood to the side and allowed the others to alight.

Whilst waiting patiently to the side, I noticed a young woman wearing a Nijab (head scarf and full face covering) exit the train. I observed her briefly, and then with no warning or pre-determination my mind started firing off thoughts.

“Fuckin terrorist”

“What is she hiding”

“Hope she doesn’t blow us up”

My internal monologue started spiralling into a dark and hateful place and I could not stop it from going there.

I had to literally intervene and tell my brain to ‘shut the fuck up!’. Immediately stepping in to check myself, talk myself back from that place and remind myself of who I am and what I value.

This person was harmless and innocent and I had internally vilified her.

I felt horrible.

The propaganda machine had worked.

Nothing actually happened on this day, I did not vilify this person, in fact I was courteous and moved out of the way as they exited the train.

But given the wrong context, it could’ve been very different.

That’s what fear does.

It lays dormant if unchecked. It bubbles under our skin and in the dark places of our mind until given the freedom to expose itself.

And that is what I am afraid of taking place in the hearts and minds of everyday Australians right now. The fight for our values is already underway, so I write to you in hope that you do not let your thoughts be poisoned by fear.

Australia Has Always Lived on a Kind of Social Ease

Part of what makes Australia feel like… Australia… is the sense that everyone more or less belongs here. Maybe not perfectly, maybe not without tension, but comfortably enough that the default setting is trust.

Like every modern country, we have a dark history of division.

Our indigenous Australians still feel the weight of this division now 300 years on from our countries colonisation by the first settlers.

As I said, it’s not perfect, but for the most part we live in harmony.

A harmony that is seldom seen around the world.

We’re a country full of people who came from elsewhere—or whose parents and grandparents did. And somehow, across all that difference, we created a culture that feels casual, familiar, and shared.

That ease is worth protecting.

Because if we lose it, we lose more than safety—we lose our identity.

The Two Communities Carrying the Heaviest Load Right Now

Australia is in mourning.

The broader country is processing shock at the impossible death and horror that just took place in one of our most sacred settings.

But two groups in particular are carrying a very different weight:

Jewish Australians

As I said, this was an antisemitic act.

Purely disgusting violence that was perpetrated against the Jewish people—they were the target and the most heavily impacted group.

Their grief is deep, and their fear is real.

Despite how I feel about the genocide in Gaza, this blatant act of antisemitism has been perpetrated in an environment where straight up Jew hate has been pervasive.

The Jewish people are not to blame for what is happening in Gaza—the extremist far right blood thirsty Netanyahu government is. The inclusion and hate toward all Jewish people since October 7th gave pretence for the Bondi attack.

Australian Jews are just that, Australian, and they need to be protected as so.

Muslim Australians

I’m not going to sit here and act like the extreme version of Islam is not a terrifying prospect.

The radicalisation that exists within this faith is unlike anything else we have seen in modern times. It is single minded, deadly and the antithesis of humanity.

But the Islamic faith is not inherently bad.

Nor the Muslim people.

I personally have only ever met kind, loving, disciplined and dedicated Muslims—to paint them all with the same brush is ignorant and dangerous.

As it is to make assumptions about any cultural/religious group.

Australian Muslims weren’t involved in any way, yet they know the backlash always hits them first. They will brace themselves for suspicion they did not earn.

If we are the Australian people we claim to be, we hold space for both.

We protect both.

We look after both.

Because it’s entirely possible to condemn an act of terror without condemning a community—this is the responsibility of every single one of us.

Ideology Is the Enemy—Not Identity

It’s easy to lump people together after a tragedy. It’s easy to let a couple of individuals paint an entire community.

But that’s how fear works: it simplifies.

This is not a simple moment, there is not simple fix to this moment.

Fear doesn’t zoom in. It zooms out.

Remember as best you can when confronting these issues and talking with friends and family about what is next:

1. Culture is not a crime

2. Identity is not ideology

3. Faith does not equal extremist

We have to stay precise here.

The world is complicated enough without us flattening human beings into categories they don’t deserve to sit in.

The Real Fight Is Against Fear-Based Thinking

There will be people — online, on talkback radio, in politics — who rush to tell you exactly what this event means.

They’ll give you a villain, a narrative, a scapegoat.

They’ll package fear into something that sounds like certainty.

And here’s the thing:

Certainty is seductive when the world feels shaky.

But it’s almost always the wrong guide.

Fear-based thinking is lazy. It doesn’t ask you to reflect. It doesn’t ask you to pause.

It only asks you to react.

It’s the fast food of public conversation: easy to swallow, terrible for you long-term.

And politically motivated commentators know this—think about all the slogans over time that have been born out of fear:

• The blacks are violent

• The Muslims are terrorists

• The Jews will take your money

• The immigrants will steal your jobs

• The transgenders will assault your kids

They know tragedy creates a window where people are scared, and scared people are easier to influence.

Which is why your job — our job — is to stay awake.

To think slowly when everything around us feels fast.

To question the voice that tells you to blame the many for the actions of the few.

People who benefit from division always show up early—we don’t have to let them set the tone.

This Is a Moment to Decide Who We Want to Be

Australia is not fragile by nature, but it can become fragile by choice.

We get to decide whether we respond to tragedy with:

• blame or clarity

• fear or proportion

• suspicion or solidarity

• division or community

As most of you know, I’m a fan of Stoicism and I don’t wish to trivialise this moment by incorporating my own ideology, but I think it is an important doctrine to turn to at a time when things seem so uncontrollable and distressing.

Stoicism reminds us that our control lies not in what happens, but in how we meet it.

“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own…”

—Epictetus, Discourses, 2.5.4–5

We can’t undo what happened at Bondi. It is a sad sad day that will be scarred into our hearts and minds for as long as we live.

We can’t erase the grief or the trauma.

But we can choose to protect the social fabric that has always made this country feel unique — the everyday sense of “you’re welcome here.”

Not everyone wants to think clearly.

Not everyone wants to lead with kindness.

Not everyone wants to put the collective above their own narrative.

But you do.

And many Australians do.

And that matters.

Because a country isn’t defined by the tragedies it experiences—it’s defined by the way its people respond once the dust settles.

Please also keep in mind… you are going to meet people ignorant to the nuance of this moment. Don’t be enraged, don’t fight back. Don’t tell them they are racist or bigoted. No, listen and understand so that we don’t continue the trend of finger pointing and tribalism.

This is a moment that asks us to respond well.

To stay human.

To stay grounded.

To stay connected.

And most importantly—to stay with each other.

For we are one and free.

With gratitude,

SAV

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

A ball of pure awareness with not a care in the world.

Our bodies act as a container that holds all of our experiences and thoughts as one entity - the self.

In our infancy, we are unattached to the labels, judgements, motivations and expectations of the world. We are our true self.

Over time, that changes.

• Love

• Jobs

• Fights

• Friends

• Breakups

• Addictions

• Random acts

• Creative pursuits

The world begins to shape and mould us like a great river carved out over a thousand years of deluge and decay.

Until what’s left is us. The self to which we now identify.

It is at this point where the majority of us will sit back and buckle up. Life has presented a hell of a ride up until this point, so what is the point of interrupting it now?

Why mess with the status quo?

Most humans will take this pre-determined identity and run it into the ground—relinquishing all control.

I do have one alternative, however.

You see, that pure ball of awareness we came into the world as is still present, just not as visible. Buried under a mountain of failures, excuses, triumphs, victories, injuries, lost jobs, steak dinners, heartbreaks and NYE celebrations... but still there.

We just need to get back in touch with it.

Connection to the source.

I’m talking about taking back control. Grabbing the bull by the proverbial horns and deciding once again that you are not only the best matador to grace God’s green Earth, but also the bull itself.

You are all.

You have that power.

You always have.

At a certain point, we have to decide that we are done with life and the world around us doing the sculpting. We decide that we will not simply react to outside stimuli, but rather actively shape them in our own image.

The giant block of marble that we were born as has been carved into the self we are by almost everything but us.

Life’s a ride, and we’ve handed over the keys…

To our parents, friends, lovers, colleagues, commentators, heroes, and villains. They have all played a role in shaping who we are. But not anymore. Now it is our time to take the chisel and hammer and get to work.

It is time to begin sculpting your dream self.

But how?

3 simple (and not so simple) steps.

Step 1: Raising Awareness

We live in a time where a lack of awareness is standard, avoidance is tolerated, and attention spans are unrecognisable.

Unawareness has become pervasive.

The only way to figure out exactly where you’re at is to become more aware. Finding ways to trigger your awareness as frequently as possible, because in this state, we can be most objective.

Everyone has different methodologies for how to get there.

Here are a few I know of:

• Yoga

• Writing

• Meditation

• Breath work

• Daily journalling

• Reading spiritual materials

• Walks in nature (without your phone)

The vehicle is not important; the experience is.

Pick something, anything, let go of distractions and raise your awareness long enough to allow the truth of things to reveal themself to you.

Step 2: Honest Assessment

Once the awareness is raised, you will see things clearly.

No longer are you bound to the whims of the rat race. No longer are you distracted by the glow of your phone light.

You can see where you are, where you’re short and where you’re going.

This is a blessing.

Don’t waste it.

Survey the landscape and come up with an assessment. Measure everything that can be measured. Does it stack up?

• How are your finances?

• Where are you living?

• Who are you pretending to be?

• Are you physically fit and ready for life?

• Are you acting wholeheartedly?

• Do you need to shed some baggage?

Some of the answers are going to hurt. Let them.

Remember, you’re doing this so that you can sculpt your life into its most ideal form. Not to continue nonchalantly accepting what had been handed to you.

Once you have honestly assessed every possible microcosm, it’s time for the final step.

Step 3: Massive Action

Awareness has been raised.

Assessment has been made.

Action is pending...

Now is the time to pull the trigger. Not fleetingly or half-heartedly.

No, now is the time to go ALL IN!

If you have raised your awareness to the point of seeing your underlying unhappiness, then not acting on this new information would mean one thing and one thing only... you’re ok with it.

If you’re ok with it, if you’re happy remaining asleep, then that is fine.

I wish you luck.

But if you’re not ok with it—then act!

MASSIVE ACTION IS NOW REQUIRED!

I understand that life circumstances and responsibilities can get in the way from time to time, but there is always something we can do.

Get obsessed. Don’t get motivated, get angry.

Get moving.

Your true self, your sculpted and ideal self, is waiting.

This can take many forms:

• Committing to a boxing fight in order to get in shape

• Quitting your job and moving back home to save up

• Ending a relationship that is holding you back

• Working overtime to get out of debt

• Giving up past times to double down on your side hustle

Whatever the action is, wherever it takes place, just remember to do it wholeheartedly.

In the words of Dan Koe…

You have been unaware.

You have been sculpted by life into the self that you are.

But not anymore.

Raise your awareness, honestly assess where you are and then take massive, genuine and wholehearted action to build the self you were always meant to be.

Don’t let this world sculpt you. Become the sculptor.

As always, thank you for rocking with me. I’m grateful for your time and attention, and I hope I have brought some value to your day.

With gratitude,

SAV

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).

A code that informs almost everything I do—from my politics to my daily decisions, my philosophical views and my vision for the future.

I’ve seen the absolute worst of humanity; hell, I’ve even been the worst of humanity!

But I’ve also seen and been myself the best that humanity has to offer.

I understand the difficulties and complexities of life, but I am also acutely aware of the power of the individual to sidestep demise and empower themselves.

Life is tough, but we are all infinitely powerful.

So my very simple code can be boiled down to these 7 words:

Expect the best, prepare for the worst

Have the gratitude, confidence, presence and strength to build toward and anticipate amazing things happening in life—whilst maintaining the empathy, awareness and patience to know that it won’t always happen.

As I said, I apply this code to everything.

Even human beings.

So in every situation, I bring my best, vulnerable and loving self to the table.

Expecting the same in return.

When I am met with honesty, empathy, love and passion, I’m open to it.

A connection is formed, a bond is created, and through our sincerity and willingness to be human, we raise the collective consciousness!

Alternatively, if I am met with a different sort of energy, I am not phased.

So when someone does me dirty, dogs me, steals from me, abuses me or wants to be violent toward me… I’m prepared.

I believe the nature of human beings is inherently good.

So I operate from a place of optimism.

But when they have been tarnished by some form of negative nurturing and their energy is weak or fearful, then I am also ready.

I’ve prepared for this.

Marcus Aurelius had a very good way of mentally fortifying himself for these occasions:

Whenever you are offended at someone’s lack of shame, you should immediately ask yourself:

‘So is it possible for there to be no shameless people in the world?’

It is not possible.

Do not then ask for the impossible.

This person is just one of the shameless, inevitably existing in the world. Have the same thought ready for the rogue, the traitor, every sort of offender.

What he is basically saying is ‘the world is full of shit cunts, so don’t get butt hurt when you inevitably run into one’.

Everyone is in it for themselves.

When the going gets tough, the real person comes out. Trust what you see and feel, that real person that comes out is not for you to judge, but to observe and deflect where possible.

You cannot and will not avoid shit people—you can’t run, and you can’t hide.

But it doesn’t mean you’re powerless… in fact, you have more power than you give yourself credit for.

I said I was going to offer you a guide on how to protect your own peace.

The world around you and the people in it are not something you can control; you have no power there, but your own internal peace is something you can control—so here’s how:

Step 1: Know Yourself

Not only one of my favourite songs by Drake, but also the most important step in avoiding shit cunts (oh the irony).

You have to know yourself—really, truly know yourself.

Journal, create, podcast, meditate, speak to a psych, whatever it takes.

You must know your:

• Fears

• Values

• Desires

• Dreams

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

Once you are truly aware of all of the above, you know what you can tolerate, what situations to put yourself into and what sort of people might trigger you.

Step 2: Build Your Self-Belief

Knowing yourself is important, but if knowing yourself makes you aware of things without the tools to manage them, then it is worthless.

You need to build the tools.

I say build because these are not things that are given to us by this world; we have to find them, we have to carve out space for them.

Self-belief is the foundation of self-esteem, which is the foundation for confidence.

• Get good at stuff, any stuff

• Learn skills and ideas that are useful

• Make your brain and body elastic and malleable

Earn your self-belief by doing the things that you say that you’re going to do.

Step 3: Expect The Best

Don’t walk around with assumptions or baggage.

Every person is a new opportunity to make the world a better place, and every setting is a new colosseum for you to display your tools.

• Smile at strangers

• Keep your heart open

• Remain vulnerable and loving

• Lead by example, not by instruction

• Do the right thing solely because it is right

• Go out of your way to help with no expectation

The world is fruitful and abundant.

People who say that it is not are living in fear; don’t be persuaded by them.

Step 4: Prepare For The Worst

The worst is going to happen—don’t be surprised when it does.

‘Run toward the fire’ is an idiom closely attributed to the Navy Seals and the general US Army mentality.

It means that if you hear gunfire, there is probably a chance to fight.

Fighting can lead to heroism and bravery, and at a bare minimum, some level of training or improvement.

We cannot avoid firefights.

We cannot avoid confrontation and discomfort.

So when it comes (and it will come), embrace it and run toward it.

As long as you don’t die, you will be better equipped for the next time that it inevitably finds you.

Shit cunts are the same.

Do not let them drown you in their pessimism and fear—meet them with your confidence and empathy.

Do not ask for the impossible.

Prepare yourself for the shameless, the rogue, the traitor and every other sort of shit cunt, because when they show up (and they will), you will be prepared for them.

Ok champs, that’s it from me!

With gratitude,

SAV

If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:

1. Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.

2. Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.

3. Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).