MITCHELL WILS
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Every essay I've written, newest first.
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Being Cringe In A Small Town To Get What I Want (Mega Worth It)
8 min read · September 2025
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How To Induce An Obsession
6 min read · April 2024
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The Absolute Thrill Of An Entrepreneurial Leap
3 min read · February 2024
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It's Time To Quit Playing House And Start Playing For Keeps
4 min read · February 2024
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Heart-Bloom: From Having My Mind Blown To Opening My Heart
4 min read · February 2024
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How I Just Had An Ego Death On Facebook (Of All Places)
4 min read · January 2024
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3 Straightforward Steps For Bringing King-Like Order Into Your Mind
5 min read · January 2024
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Systemic Peace Of Mind: How To Fight Off The Subtle Squeeze Of Entropy In Your Home Life So Your Family Can Function Properly
5 min read · January 2024
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The First Day Of The Next Decade
5 min read · January 2024
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3 Permission-Less (And Immediately Actionable)Tips To Break All Your Imaginary Rules And Transcend Your Personal Growth ‘Plateau’
9 min read · December 2023
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The Sweet Sweet (But Maybe Not) Struggle Of Starting A Family Business With No Money In A Small Town
7 min read · December 2023
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The 5 Steps Of Letting Things Settle So That Creativity Can Emerge
8 min read · December 2023
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Using John Ruskin’s 1849 Dust-Covered ‘7 Lamps Of Architecture’ As Inspiration For A Life Well-Built
7 min read · December 2023
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Mirrored Reciprocation: Peter Kaufman’s Profoundly Simple Insight That Helps You Achieve An Enjoyable Life
5 min read · December 2023
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Redefining ‘Enough’ And Creating An Audacious Self-Renewal
4 min read · November 2023
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The Brightest Future: We Did It All Backwards - Kids, House, And Now…We’re Married!
5 min read · November 2023
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Don’t Be Yourself: You’re Too Flawed To Stop Striving Now
4 min read · November 2023
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Bill Gurley’s 5 De-Mystifying Tips For Runnin’ Down A Dream In A Practical Way
8 min read · November 2023
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Playing Dumb, Playing It Cool, And Playing To Win: My (Maybe Good) Approach To Dealing With The World
5 min read · October 2023
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Reclaiming Materialism After Gaining Spiritual Peace
4 min read · October 2023
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Cerebral Camouflage: Why Your Ego Gets The Credit When Your Unconscious Mind Deserves It
4 min read · October 2023
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How To Deal With Death If You’re Still Alive (Before You Need To)
8 min read · October 2023
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Optimism Is Rebellious: How To Leverage Hope In A World Gone Sour
6 min read · September 2023
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The Mediocre Middle: Why Settling For Less Than You Could Be Is Terrifying
6 min read · September 2023
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Directional Demand: How to Amplify Your Inner Conscience and Make Wiser Choices
5 min read · September 2023
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Branch Bias: How Being Aware Of Your Family Tree Status Can Help You Avoid The Pitfalls Of Unfair Comparison
4 min read · September 2023
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Managing Dichotomies, Pinpointing Limiting Illusions, & Keeping The Devil At Bay
5 min read · September 2023
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The Shrink & Expand Principle: A Universal Thread Behind Short Fuses, Focus, Fasting, And Love
4 min read · August 2023
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Graham Weaver’s 4 Tips On How To Live An Asymmetric Life To Increase Your Upside (Even If It Is Worse At First)
6 min read · August 2023
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3 Rock-Solid Ways To Piece Together A Peaceful Mind
4 min read · August 2023
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How Benjamin Franklin Has Me Eagerly Awaiting My 30s
5 min read · August 2023
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Micro-Management Of Self: How I’m Gaining Clarity Through Consistent Measurement
5 min read · July 2023
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Fate Games: Leveraging External Wisdom For A Chance At Prosperity
4 min read · July 2023
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Back To It: A Straightforward Antidote To Nearly Everything
4 min read · July 2023
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Embracing Self-Critique, Obsession, and The Pursuit of Excellence
8 min read · July 2023
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The Meta Checkin: The 1 Simple But Effective Trick I’ve Found To Tackle Spiritual Bypass (Before It Gets Out Of Hand)
8 min read · June 2023
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Empowered Living 101: Bridging Your Expectations & Boosting Your Patience For What’s Ahead
7 min read · June 2023
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The 5 Most Fruitful Ideas In My Mental Toolkit
6 min read · June 2023
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Leveraging The Imagination And Summoning Your Spirit
8 min read · June 2023
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Stewarding The Soul Towards Wholeness: Why Discernment Is Crucial For Getting Your Heart In The Right Place
6 min read · May 2023
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How To Keep Your Ego In Check And Your Soul In Tune
7 min read · May 2023
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Nowhere To Go, Nobody To Be: What I Imagine True Freedom To Be Like
8 min read · May 2023
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Rejoice Or Die Trying: How To Brainwash Yourself (Before Someone Else Does) To Achieve Peace Of Mind And Hope For The Future
5 min read · April 2023
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The Daily Maze: A Genuine Approach For Go-Getters After A Dream So That You Stay On Track Day After Day (Despite What Life Throws At You)
7 min read · April 2023
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3 Little-Known Perks Of Having Kids In Your 20s With Only 1 Income (Even Though You’re Not ‘Ready’)
8 min read · April 2023
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Uncrowded Bets On Yourself: How To Deal With The World (Especially When You ‘Can’t Even’)
6 min read · April 2023
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Respect The Craft: How I Learned The Blueprint For Niche Mastery From A 13-Time World Pizza Champion
7 min read · April 2023
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Active Seeker: Why I’m Committed To Finding The Gems Deep Down & Adapting To The Treasures
5 min read · March 2023
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Burning The Boats: The Delicate Dance Of Going All-In
5 min read · March 2023
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Holy Hallways: How A Rural Church Sign Encouraged Me To Stay Curious & Open To Great Things
4 min read · March 2023
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Flow Games: What We Can Learn From The Transcendent Overlap Of Extreme Sports And Shamanism
5 min read · February 2023
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Intradependence: How To Leverage Your Inner Resources So That You Can Become Self-Assured And Thrive In The Unknown
4 min read · February 2023
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Active Imagination 101: Jungian Analyst Robert Johnson’s 4-Step Practical Way To Reveal & Interact With Layers Of Your Soul (That You Never Knew You Had) For Even Deeper Personal Growth
9 min read · February 2023
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Pioneer Mindset: Why Frontiers Are A Flow State’s Favorite Place
8 min read · February 2023
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The Touchstone Of Taste-Making: What It Takes To Reveal Your True Preference
5 min read · January 2023
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Load, Aim, & Faith: A Quick & Dirty Way To Triangulate Your Life’s Meaning
4 min read · January 2023
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The Quest Of Upside: Why Asking Questions Is Vital For Personal Growth
5 min read · January 2023
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Giving Yourself Permission To Strategically Slow Down (While The World Screams Speed Up)
8 min read · January 2023
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The Importance of Taking Your Soul Off Airplane Mode
5 min read · December 2022
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Head Of Perseverance: Why Ernest Shackleton Forever Gets To Live Inside My Psyche Rent-Free
6 min read · December 2022
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Recalibrating Effect Of A Child’s Eyes: The Childhood You Provide Your Kids With IS The Legacy
7 min read · December 2022
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The Assumption Of Difficulty: How Gall’s Law Reinforces The Importance Of Simplicity In Our Pursuits
5 min read · December 2022
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The Doubt Re-Route: Tactics For Understanding And Overcoming Doubt In The Face Of Opportunity
6 min read · December 2022
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The Gaggle of 'You': What Self-Discovery Reveals About The Illusion Of One You
8 min read · November 2022
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Calm Stoke: How I Maintain A Steady Level Of Excitement About The World In My Late 20s (Even Though Life Is Hard AF)
7 min read · November 2022
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Leaning Ladders: Why It’s Important To Question Where Your Actions Are Leading You
8 min read · November 2022
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The Art Of Satisficing: Why Making 'Good Enough' Decisions Are Optimal For Minimizing Regret
5 min read · November 2022
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The Top 7 Insights I've Learned Writing 100 Weekly Newsletters In A Row
7 min read · October 2022
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Backboard Of Existence: Why Your 'Why Not' Needs To Be Stronger Than Your 'Why'
7 min read · October 2022
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Hair-Trigger Eagerness: Why Patience Takes The Self-Created Pressure Off And Allows For Divine Timing
5 min read · October 2022
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The Enkrateia Effect: How I Followed Through On What I Set Out To Do (Despite Being Tempted At Every Turn)
4 min read · October 2022
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The Power Of 'Feeling Into': 4 Different Ways I Melt Away Emotional Armor When I'm Feeling Blocked (Even If I'm Resistant To It)
7 min read · October 2022
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The 3-Piece Puzzle For Creatively Restoring The Internet With Your Life's Task
6 min read · September 2022
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The 3 Steps You Can Take To Stay Totally Confused About Your Life Direction
4 min read · September 2022
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Near-Death Experience 2.0 : Why I Choose Permissionless Living (Despite The Should's)
5 min read · September 2022
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Playing Vs. Delaying The Dharma Game
4 min read · August 2022
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Creating A Sphere Of Influence That Actually Serves You
7 min read · August 2022
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Clear Pond Clarity: How To Hear The Whispers Of What You Want
6 min read · August 2022
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Creativity's Beneficial Blindspot
4 min read · July 2022
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The Sacred Depth Of Being A Black Sheep & Finding Your Way
7 min read · July 2022
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The Forcing Function Of Fear: How To Use Fear To Scare You Into Progress
5 min read · May 2022
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The 1 Tricky Mistake Ambitious People In Their 20s Make (After Getting What They Want)
5 min read · May 2022
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3 Super Lame Reasons You're Not A Good Friend (Even Though You Want To Be)
4 min read · May 2022
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6 Dignifying Questions To Ask Your Grandparents Before They Die
5 min read · May 2022
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The 1 Must-Have Framework As You Ambitiously Stumble Forward Towards Meaning
8 min read · April 2022
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5 Simple Principles For When You Feel Lost So That You Can Recalibrate And Feel Free
6 min read · April 2022
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Flow’s Pattern: 4 Quick Frameworks For Getting Into Flow States More Often So That You Can Boost Performance, Explore What’s New, And Transcend Your Comfort Zone
4 min read · March 2022
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The Evolution of a Passion Project: Psychedelic Grad 🎓
6 min read · March 2022
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Don't Live Your Life On Default: Become A Hero Of Your Own Story (How To Choose More Interesting Sacrifices)
5 min read · March 2022
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7 Surprising Reasons Packing Parachutes Was The Best First Job Ever (And What It Taught Me About Hard Work And Pressure)
5 min read · February 2022
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What It Was Like To Take A Massive Risk To Get Into The Cannabis Industry (And How It Almost Didn't Work)
8 min read · February 2022
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How to Build a Relationship with the Universe (and Co-create a Magical Life)
2 min read · December 2021
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How Hindsight Helps with Foresight (and Why Reflecting on the Path of Your Experiences is Useful)
2 min read · December 2021
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Soul Seasons: Why Flowing with Nature is in Your Best Interest for Effortless Action and Energy Allocation
7 min read · December 2021
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3 Powerful Quotes that Really Shook Me and Fanned the Flames of My Soul
2 min read · December 2021
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Master the Mundane: 3 Ways to Minimize the Gap Between Your Expectations and Reality so You Can Find More Enjoyment and Suffer Less Unnecessarily
7 min read · November 2021
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Productive Curiosity: How Passion Projects Lead to Serendipity (and Why You Should Spend Your Attention Wisely)
9 min read · November 2021
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Down to Earth: How Barefoot Shoes Can Reconnect You to Nature (and Change How You View the Rest of Your Life)
6 min read · October 2021
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State-Shifts & Schedules: Jamie Wheal on Hedonic Engineering (and the Benefits of Planning Out Your Altered States)
5 min read · September 2021
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Better Drugs: How to Feel More Whole When Sober (But Still Keep Things Interesting)
6 min read · September 2021
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The No Spot: How to Reframe Risk-taking & Create More Opportunity for Yourself
7 min read · September 2021