Howdy,

In 1974, James Stockdale returns home from Vietnam.

Despite 8 years of torture, he’s stronger than ever.

How?

I’ll get to his secret in a minute.

But first, some context…

James Stockdale was born in 1923 in Abingdon, Illinois. He has a modest upbringing. After a brief stint at Monmouth College, he joined the Navy in 1943. After seeing some combat, he went to flight school in 1949 to become a fighter pilot.

Fast forward to 1965, he’s risen the ranks to Vice Admiral - the second highest position in the Navy. His plan is shot down, and he’s captured. This makes him the most senior naval officer to become a POW in North Vietnam.

It’s a big deal.

Ok, now back to his secret for enduring 8 years of torture…

It’s called the Stockdale Paradox:

1. Hold onto unwavering faith that you will prevail.

2. Simultaneously, confront the brutal facts of your reality.

Why does this matter to you?

You're juggling your job, your kids being sick every other week, extracurricular activities, your marriage, keeping your house together etc.

The list goes on. It feels impossible to maintain. Most days, you doubt you can keep it going.

You have to, though. You have to believe in your adaptability and strength to navigate. That's your unwavering faith.

But don't shy away from reality.

Acknowledge the chaos, understand the pressure, and accept the exhaustion. That's confronting the brutal facts.

Doing both boosts your resilience and brings order to your chaos.

It's not about blind optimism; it's about hopeful realism.

Yesterday, we had rough day in my house. Kids woke up on the wrong side of the bed. But like for the entire day.

I knew we could handle it, but it was cathartic to say, “that sucked,” so we could think through how to better manage in the future.

If James Stockdale can do it as a POW, you can too. 👊

A riddle for you/your kids…

What gets wetter the more it dries?

I’ll reveal the answer next week (or you can reply if you know!)

I’ll see ya next Sunday.

P.S. This is genius.