Matt sat in his office, the sound of his email inbox filling up faster than he could respond. It had only been a few days since camp, but it felt like a lifetime. He had left ManAlive with a clear sense of purpose and freedom. But now, sitting at his desk, staring at spreadsheets and project deadlines, the fire was barely a flicker.
His phone buzzed with a text from John, one of the guys from camp: How’s the week going, man?
Matt stared at the screen for a moment, fingers hovering over the keyboard. He wanted to say, “Great. I’m holding on. I’m still fired up.” But that would be a lie. He felt like he was already slipping back into the grind, back into survival mode. He typed out, Busy. Feels like I’m losing it already, and hit send.
John’s reply came quickly: I hear you, brother. The grind is real. Let’s fight to stay in it.
Matt nodded, even though John couldn’t see him. The grind was real, and it was winning.
That night, after putting the kids to bed, Matt sat with Sarah on the couch. The TV was on, but he wasn’t paying attention. His mind was racing. He had wanted to tell her more about what had happened at camp, but he couldn’t find the words. He knew he needed to fight for connection with her, but he felt like the weight of work and life was pulling him under.
“How was your day?” Sarah asked, glancing up from her phone.
Matt sighed. “Busy,” he said, not meeting her eyes. That was it. No depth, no honesty—just a surface-level answer to keep the peace. He knew he was slipping back into the poser, pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t.
As the night wore on, Matt felt the weight of the grind pressing down on him. Tomorrow, he thought, I’ll figure it out tomorrow.
The Grind IS Real
The grind is relentless. Like Matt, many of us return from an expedition with the best intentions, only to find that the demands of life quickly pull us back into old patterns. The real battle is staying connected to your heart, even when the pressures of life try to drown it out. Where are you feeling the grind pulling you away from what matters most?
This week:
This week, make a plan to stay connected to your heart in the middle of the grind. Set a reminder on your phone each day to pause, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: How’s my heart? If you’re slipping into survival mode, reach out to a brother from camp and check in. You don’t have to fight this battle alone.
