A different book is coming (and why that matters)
Hey dreamers,
Last winter, I told you I was writing a novel. That's still true; it's sitting in a folder, waiting for the right time.
But something else happened that I couldn't ignore.
As a high school teacher for 18 years, my job has been to teach life skills: money, time, and career. On paper, I’ve been crushing it. I have the credentials, the curriculum, the awards. I helped write standards, trained teachers, and taught thousands of students how to win.
But underneath it all, I was lurking through my own advice. I was exhausted, resentful, and drifting. I told myself I was successful because I looked the part: a good job, a nice house, and a happy family. But at night, I'd lie in bed wondering why I didn’t feel successful. I realized my students weren't the only ones ignoring my advice. I was, too.
I started wondering if this was just a teenager thing. Turns out it's not.
Most adults are running the same program: they know what works, they just aren't conscious enough to implement it consistently. They're lurking through their own lives.
That realization became a framework. The framework became a book. The book is called "Stop Lurking, Start Living."
It's about consciousness over optimization. Becoming someone you respect instead of just someone who looks successful. The six life areas where smart people tend to drift and how to show up consciously instead.
The novel will happen eventually. But this felt too urgent to put on the back burner.
If you signed up for updates about fiction and this isn't your thing, I completely understand. Unsubscribe with zero hard feelings.
But if you've ever felt successful on paper but empty inside, if you've ever wondered why you can't seem to implement what you already know works, you might be exactly who this book is for.
I'll be sharing insights from the classroom, frameworks from the book, and stories about what it looks like to stop lurking through success and start living consciously.
Thanks for sticking with me through the pivot.
-Ricky
P.S. The novel isn't dead, it’s just dormant. Sometimes the book you need to write finds you instead of the other way around.