August 28, 2026   |   Read online You already know what you should be doing... There’s a good chance you already know what needs to change… You probably don’t need another book, podcast, framework, or list of ideas. You may already know the conversation you need to have… The decision you need to make… The habit you need to break… The opportunity you need to pursue… The problem is rarely a lack of information. More often, it’s that we stay too close to our own lives to see them clearly. We rationalize our decisions, we delay taking action, we overthink a problem we’ve seen a thousand times, and we lose momentum as a result. Analysis paralysis. That’s where the right person in your corner can make a meaningful difference. Much of my private coaching work is exactly that: helping high-performing people get clear on what matters, make better decisions, strengthen how they show up, and actually follow through in the areas they already know want to work on. Sometimes that means career direction, sometimes leadership, sometimes confidence, relationships, discipline, identity, or simply getting unstuck. I’m making room for a small number of new private clients in September. If there’s something important in your life or career that needs to move, reply to this email with the word Interested, and we’ll chat about how I can be of service. Your (future) coach, - James Michael Sama   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Your secret weapon. 228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United States Powered by beehiiv

	Rising Tide Foundation cross-posted a post from Connecting@HomeWithHolmes Rising Tide FoundationAug 27 · Rising Tide Foundation A great read by Madison Holmes. Greek Realizations - Homer's Man to Socrates @HomeWithHolmes Jun 8   READ IN APP   “Is this meant to be funny?” I caught thinking this to myself consistently as I cleaned houses with Stephen Fry’s Greek Mythos Audiobooks entertaining my ears. Understanding eloped me however until the second interview MayCee and I did with Megha Lillywhite where she exclaimed, “Romeo and Juliet wasn't a Romance, it was a Tragedy.” It exemplifies the triumph that Hollywood Culture has had over my mind in eroding the tenet that Greece is revered for its Tragedies. Amidst my listening to Mythos, Heroes, The Iliad, and Odyssey, my incredulity as to the fatal blunders demonstrated repeatedly by each character made me scoff, cackle, gasp; my mom consistently sought me from within the client’s house to check if something had happened upon hearing my outbursts! My account to the clan began, “they have to be fables using extensive irony, anything else seems ridiculous to me - like how can people be so heedless?” I was stupendously stupefied by the tale of Orpheus. My enamourment with music aggrandized my inclination toward his archetype…so I fell extra flat upon hearing his inexplicable demise. Sigh…still gets me. Howbeit, that same incredulity I felt listening to those Greek Myths, I felt upon reading Romeo and Juliet. The tenacity of the characters to make literally fatal blunders: in school I remember being one of the only girls who couldn't reconcile it a “romance” because I was appalled by the absurdity. Well bless this world for Megha Lillywhite who reminded me of its purpose. Shakespeare was evidently inspired by the Greek Tragedies, and only in that context did Shakespeare and the Myths finally reconcile within me. Listening to the Myths inspired me to further listen to the Socratic Dialogues (beyond the homework I had been given by Matthew Ehret…👀). I recently finished the Lesser Hippias Dialogue where Socrates inquires with Hippias “Who is the better man: Achilles or Odysseus?” The parameter they set upon to decide this is: whether or not it is better to do ill voluntarily, or involuntarily. Take pause and ponder it, come back to this exposition later if you need. Despite Plato and Socrates being revered by people I myself venerate, I know any sagacity I've been delt is in my discernment and discretion. Hence I consciously do not agree with everything in the dialogues so to extract the real beauty of their lessons, which is to continue the conversations. Hippias advocated Achilles for the better man because he did not consciously do ill. Socrates contrary believed that any action done involuntarily, not of the will, is inferior by nature for it was not intended; done so without the mind, thus power. I could pedantically refer to examples Socrates and Hippias use for my refutation but even upon first instinct I felt the false dichotomy present itself. Call me a Nuance Nazi but context matters. Involuntary action may be considered inferior for its omission of the “conscious will”, but that would discount the fact that our brains fulfill actions on a quotidian millisecond basis without our recognition. Should my brain suddenly stop communicating with my body to SUB-consciously facilitate my breathing, I doubt anyone reading this would dub that as superior. Though I did not "will" it, it was still done of my mind. Thus the tenet presents that: just because it was not conscious, does not mean it wasn’t me. I am my subconscious mind just as much as my conscious, does that make me a slave to myself? Perhaps yes to one hemisphere but definitely not to the other (comment if you can identify which hemisphere inclines to which and why!) If a man intentionally lies, is he automatically better if he can justify his reasoning? If a man does something accidental (therefore involuntarily), are his initial intentions derelict? By my account, not all justifications are created equal and not all accidents are morally compromising: as in 'the path to hell is paved with good intentions' idiom. Doing ill voluntarily or involuntarily does not properly address moral context; for a man to be 'better' than another, his intentions weigh in. A doctor that intended to save a life but accidentally fails administration, is not the same as our contemporary Canadian MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) program where doctors intentionally end lives. Now I will not argue that all uses of MAID are immoral, for I myself have never been in a pain that I wasn't able to withstand. It very well may be the better thing to facilitate or allow someone with an immutable condition to end their life; especially if the individual has lost the will to fight, because how can we expect ourselves to save someone who doesn't want to be saved? This further illustrates my principal tenet: context matters when regarding morals, and therefore intentions; it is not a dichotomy. Sometimes doing ill voluntarily is justifiable as in defending your family, other times doing ill voluntarily is simple malignity. Sometimes doing ill involuntarily is an accident resulting from worldly ignorance (inexperience), other times it is involuntary ill because of self-ignorance: you yourself were oblivious to your real intentions. Either have real world consequences that need to be navigated as any sea condition does. "You have Less control than you think but More than you'll ever know." There is more of the world than us: by default then we are disproportionately not in control. We make the decisions we can then based on what little we are given. Does that make us feeble? I would say not. Lack of control does not equate to impotence. This is where wisdom be our guide so to work in harmony with the river rather than swim against it, thus gain further distance. To wind up this exposition I share a brilliant lecture from the Rising Tide Foundation on Homer's Odyssey. The reason it transcends generations is the same reason Socrates/Plato does, and is the same reason I wrote out all these thoughts: Odysseus ended his journey by sharing it. Rising Tide Foundation Rediscovering the Odyssey of Homer: Was it History or Myth? Up until the late 19th century, humanity had presumed that the fantastical stories conveyed in the ancient works of Homer were little more than fiction. However, certain archaeologists choose to see in Homer’s work the metaphorical hand of truth, and following the author’s descriptions of lands contained in the Illiad, tracked down the exact locations w… Listen now 3 months ago · 14 likes · 1 comment · Rising Tide Foundation Without the sharing of experiences, the human condition is not complete. We have never known a time of absolute isolation and therefore to cast wide the stories of our lives is to embody the nature of existing. Conversing is certainly one immediate way of accomplishing this, but writing breaks boundaries; even language barriers are eroded given time as was done with the Socratic Dialogues. Socrates for all his dialogues didn't write them down, albeit his wisdoms reached local ears, the lesson he encouraged of continuing the conversations in pursuit of truth...credit goes to Plato for vitalizing that to perpetuity; perhaps Plato embodied that wisdom more than Socrates himself because of it? Being in a family of seven, I know the importance of communication. Howbeit, upon reflection of my Poetry Anthology soon to come out, it dawned on me the unabashed reality that writing reveals about one's own mind: to unveil habits, patterns, and all idiosyncratic secrets of the self that might elude us. Writing is a concrete mirror of your mentation, unsubtly exposing of where you are; or aren't. This is why I write, because my self-improvement journey began with honesty and my pertinacity beckons me to perpetuate the example for others to regard. So, without further ado... Till the next exposition! ~Madison Upgrade to paid Share   Like Comment Restack   Originally posted on Connecting@HomeWithHolmes@HomeWithHolmes Subscribe Discerning all people, places, and propositions in pursuit of our better potential. © 2026 Rising Tide Foundation PO Box 3, Ste Martine, Quebec, J0S 1V0 Unsubscribe

August 26, 2026   |   Read online The world's greatest leaders share these 10 traits Think back on those who’ve made the biggest impact on your life. Family members, teachers, bosses, friends. Those who inspired you to be more and do more. We don’t always stop to break down the qualities these leaders possess, but I’d venture a guess that they all displayed the ten we will discuss in this email. 1: The best leaders are compassionate. You simply cannot effectively lead people when you don’t deeply care about them. Great leaders are sympathetic to the needs of those in their charge and have the responsibility to make decisions that positively impact as many as possible. How can any leader effectively navigate those decisions if they’re not compassionate towards those the decisions affect? They can’t. 2: The best leaders have integrity. There is a quote often contributed to C.S. Lewis that says “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching.” True leaders are fully committed to their obligations at all times. Not all decisions will be made in public and they understand that people are relying on them to carry out their duties no matter what, not just when they are being watched or judged. The decisions made in private dictate the results shown in public. 3: The best leaders are decisive. Decisiveness signals confidence, and confidence reinforces trust. Accepting a leadership role is accepting the reality that the buck stops with you. Your decisions, your actions, the path you choose. This is a heavy responsibility, but that’s why great leaders are hard to come by. It is one’s obligation to be thoughtful and informed about each decision that one makes…but when it is made, it must be done free of doubt. 4: The best leaders are honest. Honesty, as a leader, is sometimes difficult. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows and the reality of life is that we will all face challenges. Whether it is financial struggles at work, or a pandemic in the country you’re running, people look to their leaders for the unbridled truth. Sometimes this means saying things we wish weren’t true, or giving people updates that don’t show progress. But, transparency and honesty is paramount when it comes to keeping your people informed. Of course, being harsh or abrasive while giving negative news is not a good look either, which leads me to… 5: The best leaders are great communicators. Aside from just being eloquent in front of a group, great communication goes beyond enunciation. Leaders need to communicate with diplomacy and grace. To be comforting and empathetic. To be pragmatic but heartfelt. To be inspiring and uplifting. Without being able to effectively organize and communicate one’s plans, thoughts, or feelings, doubt will be sewed at every corner as people feel uncertain about important information. Communication skills in any area of life are an enormous strength, but for a leader, how something is said can put people in ease, or into a panic. 6: The best leaders practice what they preach. Aside from just saying inspiring things, great leaders must lead by example. People look to those who’ve walked the walk, who’ve proven they can get the job done, who live their own lives in ways that make you want to be better. If you are leading a team at work and encouraging everyone to come in earlier to finish a project, the best way to make it happen is to always be the first one there. Not just dictating what you want done, but showing you hold yourself accountable for the same. Parents may tell their children “Do as I say, not as I do,” but the truth is that we watch those that we look up to and we learn from them. When taking on a leadership role, we must understand we are held to a higher standard of conduct at all times, because people are paying attention. 7: The best leaders hold themselves accountable. Reality check: You’re not perfect. Nobody is. Not a single soul on this planet goes through their entire life without making mistakes. Those who tell us that’s the case are never taken seriously because we all know better. But beyond that, to always avoid responsibility is the death of trust. It means you will always pass the blame to someone else and never open yourself up to learning new things because you think you’ve got all of the answers. This strips you of a sense of humanity that we need to feel in order to believe in someone as a leader. Great leaders are not perfect, they own up to their mistakes and work to fix them. People respect that far more than someone pretending they’ve got it all figured out. 8: The best leaders empower others. As we’ve just established, nobody is perfect. What’s also true is that nobody knows everything about everything. There is a struggle that many entrepreneurs face when it comes to delegating tasks, because they want to do everything themselves. By holding on too tightly to control, though, we actually impede progress because we may not be the best candidate for a certain task. Just like on a sports team, players are organized based on their skillset. You wouldn’t expect a quarterback to also be a receiver, and a lineman, and a kicker. Great leadership empowers those on the team to do what they’re best at. Assembling an effective group with their own strengths is the purpose of a leader. You help to organize them and move them all forward, but empowerment and delegation must be at the forefront. 9: The best leaders are great listeners. Leadership is not dictatorship. It is not “my way or the highway.” Great leadership requires collaboration and input from a skilled team (see previous point). Or, at the very least, the willingness to communicate with and listen to those you’ve been tasked to lead. Each individual person will bring valuable insight to a specific problem or challenge that you wouldn’t be experiencing on your own. If you don’t take in new information, you’ll be stuck making decisions solely based on preconceived notions and inaccurate perceptions of reality. Leaders must take the time to connect with and listen to those around them. 10: The best leaders have a vision. Why would people follow you if they don’t know where you’re going? Leadership is about the future. It’s about a common goal or cause that a company, team, organization, or country is working towards. It’s the execution of a plan designed to accomplish a goal, to move people forward, to create positive change and impact. Great leaders are trusted and admired by those around them. They make us want to excel, to explore our potential, to uncover our own greatness. Great leaders don’t work to convince us how great they are, they help us to uncover how great we, ourselves, can become. Your coach, - James Michael Sama P.S.: If you’re looking for a private advisor to help you develop these qualities, let’s talk.   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Your secret weapon. 228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United States Powered by beehiiv