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The Lantern: A Weekly Guide to Navigating Time with Intention

Wrestling With It | The Lantern

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

The Lantern

by Mike Vardy

Vol. 1, Issue 8 | April 19, 2025

Hello Reader,

There’s something beautifully honest about wrestling.

Yes, it’s choreographed. Yes, the outcomes are scripted. But the effort? The timing? The trust between performers? That’s real.

Wrestling isn’t just about conflict—it’s about tension. Between who you are and who you’re becoming. Between doing the work and working the crowd. Between staying down and standing up.

I’ve found myself wrestling with a lot lately. With my focus. My time. My choices. And I’ve realized something: the match never really ends. It just shifts.

The goal isn’t to win every round. It’s to stay in it. To show up. To get back in the ring even when you’re sore, tired, or unsure how the story ends.

That’s the real performance—not pretending everything’s fine, but learning how to keep going anyway.

Look

Wrestling isn’t always in the ring—it’s often in your own head. This conversation between Bill Burr and Tim Ferriss pulls no punches. Burr gets into fear, self-doubt, and what it takes to keep showing up, even when the noise gets loud. It’s a reminder that resilience isn’t flashy—it’s consistent. Watch it here.​

(And if you think Burr is just a comedian, this clip from The Mandalorian might just change your mind.)

Listen

What do you get when a musician known for emotional honesty chats with a TV host who once cut promos in a wrestling ring? A surprisingly grounded take on the creative wrestle. Ben Folds joins Rove McManus for a conversation about staying curious, staying real, and pushing through uncertainty in the creative process. Listen to their chat here.​

Learn

In a world that rewards speed, we often forget the quiet value of the push—the slow, steady effort that closes the distance between where we are and where we want to be. If you’re in the middle of a wrestle, this might meet you where you are. Read it here.​

The Final Flicker

The script might not be yours, but the effort is. Wrestle with it. You’re stronger than you think.

We all wrestle—with distractions, with doubt, with the identity we’re stepping into. The important part isn’t whether you have it all figured out, but that you’re still showing up. Still in the ring. Still willing to take the next hit… and get back up anyway.

The world may not always see the match you’re fighting—but it matters that you stay in it.

See you later,
Mike

Thanks for reading.

Your time is valuable, and I don’t take it for granted. In a world pulling us in all directions, thanks for choosing The Lantern.

Productivityist Productivity Services Inc. | 1411 Haultain Street, Victoria, BC V8R 2J6
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The Lantern: A Weekly Guide to Navigating Time with Intention

by Mike Vardy

The Lantern is a thoughtfully curated weekly email from Mike Vardy designed to help you craft a better relationship with time. Each edition brings you insights, inspiration, and practical tools through a simple yet powerful framework: Look (a thought-provoking video or visual), Listen (a compelling podcast or audio insight), and Learn (a deep dive into a key concept, article, or book). Designed to inform, inspire, and illuminate, The Lantern helps you navigate time with clarity and intention—without the overwhelm.

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