I hope your summer is off to a great start. It's been busy for us, but this past week we got a short reprieve as Leo's soccer season ended last week and Roman's summer basketball is in between high school ball and the return of AAU. I used the extra time to finish writing my portion of a collaborative book from The AGC™ (the community for financial advisors I co-founded), which included not only my own chapter but also writing a narrative voice to connect the various sections of the book....
1 day ago • 2 min read
“The making of art is not a competitive act. Our work is representative of the self.” -Rick Rubin I know Rick is writing about “art” but this is true of everything you do, and I could argue that everything you do has the opportunity to be a creative act. When you approach anything in life in a way that is true to your Self, you are doing something in a way that no one else can do–a representation of your Self. In this representation of your Self lies your strength, advantage, and most...
1 day ago • 1 min read
“The great victory, which appears so simple today, was the result of a series of small victories that went unnoticed.” - Paulo Coelho See you tomorrow and keep pursuing, JC
3 days ago • 1 min read
I've shot a lot of shots on Thursdays--if you aren't aware, I used to encourage people on social media to shoot their shot on Thursdays, "Shoot Your Shot Thursday." I've shot a lot of airballs over the last couple of years---or maybe the ball is still spinning on the rim waiting to finally go in. Either way, there have not been many immediate swishes. Alex Hutchinson changed that. justincastelli @jus10castelli I usually shoot my shot on Thursdays and do it via DM, but my shooting percentage...
4 days ago • 1 min read
Let’s dive into your most powerful tool: Your mind. It’s your asset or your enemy. Your greatest ally—or your loudest limiter. And science backs it up: Neuroscience. Psychology. Even quantum theory. All say what spiritual teachers have said for ages: Your thoughts create your life. Oprah didn’t audition for The Color Purple with hope— she knew. She felt it, saw it, surrendered to it. And days later, Spielberg called. Bob Proctor said: “Thoughts are things.” And Sara Blakely lived it. She saw...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Well, that’s not true. We all know something. Actually, we all know a lot, but what we know comes from our individual experiences in and observations of life. What I have learned to be true for me may not be true for you, and vice versa. I don’t know if I’m just more sensitive to (and annoyed by) the rapid increase in gurus, experts, and folks claiming to know what YOU need to do, but it has become exhausting to scroll social media and see so many people positioning themselves as experts on...
6 days ago • 2 min read
“You must be doers of the law of assumption, for without application the most profound understanding will not produce any desired result. Frequent reiteration and repetition of important basic truths runs through these pages. Where the law of assumption is concerned–the law that sets man free–this is a good thing. It should be made clear again and again even at the risk of repetition. The real truth seeker will welcome this aid in concentrating his attention on the law which sets him free....
7 days ago • 1 min read
We are constantly evolving. Each day brings new experiences, connections, and information that shape who we are becoming. When was the last time you reflected on who you are evolving into and whether your surroundings in your life are aligned? Even if you are currently in alignment, you can fall out of it if you don’t continue to evolve with the evolution of your authentic life. Remember, the authentic life is not a destination, it’s an evolution. See you tomorrow and keep pursuing, JC
8 days ago • 1 min read
I’ve been working on writing a manifesto for the authentic life and have been using ChatGPT to help me get started. I posted v.1 of a manifesto on social media last week, and here is v.2, which was created using the GPT I’m training using my Daily Notes, AlignedLife Podcast, and transcripts from talks and videos. When I finalize the manifesto, it will differ from the ChatGPT versions, but they have given me great starts to work with. The Authentic Life Manifesto “We believe life is meant to...
9 days ago • 1 min read