>> I'M GRATEFUL, AS WE RIP FURTHER INTO 2026, THAT I OWN A CANOE, AND THAT I'VE TAKEN IT DOWN A FEW ROUGH RIVERS.

I MEAN THIS LITERALLY BECAUSE RIVER CANOEING FOSTERS AN INSTINCT THAT'S HELPED ME MAINTAIN A SENSE OF PURPOSE.

EVEN WHEN THINGS GET REALLY TURBULENT.

IN A CANOE YOU CAN ALMOST ALWAYS SEE THE ROUGH SPOTS COMING FROM A LONG WAY OFF.

YOU JUST CAN'T HOW BAD THEY'LL BE.

AND THAT'S THE RECENT HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, YEARS AGO, EVEN BEFORE COVID, I THINK A FAIR NUMBER OF US GOT A PRETTY STRONG WHIFF THAT SOMETHING WAS STARTING TO SHIFT.

WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT OR HOW BAD IT WOULD BE.

AND I'LL ADMIT I SPENT WAY TOO LONG TELLING MYSELF THE RAPIDS WOULDN'T BE THAT BIG A DEAL OR MAYBE WHATEVER'S CAUSING THEM WILL JUST WASH AWAY.

BUT NOW IT'S 2026 AND THOSE ILLUSIONS ARE LONG GONE.

WE ARE IN IT.

AND THIS IS WHERE MY CANOE COMES IN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE FACING REAL-LIFE RAPIDS, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING VERY COUNTERINTUITIVE.

YOU DON'T FIGHT AGAINST THE CURRENT AND YOU DON'T JUST WHITE-KNUCKLED THE SIDE OF SIDES OF YOUR BOAT AND RIDE IT OUT.

IF YOU WANT TO STAY DRY, YOU PICK A LINE AND PADDLE DOWN RIVER, AGGRESSIVELY.

YOU DO THIS BECAUSE YOUR SPEED IS THE ONLY THING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO NAVIGATE.

NOW, THIS ISN'T A METAPHOR FOR EXHAUSTING YOURSELF.

IT'S THE EXACT OPPOSITE.

IT'S A REMINDER TO IGNORE WHAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL AND FOCUS ON THE RIVER IN FRONT OF YOU.

YOU PICK A DESTINATION, SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTS THE WORLD YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF AND YOU GO FOR IT.

WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.

AS IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

BECAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHANCE.

I GUESS I'LL CALL THIS MY CANOE MINDSET.

AND IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR BRAIN DOING HIS, AND YOUR BRAIN DOING THIS.

ARE MY ACTIONS GOING TO CHANGE THE RIVER?

I HAVE NO IDEA, THE RIVER IS GONNA DO WHAT THE RIVER S GONNA DO.

I'M FOCUSED ON HOLDING MY LINE, AND THAT, EVERYBODY,