BookMattic

I used to work at Blockbuster.

Five free rentals a week.
Endless movie debates.
Blue polo. Peak culture.

I remember spending entire shifts talking about movies. Why they worked. Why they failed. Why a character’s decision felt right or completely irrational.

Stories have shaped how I think about leadership, growth, and learning.

One things that I always have believed about stories, which is one of the reasons why I became an educator, is that stories are part of learning.

Every story is a rehearsal for life.

When we watch characters make decisions, fail, grow, sacrifice, or self-sabotage, our brains simulate those experiences. We practice courage and perspective. Stories are compressed life lessons.

To this day, I do not just watch a movie or read a book passively. I analyze motivations, trade-offs, and belief systems.

Blockbuster may be gone but the learning remains.
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Question: What was one of your favorite jobs when you were first starting your career?
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P.S. This was not taken at an actual Blockbuster. It was taken at in Vancouver Washington!

I'm reading Unhinged Habits by Jonathan Goodman, and there is already one takeaway that genuinely moved me and it's this:

It feels true that the less we explore, the more our mind stagnates.

However, exploration does not just mean exploring our external world. it means that we should explore both internal and external because if we are just thinking, reflecting, or trying to understand ourselves it does not mean we can stay cooped up inside our house, alone.

We need to be outside.
We need nature.
We need other people.

The more you explore, the more fulfilling your life becomes.

This really resonated with me because, over the past few months, I have not been going out much at all. Part of that has been winter. I know from experience that when I get out more and truly explore, I become happier and feel more connected. I start to feel like I'm actually part of the community again instead of watching life from the sidelines.

What makes this even more important is how much it connects to identity.

I'm not in the same environment I was in last year. Because of that, I cannot expect to be the same person I was before.

I cannot adapt the environment to me. I have to adapt to it. I have to explore it, engage with it, and allow it to shape who I am becoming.

Not who I used to be.
Not who I wish I were.
But who I am NOW.

If this book only gives me this one lesson, I already know it will have been worth reading.

Thank you, This arrived at exactly the right moment.

I’m rereading Man’s Search for Meaning for the third time, and honestly, it hits harder during seasons of transition.

When life feels uncertain, noisy, or stripped down to the essentials, this book has a way of cutting through everything.

Viktor E. Frankl endured an unimaginable level of suffering, yet still found a way to articulate peace, purpose, and responsibility in the face of it. That contrast never stops humbling me. His pain wasn’t abstract. It was lived. And somehow, he turned it into something that continues to help millions of people steady themselves.

If you’re in a moment of change…

If you’re questioning direction, meaning, or identity…

If you’re just trying to find some quiet clarity in the chaos…

This book doesn’t give you easy answers. It gives you something better: perspective.

I genuinely believe it’s one of the most important books ever written. And yes, it’s worth rereading.