Today was an interesting one—and the timing felt oddly perfect.

Before our session began, I received the heartbreaking news of a high school classmate’s untimely passing. He was an incredible person who left a lasting, positive impact on many. The news hit hard. It led me into deep reflection on a tension many of us wrestle with: the dangers of hustle culture versus the importance of truly living life to the fullest.

The fragility of life became starkly clear. It could all be over in the blink of an eye—tomorrow, or even on the way home tonight. That realization gave me pause. I began to question my own balance: Am I hustling too much? Am I hustling for the right reasons? Am I truly living fully?

As we began our session with Cohort 82, I felt compelled to share these thoughts. I allowed myself to be vulnerable, and the space created by my fellow cohort members was nothing short of amazing—supportive, caring, and deeply human.

One of the key takeaways from our session was our discussion of the SCARF Model, developed by David Rock. SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness—five domains that influence human behavior in social and professional settings. We explored how each of us gravitates toward or away from certain elements, and how our preferences shape our decisions and interactions at work.

What stood out to me was the interconnectedness of these five domains. While we may favor one or two, they all influence each other. From a coaching perspective, when a client identifies a preferred domain, it opens the door to explore the impact of that preference—and the potential blind spots that come from neglecting others. This awareness creates a rich environment for growth, allowing clients to develop practices that strengthen underutilized areas of their leadership.

Later in the day, during our practice coaching session, we revisited the concept of polarities—a deeper dive from our earlier module and a bridge from the SCARF discussion.  Stepping into this portion of the course brought me back to the loss of my friend. I explored the polarity between hustle culture and living life to the fullest. The insight I gained was powerful: the key isn’t choosing one over the other, but rather finding a sustainable balance—and creating space for regular reflection to maintain it. Leveraging this approach with the understanding of social and professional motivations through the lens of the SCARF model is empowering.  

Reflecting on my own approach to balance, I landed on this thought:

Tomorrow is not promised. But if you don’t prepare in the present, your tomorrow is already spent.

Stay true.