Wellness isn’t just about having a six-pack or drinking green smoothies – it’s about thriving in every dimension of life. I like to think of it as Full Stack Wellness: nurturing the body, sharpening the mind, freeing the spirit, and feeding the creative soul. Why settle for being healthy in only one layer of your existence? To truly flourish, we must build strength and clarity across the entire stack of our being.
Body: Physical Power and Vitality
Any journey toward full wellness starts with the body. Physical strength and vitality are the foundation on which everything else stands. As a lifelong practitioner of Stoic philosophy (I even named my son after Seneca ), I believe physical fitness is critical to living well. I push myself to walk absurd distances – my wild goal is 50 miles in a day – and lift heavy weights because a strong body forges a strong mind .
When I’m out walking (often with a camera in hand), each step doubles as a kind of moving meditation. Walking isn’t just exercise; it’s a chance to clear my head and reconnect with the world around me. I feel my heart pumping, my legs working, and I’m reminded I’m alive. In these moments, health feels like freedom.
Taking care of my body isn’t about vanity or showing off; it’s about discipline and joy. I treat my workouts like sacred rituals – daily opportunities to challenge myself and grow. Sure, muscle and endurance are nice side effects.
But the real power is how physical training empowers my mind. When I conquer a tough hike or smash a personal record at the gym, I carry that confidence into everything else I do. It’s a Stoic lesson in action: by pushing my physical limits, I learn that most barriers in life are more mental than physical. Each bead of sweat earned is a testament to what I’m capable of, and that strength radiates into my mental and spiritual life.
Mind: Stoic Calm and Clarity
Wellness of the mind is about achieving mental clarity and resilience. For me, Stoicism is the ultimate mental operating system. It’s about focusing only on what I can control, and letting go of fear and distraction. In fact, I see Stoicism largely as the art of fear-conquering – the same principle I teach in street photography, where 99% of the challenge is overcoming your fear . By embracing a Stoic mindset, I train myself to stay calm in chaos, to see obstacles as opportunities, and to never let petty annoyances derail my day.
One of my personal mottos is that life is all upside, no downside . This isn’t naive optimism – it’s a deliberate choice to reframe challenges as growth. Lost some money or failed at something? Good – it’s a lesson, not a loss.
Stoic wisdom from Marcus Aurelius or Seneca reminds me that external events don’t dictate my mood; my mind does. I even minimize mental clutter by pruning the inessential things from my daily routine – whether that’s useless apps on my phone, negative news feeds, or pointless worries. By reducing mental noise, I create space for clarity and creativity. The result is a mind that’s light, unburdened, and ready to embrace whatever comes.
Spirit: Freedom Through Simplicity
In a world obsessed with more, I’ve found that true spiritual freedom comes from less. My mantra these days: “True luxury is less.” By stripping life down to the essentials, I free my spirit from the weight of excess . I declutter not just my desk or closet, but my whole approach to living. I donate or discard what I don’t need, say no to commitments that don’t spark joy, and focus on experiences over possessions. As a result, everything I keep in my life feels deliberate, valuable, and meaningful.
This minimalist lifestyle isn’t about deprivation – it’s about making space for meaning. I’m inspired by the idea of “pruning the inessential to maximize the essential,” whether it’s material stuff or how I spend my time . When my home, schedule, and mind are pared down to the essentials, I experience a lightness of being. There’s a profound spiritual calm that comes from knowing I have exactly what I need (and no more).
Simplicity becomes a form of wealth – I have nothing weighing me down. With fewer distractions and possessions, I can devote more energy to purpose, relationships, and creativity. In this emptiness, I find freedom.
Creativity: Photography and the Joy of Everyday Moments
No vision of wellness is complete without creative expression. For me, that’s photography – my lifelong passion and therapy. Creativity nourishes the soul; it gives me an outlet to process life’s highs and lows. When I’m out on the streets with my camera, I enter a flow state.
Suddenly, each moment matters. I start to notice the way light falls on a stranger’s face or the poetry in a simple street scene. Photography teaches me to be present and see beauty everywhere. In fact, I consider photography a meditation on life and death – every snapshot is a reminder to be grateful I’m alive . By making photos that spark joy in my own heart, I’m also sharing that joy with others . It’s a beautiful feedback loop of positivity.
My camera has also taught me about joy in the everyday. I’ve learned to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. There is “beauty in the mundane” – even at home or in my daily routine, there are countless tiny miracles waiting to be noticed . The soft steam rising from my morning coffee, the pattern of shadows on my floor at noon, or the way the sunset paints the sky in the evening – these little moments are treasures when viewed through a creative lens. By treating life as art, I remind myself that each day is a gift. Creativity, whether through photography, writing, or any art, injects playfulness and wonder into my life. It keeps my inner child alive and my spirit curious.
And the best part? You don’t need fancy gear or an exotic location to create – your own daily life is the canvas. Often I just grab my trusty camera (one camera, one lens – keeping it simple) and head out for a walk. The combination of walking and photographing turns into a joyful walking meditation, recharging me mentally and creatively.
Embracing Full Stack Wellness
Full Stack Wellness is about balance and integration. It’s realizing that physical health, mental clarity, spiritual freedom, and creative joy are all connected – each one reinforcing the others. When I take care of my body, my mind becomes sharper. When my mind is clear, my spirit feels lighter. When my spirit is free, my creativity flows. And when I create, I feel alive and purposeful. It’s a virtuous cycle that keeps energizing itself.
The beauty of this holistic approach is that you don’t have to be perfect in every area all the time. It’s about self-awareness and alignment – knowing what part of your stack needs attention today, and tending to it with love and enthusiasm. Some days I need a hard workout to feel centered; other days, a long walk with my camera feeds my soul. By listening to myself and honoring all facets of wellness, I find a deeper harmony.
Remember, joy and simplicity are at the heart of it all. Being well isn’t a chore – it’s a creative adventure. So find pleasure in the process: savor your workouts, relish quiet moments of reflection, laugh at the absurdity of life’s twists, and indulge in making something artful every day. In the end, a full stack life is a rich life. It’s a life where you wake up excited and go to bed content, knowing you gave your body, mind, spirit, and creativity the attention they deserve. This is my vision of Full Stack Wellness – a bold, joyful way of living where you feel strong, calm, free, and creative all at once. Why settle for anything less?