The new Michael Jackson movie has been in the news and pulling huge stats. Further proof of the level of cultural impact he and his music had on multiple generations of people.

But what interested me most was something his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, said about him: "Michael knew he was different, so he stopped trying to fit in."

He stopped vying for people’s acceptance. And became a legend instead.

Most people spend years trying to become acceptable and "normal" - instead of impactful. We get stuck consuming the content of other talented, successful, disciplined, charismatic people and become spectators in our own lives. Instead of creating content ourselves, we're trying to come up with the wittiest comment or gif to leave in someone else's comment section.

So when (and why) did we trade our God-given main character energy for this embarrassingly mediocre NPC role that nobody actually gives a hoot about?

The issue is clear. Comparison syndrome aka the victim mindset.

We see other people achieving their goals and then see ourselves not doing the same. And instead of taking the basic but important steps to change that outcome, we're blaming the economy or our circumstances.

The bitter truth is - yes, and?

So what if there are things out of your control? Very little is.

The real question is what are you doing with what IS in your control?

That reminds me of the trusty old parable of the talents. It’s easy to blame our lack of money or comfort for our lack of output. But our Lord is fair - He never expects us to perform miracles; just to do the most you can with what you’ve been given.

If you're burying your talent, your creativity, your potential under a mountain of excuses and complaints, just remember. You are the only one holding you back.

It could start with saying no to your flesh more. For me, it was saying no to sleeping in every day. Instead, heading to the gym first thing in the morning before work. Cutting down the hours I spent watching YouTube and listening to podcasts.

Although the type of content I was consuming was mostly “self-help”, my brain had tricked itself into thinking that just listening to this stuff was actual work.

I'd consume, watch other people's rags-to-riches stories, pat myself on the back and go to bed. Output? Nada. Zilch. Zero.

Meanwhile I was slaving over my job like my whole life depended on it. Conveniently ignoring the fact that they could technically fire me at will at any point, for any reason.

Jim Rohn put it best: work on yourself MORE than you work on your job.

Because that's what God meant for you to do in the first place. He wants you to live ABUNDANTLY well in every aspect of your life.

So sharpen your mind with scripture. Build good habits. And cultivate your gifts — the ground is already fertile.

Remember: our ultimate goal isn’t rest in peace. It’s well done, my faithful servant.

Real people. Real marriages. Real divorces. Real 1 a.m. confessions from people who loved someone with that genuine, even stomach-flutter love.

They walked down that aisle with a heart full of hope and zero idea they were walking straight into a wall.

You’re reading this because you’re smart enough to learn from their mistakes.

Here's what nobody tells you: You can be madly in love with a person who's completely incompatible with you. Even unequally yoked.

And even when a well-meaning family member or friend dared to say it, it fell on deaf ears - because you were convinced you were different, and that love covered all things.

Money is the #1 cause of marital stress.

Not infidelity. Not different love languages. Not the in-laws. Not childhood trauma or anything your IG therapist is selling a course about.

It’s money.

A man on r/divorce, let’s call him Boaz, put it plainly:

“I’m throwing this out there to everyone getting married. You are being dumb if you don’t have an in-depth conversation about finances, with full transparency, before getting married. Because we all say we love people and use money. But in practice, many of us use people and love money.”

So. Let’s have the conversation Boaz didn’t.

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