“The technology is just gonna get better and better and better and better. And it’s gonna get easier and easier, and more and more convenient, and more and more pleasurable to be alone with images on a screen, given to us by people who do not love us but want our money.

Which is all right. In low doses, right?

But if that’s the basic main staple of your diet, you’re gonna die. In a meaningful way, you’re going to die.”— David Foster Wallace, 2008

I have been laying out my reading list for this year and stared at Infinite Jest the other day. I got ¾ of the way through it in the past. It is a beast. He is an incredible writer. Then I just spent some time reading about him and came across this quote.

Wallace is pretty spot on.

He wasn’t rejecting technology. He was warning us about what happens when it replaces something essential. Screens are fine. Comfort is fine. Making something a bit easier is fine. But I think for all of us it needs to come in small doses and not what we are constantly seeking. Technology is a wonderful thing but when it is our main diet, it can disrupt the most important parts of our lives…presence, connection, and meaning.

And if you haven’t already, his “This Is Water” speech is worth your time.
Read it or listen when you have a moment.

It’s a reminder to look around.

Physical Wellness

Most people don’t think of physical health as something that affects their earning power. It is separate. Something you ignore until “life and work” slows down. But pay attention to how you think and feel on the days you’re under slept, have aches and pains, or carrying constant stress. Your patience is shorter. Your thinking is spottier. You often just feel off.

Well research backs this all up: poor sleep alone can reduce productivity by as much as 50%, and chronic fatigue significantly increases stress-related illness. Those days when you feel tired often show up as missed opportunities, create reactive decisions, and less capacity to do the work you know you’re capable of.

This is why physical wellness belongs in any serious conversation about careers, money, and long-term success. Our body is the engine behind every idea, every decision, every difficult conversation, every risk you take. When that engine breaks down, our potential tends to leak. And slowly the check engine light comes on. Creativity disappears, energy fades, and we aren’t the leaders we want to be. We tend to gravitate to convenience instead of intention. Over time, that costs more than we realize.

Taking care of your physical health isn’t self-indulgence or just for appearances. It’s about protecting your ability to think clearly, stay resilient, and show up fully for the career you’re building and the life you’re living. Start small if you need to. Walk. Sleep. Eat a bit better. Take one small action. The returns begin immediately even if they never show up on a spreadsheet.

Mental Wellness

A growing body of research is reminding us of something we already know: physical movement doesn’t just shape muscle and metabolism… it shapes the brain. A recent review that doubles the evidence base from earlier work found that regular physical exercise can reduce symptoms of depression just as effectively as traditional treatments like antidepressants and therapy. In trials involving nearly 5,000 adults with clinically significant depressive symptoms, people assigned to consistent exercise routines, things like brisk walking to light resistance work, showed meaningful improvements in mood, energy, and engagement. Importantly, light to moderate exercise was often more effective than pushing hard, often because it is easier to sustain and doesn’t lead to burnout.

This isn’t to suggest exercise is a replacement for clinical care when it’s needed. Depression and anxiety are complex conditions, and many people benefit from or urgently require medication, therapy, or both. What this research does reinforce is why physical health and mental health are inseparable pillars of wellness. Movement releases brain chemicals that help reduce inflammation, stimulate new neural growth, and support emotional regulation. It’s one of the few tools that strengthens the body and the mind at the same time.

So when you tie this back to your broader wellness journey, physical activity isn’t just about longevity. It is the foundational based that gives you more capacity to engage with life rather than retreat from it. It won’t fix everything on its own, and it’s not meant to, but its effects are real and a powerful piece of the puzzle.

Financial Wellness

In The Art of Spending Money, Morgan Housel shifts the conversation away from earning and investing and toward something more personal: how our spending choices reflect what we value. The book isn’t about specific tactics. His insight is really about finding the alignment. Why some purchases continue to feel worthwhile long after the receipt is gone, while others don’t.

If you’ve ever wondered why money can buy convenience but not fulfillment, this is a thoughtful, grounding read. It’s a reminder that financial wellness isn’t just about building wealth or just throwing it around for more. It’s about spending it in a way that supports a life that actually feels rich.

Spiritual Wellness

There’s a piece in The Atlantic called “The Anti-Social Century” by Derek Thompson, one of my favorite writers, that I have read a few times. It reminds us that humans are meaning-making social animals, not isolated producers of attention or content. Americans are spending more time alone than at any point in recent history. Meals alone, evenings in front of screens, and less time with others. All of it reshaping our personalities, our communities, and even how we see the world.

Solitude in small doses can be good. But when togetherness becomes optional and human connection becomes transactional or screen-mediated, something deeper happens. Our sense of belonging that comes from shared life, shared challenges, and real presence starts to disappear. This isn’t just a sociological issue. I tend to believe it is a spiritual one too. We were designed for connection, not isolation. Meant to live in communities, support each other, see friends and family, have face-to-face conversations, share meals and laughter.

As Wallace was alluding…screens and the endless feeds don’t do that.

If you prefer listening, he also had a conversation with psychologist Nick Epley about why this trend matters. Take a moment this week to read or listen.

And In The End

From all of us at The 9:03 Collective: thanks for reading. Keep showing up. Stay curious. And never forget that the clock is running, so make it count.

If you’ve been enjoying Four Pillar Friday, the best way to support is simple: share it with a friend, forward it to someone who might need it, or subscribe if you haven’t already. The more people we reach, the more conversations we can spark about living with intention.

Until next week…

The Journey Team & The 9:03