Good morning, happy Monday – May 12, 2025 in the Year of the ZAO: Day 132.

As the sun rises on a new week, we’re celebrating a major milestone — our 50th weekly ZAO FRACTAL meeting. That’s nearly a full year of coming together, holding space, building momentum, and being present for the process. Week after week, we've shown up. And tonight, at 6 PM EST in the ZAO Discord, we do it again.

Consistency isn’t glamorous, but it’s the foundation of everything real. Fractals have never been about chasing hype or forcing output. They’re about presence. Progress. Community. Tonight, we recognize how far we’ve come — and recommit to where we’re going.

Which brings us to today’s reflection.

Give Up on the Idea that “More Is Better.”

We live in the most resource-rich culture in history — yet somehow, we’re also among the most dissatisfied. The problem isn’t having goals or ambition. It’s the quiet, toxic belief that happiness always lives one step ahead. A better car. A bigger house. A louder audience. Another win.

But that mindset is a trap. The moment we get what we want, we immediately look for the next thing. We rob ourselves of satisfaction by sprinting past the very joy we’ve worked for.

Even the Dalai Lama, after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, was asked, “What’s next?” That’s the world we live in — and it’s exhausting.

What if instead, we trained ourselves to want less? Not out of scarcity, but out of presence. What if we appreciated the view from where we are — not just where we’re going?

Today, as we mark fifty weeks of Fractals, let’s pause and recognize the value of simply showing up. This is it. This is the work. And it’s more than enough.

– BetterCallZaal on behalf of the ZAO Team