I'm chasing congruency. I'm craving community.
Title inspired by lyrics I love once again
I went back to the first piece I ever released on here. And something about it was mind-blowing to me. I found gems I didn’t necessarily know were there. And by gems I mean lessons for myself while I navigate my own journey. There’s so much power in revisiting. You view things in a different light. You’re a different person. You’re standing from a different viewpoint.
What stood out to me was that throughout my entire creative journey, there’s been two things yearning to come out of my soul. The gift of writing, and the intent to build community.
I’m proud of myself for immersing myself in the craft of writing. Still so much to develop and unravel. But proud nonetheless.
Community on the other hand, I’m feeling like it’s time to finally direct effort here.
To start, please read what had I wrote a few years ago. It came off the heels of s small newsletter I created just sharing self-development tips. But I think my true intent was yearning to come out all along.
November 13th, 2023 — Kevin Castillo
Welcome To My Revamped Newsletter
As with anything I do, I want to make sure it’s actually valuable and helpful to you. And not just something that’s indicative of me doing. With the present state of my life, I’m much more focused on being, and I care deeply about cultivating a community in which I can help others do the same. One that is a safe space. One that allows you to be intentional, vulnerable, and authentic. One that provides you with the space to become the greater version of yourself you so deeply envision. You owe it to yourself. And you owe it to the meaningful people in your life. But it will always start with you.
I hope these messages can alleviate and empower that journey a little bit. And that it can create a supportive, resourceful, and encouraging community of like-minded people trying to do the same. Community is currency. And it’s absolutely vital for our survival.
1. Why this, why now?
I was enamored with my efforts the first time around. But, in order to be completely transparent and give you all of me, I have to be honest. Life kicked up over the last few months and it became too much on my plate for me to be handle. One of the lessons I’ve learned throughout the past year is just how valuable our energy is. And that if we try to spread this incredibly valuable currency too thin, we do ourselves a disservice without even knowing.
Contrary to what we’ve been conditioned to think, multi-tasking is an enemy. It’s a monster. It’s an energy drainer. It’s a constricting, limiting, and restricting force that exists in our lives, holding us back from progression. I want to take this moment to encourage you to shift towards single-tasking. I know a lot of you are big dreamers. I resonate that with deeply. And that there are so many things in your head, and so many ideas, and so many visions. I also know how overwhelming that becomes. It’s not sustainable to try to take everything on at once. Eventually we burn out and pay a price. And depending on the circumstance, it can be a hefty one.
So, I want to challenge you to quiet the noise for a second. Choose ONE thing today. One thing you can vow to spend the extent of your energy on—devotedly, focused, and with intention. And let your passion for it, your purpose for it, and your intuitive feeling for it lead the way. You’ll be surprised how much more you achieve by focusing on one thing at a time. And how much more energy you gain for when you’re ready to direct your attention to the next dream.
Prioritize your rest deeply, set smart goals, reconnect with the why behind anything you’re after, and extend kindness, grace, and patience with yourself along the way.
2. What kind of community is this?
I’m not starting this just to start a weekly newsletter. I’m not starting this just to do something productive. I’m not starting this because so many others have started it. I’m not starting it because it checks off a box. I’m not starting it for any reason that’s representative of a selfish attempt to cause you to spend time with the words I share.
I’m starting this for you. I’m starting this because I care deeply about community. I’m starting this because I deeply believe we all need each other. And that it’s a fundamental need for us as humans to feel seen, heard, and supported. I’m starting this because I’ve learned how deeply the world needs more coaches, teachers, therapists, mentors, and anyone who can prove to be a guiding light in someone else’s journey. I’m starting this because no one deserves to go at life alone.
I’m starting this because I want to create a safe space for people to voice their opinions, interact with one another, gain valuable insights, and learn tangible and practical tools they can apply to their own life. With any goal, any dream, any vision. I’m starting this for you. Those who have taken the time to be intentional with these words, and those who will join in the future. I’m so happy you’re here.
3. When will I receive this newsletter?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the biggest proponent for structure and routine. I can go on and on about the benefits to ensuring you put things in place to remain empowered, accountable, and on a path of progression. I also know that nothing in extremes serves us. And just how rigid some of these bounds or parameters we try to set for ourselves can become. With that being said, I am going to be releasing this newsletter every two weeks to start. I would love to get to a point where it’s weekly, and have full faith I’ll get there. But in order to practice what I preach, and to take the same direction I strive to empower others with, I’m going to be graceful with myself, not set an expectation I can’t adhere too, and let this flow in the most natural and authentic way. I’m thinking I’ll send these out on Thursdays on a biweekly cadence—unless any of you have an idea of what day might be best!
I’m in awe of the foresight I had back then—unknowingly in a sense. This was 2023. I feel like I’m a completely different person now. I feel completely different than the 6-month ago version of me. I’ve gone through so much. It’s shaped me, broken me, molded me, taught me, and everything in between. Yet it positions me here, to be in front of you.
I want to build. I want to create a digital home for people who are pouring into themselves. For people who are looking to commune as they go through their personal development journey. For people who deeply value emotional intelligence and recognize it as the skill of life. Ultimately, I want to build a safe space for people looking to better understand themselves, and in turn better understand the world around them. But for those who don’t want to do it alone. Those who want to do it alongside their people. Those who understand the value of community as our most important currency.
I still don’t know what any of this would look like. Of course, I have some ideas. But nothing is actually possible without the buy-in of said people. In the meantime, as I strategize and delve into my writing further…
Is this something you’d be interested in? If so, what are your thoughts? What’s important to you? What would you want for it not to turn into? What are you yearning for?
I’ve only ever shared this with people close to me. But if you know me, you know how much I love coffee. My grandpa gave me my first cup of coffee when I was just three years old. It’s a big part of my culture. It’s how people invite, welcome, and hold space for others. It tastes SO good. You can have it in a variety of different ways. Visiting new coffee shops is a magical experience in and of itself.
I’m deeply curious and love learning and can nerd out on things I love. I’ve watched full-fledged hour long podcasts episode on coffee alone. Just to give you an idea of how much I love it.
With that being said, if you love spending time with my words, and would like to be part of fulfilling my dream to one day do this full-time and make a living off of what I love, feel free to buy me a coffee! Saying your support means the world would be an understatement. It truly, in every sense, would mean everything!
Thanks again for spending time with my words.
Until next time,
Kevin