Andrew's Journey
Current intention: Boundaries after the storm
August 2025
Current Intention
Andrew intends to maintain the boundaries he's finally starting to establish at work, recognizing that the company will take everything if he lets them. After months of sacrifice that left his soul hurting during moments of stillness, he wants to transition into more sustainable patterns - perhaps coasting into the middle of the organization to ride his equity package. He's seeking to build a new wellness-focused community, moving away from party culture toward running clubs and meaningful connections. Most immediately, he's navigating the anxiety of potentially dating his 'dream girl' while trying not to overthink every message.
Meditation
Andrew, feel the profound strength it took to survive these brutal months. Your body kept the score - the sweating, the elevated heart rate - but you persevered and emerged victorious with the raise and equity you deserved.
Breathe into this new phase where boundaries are not weakness but wisdom. The company that almost consumed you has been tamed by your negotiation skills. You've proven your worth; now prove your wisdom by protecting your wellbeing.
As you message this woman who represents possibility, remember that you are not the depleted person of recent months. You are renewed, successful, and ready for connections that match your evolving values. Trust in your worthiness of both professional success and personal joy.
July 2025
What Happened
Andrew endured an absolutely brutal two and a half months, working 70-80 hour weeks with 'the fear of God' about losing his contract position. The stakes intensified after fundraising, with six people fired in five months. Leading the entire launch on communications, marketing, and regulatory campaigns, his body manifested the stress - elevated heart rate and sweating even when sitting still. Yet through this darkness, he negotiated brilliantly when converting to full-time: a $40,000 salary increase and higher equity than expected. The launch finally happened, boundaries are slowly returning, and despite months of romantic disappointments and ghosting, the algorithm finally delivered - matching him on Hinge with the woman he'd admired on Raya for two years.
June 2025
What Happened
Andrew was absent from the June meeting.
May 2025
Intention
Andrew intends to continue providing for himself and being emotionally available to himself. His primary goals are to maintain his employment and to be less manic in his feelings of loneliness and desire for love. He plans to continue practices like spending time in silence (e.g., his Saturday at the Integral Yoga Institute) to support these intentions.
Meditation
Andrew, connect deeply with your inner wellspring of strength and emotional wisdom. Visualize yourself moving through your demanding career with calm assurance and impactful presence.
Cultivate a profound sense of self-provision and emotional availability, knowing that your own well-being is the foundation for all else. See yourself attracting connections that are authentic and aligned, free from urgency or loneliness.
Embrace the man you are becoming with acceptance and self-compassion. Trust that by tending to your inner world, your outer world will naturally reflect greater balance and fulfillment.
April 2025
What Happened
Andrew's life has been intense. His work schedule remains demanding (8:30 AM to 7 PM), not achieving his goal of leaving by 6 PM. He got sick, which he finds particularly frustrating and induces a victim mindset. However, his mood tracker showed about 3.5 weeks of good, happy days. He feels he's 'becoming a man,' leading communications, marketing, and advocacy for a company valued at $250M, building a clinical advisory board with high-profile individuals, and making significant strategic decisions. This is surreal but comes with immense pressure and high expectations (50x growth by EOY), making him feel high-strung. Despite this, he's proud of the progress he's made in communicating his vision and influencing budget decisions. He's managed to maintain wellness and fitness reasonably well, though some old habits creep in. His life feels somewhat 'stale' due to the work-sleep routine, leaving him burned out by Friday. He describes himself as 'deadly single' with a high bar for relationships. He had a positive sexual encounter with a visiting romantic buddy. He's been on dates (now on Hinge, 'Mr. Monogamous') but often feels hungover afterward, a pattern he dislikes. He's trying to be open-minded in dating but feels 'feral' and 'blue-balled' due to the staleness and perceived lack of opportunities despite feeling he has a lot to offer.
Intention
Andrew intends to establish healthier work boundaries, aiming to leave work by 6:00 PM daily to maintain his wellbeing while still performing at a high level. He wants to balance the intense demands of his new role with self-care practices like yoga, meditation, and exercise, while remaining present rather than over-planning the future. He also aims to approach dating with less prescription and pressure.
Meditation
Andrew, as you navigate this new professional chapter, visualize yourself as the strong, capable adult you've become. Feel how this identity isn't dependent on overworking but on making conscious choices about boundaries.
With each breath, reinforce the boundary between work and personal time. See this boundary not as a limitation but as a container that allows both parts of your life to flourish.
The same presence you cultivated in Latin America remains available to you in Soho. Your value isn't measured by hours worked but by the clarity and wisdom you bring to each moment.
March 2025
What Happened
Andrew has experienced a dramatic shift in his professional life, joining an AI mental health company that's developing a foundation model for psychology - essentially creating a 'ChatGPT for mental health and psychology.' He was hired as their first marketing communications person and is also leading advocacy and government affairs. This role comes with significant compensation and potential equity in a company that could be worth between $10-50 billion (or nothing if things go wrong). The job has been intensely demanding, with 55+ hour work weeks and high-pressure expectations, including being asked to 10x their audience without launching publicly. He recently returned from a team offsite in London that was particularly exhausting. Despite the pressure, Andrew feels well-equipped for the role, though he describes feeling 'spiritually disconnected, emotionally impressed, intellectually frustrated, and physically exhausted.' His dating life has consisted of about 10 first dates in the past month, none of which progressed to a second date.
Intention
Andrew wants to find newer and different communities focused on wellness, meditation, and sobriety. He aims to make significant money (saving $1 million in 5 years) while maintaining his well-being. He's committed to monogamous dating after realizing non-monogamy didn't resolve his restlessness. Andrew seeks love while maintaining the stillness and presence he cultivated during his time away, though he acknowledges he might be overindexing on wanting/needing love after his recent breakup.
Meditation
Andrew, place your hand on your heart and feel its steady rhythm. This steadiness exists within you, beyond any relationship, beyond any external validation.
As you breathe, acknowledge the wisdom you discovered in Costa Rica - that the search for 'more' is endless, but presence is always available. Feel how your natural state is one of balance.
Your journey toward monogamy is actually a journey toward wholeness within yourself. The love you seek externally already flows through you when you share your gifts of presence with others and now, increasingly, with yourself.
February 2025
What Happened
Andrew returned to New York after 2.5 months away, having recently ended a relationship with a woman he was dating in Mexico who wanted financial support. He's experiencing sadness about the breakup while settling back into New York routines. His part-time work ended in February, and he'll start new part-time work soon that pays about $4,000/month. Andrew describes himself as a "poor man's power broker," oscillating between revolutionary ideas and financial insecurity. Despite the challenges, he's focusing on wellness, meditation, and sobriety, seeking out high-vibe communities that prioritize wellness activities.