The Three Diets

Transform Your Life with Intentional Choices

(If you’d rather listen or watch than read, here is the recording of this piece. Feel free to choose whatever resonates most with you.)

My wife, Jessica, has an uncanny ability to simplify life’s complexities. One day, she proposed a new rule for our grandchildren: from now on, they could only watch movies and TV shows featuring real people. At first, it seemed like a minor adjustment, but the impact was remarkable. It cleared away some of the distractions in children’s entertainment, creating room for stories that truly resonated.

When I introduced the idea to my nine-year-old granddaughter, we started with the movie The Holiday. By the end, she turned to me glowing and said, “Can we watch it again tomorrow?” When I asked what she loved about it, her answer was simple: “It just made me feel good.”

After that, we moved on to Love Actually and then Notting Hill. I have a whole lineup of feel-good romantic comedies to share with her and her siblings and cousins—stories that leave you feeling connected, warm, and uplifted. It’s the kind of content I believe we could all use more of in our lives.

The Power of What We Consume

My granddaughter’s words were a gentle reminder of the profound impact of what we take in—whether it’s food, ideas, or time with others. These choices form the foundation of a resilient life. The diets we consume—Food, Folks, and Facts—are deeply interconnected, creating opportunities for balance, joy, and purpose, and shaping not only how we feel but also how we engage with life as a whole.

This diagram illustrates this interconnectedness. Each diet is distinct and personal, yet they overlap in meaningful ways. At their center lies what we’re all striving for: joy, balance, tranquility, and purpose. This sweet spot is where our efforts come together to create a life of harmony and fulfillment.

Becoming the Architect of Our Lives

In today’s world, it’s easy to overconsume—not just in the literal sense, but metaphorically as well. Whether it’s endless scrolling or overcommitting socially, our appetite for more has outpaced our ability to truly digest. Psychologist and author Barry Schwartz’s concept of the paradox of choice captures this beautifully: abundance, when unchecked, can lead to overwhelm.

So instead of looking outward at a myriad of solutions, I see this as an invitation to look inward. Are we actively shaping our lives, or letting others’ influences take the lead? This idea of personal agency isn’t new—it’s a cornerstone of author Stephen Covey’s principle “Be proactive” as outlined in his influential book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

“Be Proactive” serves as a cornerstone of his framework for personal and professional effectiveness. At its heart, this principle emphasizes the critical role of personal agency—taking ownership of one’s actions, behaviors, and outcomes.

Covey describes proactivity as the ability to respond to external circumstances with intention, choosing actions guided by values rather than reacting impulsively or blaming others. Proactive individuals focus on what they can control—their sphere of influence—rather than being consumed by external factors outside their power. This distinction is crucial: it shifts attention from external circumstances to internal empowerment, reminding us that growth begins when we take responsibility for our choices and actions.

Perhaps one of the most celebrated books on this is Viktor Frankl’s incredible Man’s Search for Meaning. In it, he states beautifully: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

This mindset inspired me to become the architect of my own consumption, deliberately balancing what I take in and how I process it. Curating what we consume—whether it’s the food on our plate, the people we surround ourselves with, or the narratives we allow into our minds—is an act of self-leadership. It’s not about blame or pointing fingers; it’s about recognizing the opportunity to design our own lives. After all, isn’t that what true fulfillment looks like?

The First Diet: Food

The first—and perhaps most obvious—diet that we can curate is what we put into our mouths. As biological beings, the food we consume profoundly influences our well-being, affecting not only how long we live but also how vibrant and happy we feel along the way. Food is the foundation for everything: it fuels our bodies, balances our hormones, and sets the rhythm of our metabolic clocks.

It’s no secret that health challenges related to diet have reached unprecedented levels, especially in America. This is a topic close to my heart—something I’ve spent years exploring and learning about. The potential for transformation is immense, but it starts with a simple acknowledgment: what we eat matters, perhaps more than we realize. There’s so much depth to this subject, and in my next article I will cover its impact in greater depth.

Many of my investments focus on transforming how we eat because I believe it’s one of the most pressing issues of our time. If we want to build resilient lives—lives capable of withstanding stress and thriving with vitality—we must be selective about what we consume. Food isn’t just sustenance; it’s foundational to our strength, energy, and ability to face the day with an “athletic posture” – a stance like an athlete’s ready to face life’s challenges. From what we eat and drink to when and how we consume, our food diet is critical.

The Second Diet: Folks

Curating who we spend time with turns out to be just as important as what we eat and what we read. There’s a fundamental truth that often goes unspoken and under-appreciated: we are deeply influenced by the people around us.

As research in social contagion shows, we tend to mirror the habits, values, and attitudes of the five people we spend the most time with. This is human nature—biomimicry at work. Scientists like Nicholas Christakis have explored this in depth, but it’s an idea that resonates through philosophy and history as well.

That’s why I’m intentional about who I surround myself with. The people in our lives shape us, and we shape them in return. While we can’t always choose who we spend time with, being thoughtful about the relationships we nurture can profoundly impact our well-being.

The Third Diet: Facts

The third is our information diet. In today’s world, we are inundated with a relentless stream of information—more than ever before in human history. While I’m neither a tech idealist nor a tech cynic, I do believe technology offers immense potential for good. Yet, it requires discernment. The sheer volume of misinformation, polarization, and dehumanizing content being fed to us is staggering. Whether it’s on the news, social media platforms, or digital spaces, much of what we encounter today is designed to provoke rather than inform.

I often reflect on this when I turn on the news. Whether it’s CNN, Fox, or another network, it’s easy to notice how biases influence the narratives we see. This can be disheartening, especially when we seek objective truth. Millions of people are consuming these narratives, and when you add the endless feeds of TikTok, Instagram, or any other platform, the need to curate becomes even more urgent. What we allow into our minds directly impacts how we see the world—and ourselves.

What are you reading, and are you reading every day? I believe reading isn’t just an important habit—it’s a lifeline. When we don’t read, we miss the chance to grow, challenge our perspectives, and deepen our understanding of the world. But it’s not just about reading for comfort or confirmation. To truly cultivate a robust information diet, we need to seek out diverse opinions, including those that challenge or even contradict our own beliefs. This isn’t about avoiding discomfort—it’s about embracing the full spectrum of ideas that help us think critically and expansively.

The Sweet Spot: Purpose and Balance

At the intersection of these three diets lies the sweet spot for finding the right posture for your life, thereby also feeling ready and able to commit yourself to something bigger than yourself. When we make ourselves smaller than we are, we feel smaller. But when we are part of bigger projects, they give us meaning, enthusiasm, and excitement. When you're climbing a mountain you really want to reach, challenges are just obstacles to overcome. But when the view of the mountain isn’t clear, those challenges often feel insurmountable. The paradoxical truth in life is that when we are small, we feel big, and when we are big, we end up feeling small.

Years ago, Jessica, came home frustrated from her work as a dentist in Sweden. She had been trying to motivate her team to cut costs, but her efforts fell flat. “They just don’t seem interested in anything I suggest,” she told me. I asked her, “Why would they care?” In Sweden’s healthcare system, fixed salaries left little incentive for extra effort. The problem wasn’t her suggestions—it was a lack of purpose that resonated with the team.

I encouraged her to reframe the goal: “What if you focused on something meaningful, like conserving resources to help the environment?” Jessica launched an energy-saving initiative, and the results were remarkable. Her team became engaged, energized, and proud of their efforts. It was a powerful reminder: when people see their work as part of a greater mission, they respond with motivation and commitment.

I have seen the power of purpose at work in so many organizations during my career. Unless people feel they are part of a team doing something meaningful, they won’t give it their all. As they say, how many people on their deathbed wished they had beaten the budget or spent more time at the office?

Aligning our three diets with a stronger purpose can bring renewed energy and meaning to our lives. By intentionally connecting the food we eat, the people we surround ourselves with, and the information we consume to a larger goal, we can transform how we feel and how we show up in the world.

Reflect and Realign

These diets don’t consist of rigid rules—they’re guides to help you reflect when life feels out of sync. What have you been consuming—on your plate or in your media feed? Who have you been spending time with? Have you experienced joy, laughter, or connection lately? These are the markers of well-being.

Think of these questions as an “MRI” for your personal system—an honest scan of your Food, Folks, and Facts to help identify areas that need attention. Where do you see the most opportunity for improvement? Start with one area that feels manageable and significant—something that could create a ripple effect across your life. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress.

A two-by-two matrix can help: one axis for impact, the other for ease of implementation. The sweet spot? Changes that are both impactful and achievable.

This isn’t about picking the easiest option, but about starting where it matters most. Even small steps to align your time, relationships, and habits with your values can transform your sense of balance and purpose.

An Invitation to Curate and Explore

The three diets are like the strands of a tapestry, weaving together the fabric of our lives. Each strand strengthens the others, and at their intersection lies the essence of a life well-lived.

This article is just the beginning of our exploration. Over the next few pieces, we’ll take a closer look at each diet, uncovering practical ways to make important changes:

1. Food: Simple strategies to nourish your body for vitality and strength.

2. Folks: Insights on building relationships that uplift and inspire.

3. Facts: Tips for curating an intentional information diet in a noisy world.

As we continue this series, my hope is to offer perspectives that empower you to create a more resilient life. Let’s explore together how thoughtful choices can lead us closer to joy, balance, tranquility, and purpose.

Your Turn

As we embark on this series, take a moment to reflect on your own three diets. Are they in harmony? What’s one small change you can make today to bring more balance, joy, or meaning to your life? Remember, even the smallest change can create a ripple effect.