That’s right; you didn’t receive an email yesterday. Why? Because I
dropped a Substack newsletter. Did you see it? Alright, on with the show.

***

Politicians and preachers…

are the easiest targets. The former group, we say, demonstrates their fragmentation by success. The latter by failure. What do I mean?

The Political Example: The career politician (yes, you know the one) rose to the top of his party of choice. He’s been consistent on a particular issue for twenty years—let’s call it life or choice or taxes or isolationism or war-mongering—that is until he set his sights on the Presidency. How many ways does a politician wriggle out of his values when the possibility of the Ultimate Title comes knocking? We watch through the cable-news portal, nod our heads as the pundits point fingers at him and use the word “flip-flopper.”

The Preacher Example: The career preacher (or priest or rabbi or non-profit founder) made a career slinging religious values. He has books, speaking engagements, positions on boards and conventions. He is seen as a man of character, until the news breaks. Women or children or staff members or intellectual property rights have been abused, and we begin using words like “double life” to describe him.

This flip-flopping, double living might be a sign of fragmentation. Politicians and priests—do play the cards that benefit them, hide the ones that don’t? Sometimes. But are we any different?

This week, I asked you to look at your own fragmentation. I looked at mine, too. And yes, the truth is, there are different shades of Seth. I present a certain shade at the office, another at home, another at church, another here. Those shades are fairly consistent, I think (or at least hope), but do I still sense some disconnect, some fragmentation? Sure. (As I wrote in The Book of Waking Up, I ain’t no self-actualized guru.)

Today, I’m asking what might help me de-fragment, which is to say re-collect. This much I know: I need something sticky enough to hold the pieces together. And in a world where institutions are becoming less and less sticky, what is that something?

This is where…

you come in. Today, shoot me an email and share the something that’s sticky enough to bring integrity to your fragmentation. But don’t just drop me a one-word response like “church” or “marriage” or whatever. Instead, tell me how that thing holds you together. What is the practice of it holding you together? And if you don’t want to send an email (but for the record I hope you will), spend some time today scribbling your answers in your journal.