Orientation

You’re here because something in your life demanded more of you.

More Than Capable is for people who have faced hardship—and are choosing discipline, faith, and responsibility over living reactively.

This work is not self-help.
It is not motivation.
And it is not about chasing a better version of yourself for vanity’s sake.

It is about preparation.
Preparation not to avoid hardship, but to meet it without losing yourself.

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Who this is for

You may find yourself here if:

• Life has already tested you in ways you didn’t choose

• You’ve experienced battles with addiction, grief, loss, or deep failure

• You are tired of surface-level answers and performative optimism

• You believe responsibility is a form of love

• You want to live with intention instead of reaction

Regardless of what brought you here, one truth holds: we endure hardship better—we become more capable—when we stop trying to walk alone.

More Than Capable exists to bring clarity, structure, and community to the moments life demands the most of us. Not by avoiding hardship, but by meeting it together and emerging changed.

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My name is Kyle. This work was born from lived experience.

I am a recovered alcoholic.
My life changed the moment I realized I was not uniquely broken.

Within seven months of entering recovery, my family and I experienced the loss of our daughter, Lucy. I did not survive that season because I was strong—I survived because I had become prepared for hardship.

It wasn’t easy.
We didn’t feel ready.
Yet we were able to continually show up.

Recovery gave me a framework for living that applies far beyond addiction:

• Discipline over impulse

• Truth over comfort

• Faith over control

More Than Capable exists to share that framework with anyone willing to do the work.

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How to read this work

This is not meant to be consumed chronologically.

Start where you feel resistance.
Read slowly.
Return to pieces more than once.

Some readers come here in crisis.
Others arrive simply sensing there must be a better way to live.

Both belong. Both are welcome.

This work is not about shortcuts, hacks, or optimization. It is about continually showing up, taking responsibility for your life, and understanding that endurance is rarely possible in isolation.

We are here together—by choice, and with intention.

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Where to begin

If you’re new, these are good entry points:

Foundations

Core essays on preparation, responsibility, discipline, and what it means to live intentionally after hardship.

• When Life Demands the Most of You

• More Than Capable

• How Addiction Recovery and Growing from Grief Collide

Grief & Loss

Reflections on enduring the unthinkable without losing yourself

• Happy First Birthday Lucy

• Why Do We Suck at Grief?

• The Loss of A Child

Recovery & Addiction

Writing for those navigating substance abuse or loving someone who is

• Hope (Part 2): First Days in Rehab

• The Apparent One Way Street of Addiction

• The Not So Obvious Lessons of 18 Months in Recovery

Faith & Meaning

Wrestling honestly with belief, doubt, and surrender

• A Letter to Lucy | Living a Purpose Driven Life

• The Impact You’ll Never See

• The Single “Meaning of Life” Perspective I No Longer Believe

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About subscribing

Most of this work is free.

Subscribing simply ensures:

• You don’t miss new essays

• You receive writing as it’s published

• You stay connected as this body of work expands

No spam. No noise. No algorithms.

Just writing meant to be returned to when life gets heavy.

This is long-form work meant to be lived with, not skimmed.

Subscribe if this resonates.

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One last thing

If you’re here because you’re struggling—or because someone you love is—you are not weak for being here.

You are already doing something courageous by seeking truth instead of distraction.

You are not alone.
And you are more capable than you think.

Kyle