Word of the year (This Negates Luck)

Dear Andre, (4 min read)

I've been waiting to tell you this.

My word for 2026 is volume.

Not the kind that makes noise. The kind that fills space. The kind that compounds. The kind that makes luck irrelevant because you've done so many reps that probability bends in your favor.

Here's what I mean.

For a long time, I didn't want to take up space.

I didn't want to stand out. Didn't want to be too much. Didn't want people to think I was trying too hard or that I thought I was someone I wasn't.

So I stayed small. I did the minimum. I played it safe.

And you know what happened? Nothing.

Nothing happened because nothing could happen. You can't build momentum when you're standing still. You can't create impact when you're trying not to be noticed.

I was treating my life like I was apologizing for being here.

Then something shifted.

I started looking at the people I admire (the ones actually doing the work, writing the books, building the businesses, living the lives that matter) and I realized something:

They all take up space.

Not in an arrogant way. Not in a "look at me" way. But in a "this is what I'm here to do and I'm not going to shrink from it" way.

And that gave me permission.

Permission to do more. To be bigger. To stop playing small because I was afraid of what people might think. To bring the grounded and real Daniel into each space. Whether it’s a ground beef dinner, or a house party in a 12,000 square foot custom home.

So here's my word: volume.

Here's the thing about volume—it works on two levels.

Level 1: Quantity has a quality of its own.

You want to get good at something? Do it 100 times. Want to write a great book? Write a bad one first. Want to be confident on camera? Record 100 videos. (And with each rep, make it better in one small way)

Volume negates luck. It makes the outcome inevitable.

I'm committing to being on camera (interviewed or interviewing someone) 100 times this year. Not because I'm great at it. Because I will be after 100 reps.

That's volume.

Level 2: Volume means taking up space.

Here's where it gets interesting. The Latin root of "volume" is volvere—to roll. Like water rolling, expanding, filling the container it's in.

Volume isn't just about doing more. It's about becoming more. Taking up the space you're meant to occupy.

And here's what I didn't expect: the more I do the right things, the more space I naturally fill. Not because I'm forcing it. Because I'm earning it.

Think about it like this—weight and volume aren't the same. You can be heavy and small, or light and expansive. Volume is about expansion. About becoming the fullest version of who you're meant to be.

And that's not something to apologize for. That's a gift.

Let me tell you what this means for you.

You're writing the story of your life with your choices every day. Every conversation. Every email. Every decision to show up or stay hidden.

The question is: are you writing a short story or an epic?

Are you playing small because it feels safer? Or are you taking up the space you've been given?

Because here's the truth: permission has been granted.

You don't need to wait. You don't need to shrink. You don't need to apologize for wanting to do something meaningful.

God placed you in positions to influence. He gave you gifts to use. And the world doesn't need you to be smaller—it needs you to be exactly who you are, at full volume.

Your Assignment This Week:

Pick one area where you've been playing small. Just one.

Maybe it's your writing. Maybe it's your business. Maybe it's a relationship you've been avoiding or a project you've been putting off.

Now ask yourself: What would doing this at volume look like?

What's the 100-rep version? What's the "fill the space" version?

Then do one thing this week that moves you in that direction. Just one.

Send the email. Record the video. Start the outline. Have the conversation.

Do it scared. Do it messy. But do it at volume.

Well, that's all for now.

-Daniel

P.S. If writing a book is one of those things you want to do, I’ll be opening up 2 coaching slots this month to help you write and release your first book. Why? Because you may just find your life message in the process. And that matters.