Sunday Glow: Building a Mountain That Matters in 2025
Madiba's Mountain - From Rocks to Peaks and a Legacy
Every year, I used to begin with the same question: What do I want to achieve?
It seemed logical—setting goals for personal growth, business targets, and milestones to measure progress. But by December, even when the goals were met, something was missing. Fulfillment wasn’t guaranteed by hitting metrics or achieving tasks.
Here’s what I’ve realized: You don’t start with the goals.
You start with your mountain.
The mountain represents what truly matters—the purpose behind everything. For me, that mountain is Madiba’s legacy.
Madiba, my Rhodesian Ridgeback, wasn’t just a dog. He was a guiding presence. Loyal, grounded, and deeply connected to life’s rhythm, Madiba taught me the value of living with intention. When he passed suddenly and far too soon, he didn’t just leave a void—he left a calling:
“Fill this space with something unimaginable, beautiful, and eternal.”
Madiba’s Mountain isn’t just a metaphor. It’s the framework for 2025—a towering vision built rock by rock: love, vitality, creativity, breakthrough, connection, and adventure.
The Foundation: Start with the Rocks
So now we have the mountain - now it’s about the rocks that make the mountain. A meaningful year isn’t about cramming in more goals or tasks. It’s about starting with the non-negotiable priorities that shape your life. The big rocks.
Each rock represents something foundational to who you are and what you care about. When the rocks are placed first, everything else—goals, actions, even the small details—fits naturally around them.
Here are my big rocks for 2025:
Big Rock #1: Love as the Core
Natalia (my wife), you are my grounding force, my light.
This year, we’ll deepen the roots of our love. Weekly date nights, spontaneous escapes, and a home brimming with peace and laughter will remind us why we started this climb together. Love isn’t just one rock; it’s the thread that binds the entire mountain. The foundation that makes the mountain a strong-hold.
Big Rock #2: Vitality as Freedom
Madiba’s spirit will guide every step.
This year, I’ll reclaim my strength and vitality. It’s not about weight or numbers—it’s about moving through life with freedom and purpose. Daily movement, mindfulness, and resilience will fuel the climb. Vitality isn’t just health; it’s the energy to live fully and climb higher.
Big Rock #3: A Breakthrough Year for Alpian
This is the year Alpian shifts from aspiration to execution.
Alpian (my company I work for) will prove its worth by delivering simplicity, elegance, and impact. We’ll redesign systems to perfection, humanize experiences, and elevate every client interaction. But this isn’t just about the business. It’s about aligning Alpian’s growth with my values—making it a testament to what is possible when purpose drives everything.
2025 will be remembered as Alpian’s breakout year, not just for its numbers, but for how it redefines digital wealth.
Big Rock #4: Creativity Unleashed
The Burn Blog was just the start.
In 2025, I’ll dive deeper into the seismic shift we’re living through with more ideas and opinions. I intend to write a book: The Silent Rev-AI-lution. This isn’t just a book—it’s a manifesto for the intersection of AI and humanity.
Through words, music, and ideas, I’ll explore how technology shapes us, challenges us, and inspires us to evolve. TRAVIS, my AI assistant, and I will co-create art that bridges the future and the human spirit.
Big Rock #5: Adventures Worth the Climb
Mountains are built to be conquered.
From the Alps to the Rocky Mountains, the world will become my playground. Quarterly escapes into the wild, adrenaline-fueled weekends, and awe-inspiring moments in nature will fuel my soul. Each adventure will honor Madiba’s love of the journey itself.
2025: The Year of Madiba’s Mountain
Madiba’s Mountain is more than a vision—it’s a legacy in progress.
Each big rock—love, vitality, breakthrough, creativity, and adventure—will add to its height. By year’s end, this mountain will stand tall, reflecting the unimaginable beauty and purpose of the climb.
This isn’t just a year. It’s a mountain.
Are you building your year around sand—or solid rocks that support your climb?
For me, Madiba’s Mountain rises in 2025. Piece by piece. Rock by rock.
Because the only way forward is up.
Let’s climb.