Ask For Nothing in Return
The Field Review: TFR-088
THE LEDE
A Weekly Column On Living Well
Every month, I receive two paychecks to reflect the work I put in between a Monday and the following four Fridays.
On weekends, we usually spend at least one family dinner at our local brewery where I gladly pay seven U.S. dollars for a pint of Small Axe Ale. We know the staff well, so we tip well.
I recently bought a new camera, a FUJIFILM. The first new camera I’ve bought this decade. In exchange for store credit, I shipped some old and unused gear off to B&H Photo in New York City.
I pay the mortgage. We buy a handful of coffees. I fill up my truck about one and a half times a month (perks of working from home and a thirty-six gallon tank). I watch the stock market, buying at one price and waiting to see what happens next. A system fully out of my hands. Some days are up. Some days are down. The numbers move whether you stare at them or not.
Life in 2026 is transactional.
Time for money. Money for convenience. Attention for entertainment. Even kindness is a currency, offered up with an unspoken expectation that it will be returned to you later in some form. A favor called in. A thank you gift. A nod of recognition. Any sign that even the smallest of efforts don’t go unnoticed.
I did my part, now where’s mine?
There is an expectation that everything you do should pay you back. There should always be, without fault, a return on investment.
Work becomes a stationary race of effort versus recognition versus compensation. Promotions, raises and title changes are the expectation for putting in the time. Relationships become a ledger of who’s doing more. Even hobbies become can become an exercise in expectation. If I spend this many hours in a tree stand, I should be able to get my hands on the horns or at the very least fill the freezer. If I buy the right bow, the right putter, the right rod, I should be rewarded with the result I feel I deserve.
If I put in the time, no matter how much, I should get something in return to show for it.
Sometimes that’s the case. Usually, it’s not.
Often the stress we feel when something doesn’t break our way isn’t even caused by what happened (or didn’t happen), but by what we expected to happen. The distance between what we thought we’d get and what we actually got. The bigger the gap, the more room for irritation and resentment to simmer, boil and burst wide open. Where people start keeping score on what they think they are owed. Keeping tabs on who wronged them, and what the reparations should be to make up for that wrongdoing.
But what if we expected nothing in return?
To do the work because it was mine to do. To treat people well and to show up because I said I would, not because I’m building up favors and points I hope to cash in later.
Of course, this is much harder in practice than it sounds even as I write it.
It’s easy to say “expect nothing”, but when you’ve been the one showing up, doing the extra work, carrying the added load, and the return never comes, that is a hard path to stay on. Harder when you feel overlooked. Harder when you watch someone else take credit and get rewarded. Harder when your effort seemingly disappears into the void as if it never happened.
Nobody wants to feel used. And to be clear, living without expectation isn’t a passive process. It requires discipline in deciding ahead of time, what kind of person you’re going to be even if the outcome isn’t what you hoped for.
I know this mindset is possible, because when I look around to the individuals I admire most, they all usually move in some form of this underexposed fashion. Few grand announcements. No public acknowledgement of their generosity (despite being extremely generous). No reminders of what they’ve done for you. They don’t reiterate their sacrifices. They don’t keep receipts. They do what they do, and they move on.
These people have successfully expanded beyond a transactional existence. They live well, and expect nothing in return.
Live Well. Tell No One.
THE MARGIN
A Few Things That Grabbed My Attention This Week
Messing Around With a FUJIFILM X-T30 III
As I mentioned up top, I picked up a new camera this week, the FUJIFILM X-T30 III. Sneak peek for a full TFR issue coming soon, but I have always had a love and passion for photography. A series of events led me away from this passion for awhile, but I’ve been working my way back to loving it again.
I’ve been looking for a pocketable camera I can take with me wherever we go. Don’t need a ton of megapixels or video features, don’t need something to compete with my Canon R5, just an everyday carry for the era of life I currently find myself in. I’m still learning all the settings and nuances of my first FUJIFILM camera, but I’m loving it so far.
Below are some moments from this past week using some custom “recipes” I’ve also been working on.
On being successful, not searchable
Came across this post from Sasha on the balance between building a personal brand while simultaneously wanting to throw your phone in a lake and go completely off-grid. It’s a back and forth game I’ve been playing for the last few years. By no means do I have a recognized personal brand or a big enough “following” to merit having any kind of opinion on this subject, but sometimes I wonder if a growing a following is even something worth pursuing.
Diagnosing Career Dysmorphia
I saw this Fast Company article floating around on LinkedIn this week outlining a new workplace phenomenon being labeled as “career dysmorphia.” I’ve also seen it labeled as “Great Career Crisis” and “The Jobpocalypse” from other outlets and sources. Bascially, it’s a state of mind representative of the below findings from a survey of 2,000 Gen Z and millennial workers in the US:
37% of millennials reported feeling dissatisfied with their current roles, and 55% feel unsettled in their careers.
Nearly six in 10 said they hoped for an external excuse to leave a job they felt stuck in, including being laid off.
Now, that last finding seems a touch dramatic in my opinion… but I do believe that there’s definitely a shift happening in the modern workforce. A shift away from the status quo and more towards a desire for personal and professional fulfillment, work-life balance and a general reprioritization of how we want to spend the limited lifetime we’re given at work and elsewhere.
STANDARDS
Concepts & Vibes For Your Consideration
The Field Review is a weekly newsletter exploring the art of living well.
Every Sunday at 10AM EST, I share ideas, insights, and conversations that help break through the noise, offering a real look at how we can all keep moving forward.
Venture Onward,
Jack
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What do you think is the common thread amongst those that have been able to detach from the reward part of their actions?
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Hugs,
Alex