When Life Burns to the Ground

Happy New Year.

I’m writing this to you on a somewhat surreal and heartbreaking occasion. I’m in West Hollywood at the moment, indoors instead of out in the sun... Becuase outside, ash is still falling from the sky, and the air quality is too toxic to breathe.

If you’ve been following the news or social media, you probably know what’s happened: the Pacific Palisades—the town I’ve called home for the past year—has been all but reduced to dust.

It’s surreal to say that almost everything is gone: the homes, the trees, the neighborhoods that gave the Palisades its soul. Somehow, though, a few places were spared. By a miracle, my building is still standing. Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine Ashram survived. The Erewhon I always go to and the new, days old, Equinox gym—somehow untouched. But beyond these few places, 80 to 99% of the town is ash.

This is obviously not just “news story” for me; it’s as personal as it gets. This is my home. It’s where I’ve spent the past year of my life. And yet, as I sit here reflecting, I’m reminded of the way I try to approach life, even in moments like these.

It’s not easy. But I want to share how I’m trying to view this—both for myself and for anyone else who’s stepping into the new year with their own challenges, losses, or uncertainties.

Thank You For Your Prayers

Before I continue, I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone for your messages and prayers toward me and Chloe the past couple days. The support has been overwhelming. I’ve never been one to really think that something like ‘prayer’ actually did anything. But I’m feeling particularly strong despite the tragedy my town has incurred - and i can’t help that think spiritually and energetically you who wrote to me and prayed for me had something to do with that.

I ask that you send some energy and prayers to my friends Justin and Milana and their new lil baby and family. They lost their entire home in the fire. My other friends Yan and Marc lost their home as well. Please send some good vibes to them and everyone else who lost their homes the past coupel days.

When Life Burns to the Ground

We never expect our lives—or the places we love—to burn down. Life unfolds and eventually everything that was created from dust, will eventually turn to dust again. It always has, and it always will.

The question is: What will you do when it does?

Will you resist it? Will you let the ‘fire’ outside create one inside, clinging to the thought that “this shouldn’t have happened”? Or will you learn to let it pass through, to rebuild—not just outside, but within?

Michael Singer, author of one of my favorite books of the past year, The Surrender Experiment, explains that resistance is the root of your actual suffering. Life happens. Pain happens. There’s no escaping it. But suffering moment to moment afterwards is something we proactively create.

When we resist what’s already happened, we hold onto the pain. We replay it, we relive it, and we let it define us.

But when we learn to let go—to stop resisting what already is—something remarkable happens:

• We release the suffering.

• We discover a deeper strength within us.

• And we find that life isn’t about what happens to us; it’s about how we choose to respond.

Letting Go in the New Year

As I sit here, literally surrounded by the ashes of my town, I’m reminded of a powerful truth:

It’s not the events of our lives that must dictate our actions. It’s what we choose to do with the resources we have and how we respond.

I have always said what I’m about to say — I’m sure there’s videos from my YouTube channel dating back to 2016 of me saying this exactly:

“Be where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

In life, we have two choices when we face loss or challenge:

1. Resist reality and carry the weight of it forever. Be consumed by the news cycle. Weep and moan.

2. OR - Accept what’s happened, let it pass through, and use it as a catalyst to grow.

That’s the work I’m trying to do right now as I write this. And that’s the work I want to challenge you to do in the year ahead.

A River of Joy Beneath the Ashes

According to all the great teachers & spiritual masters from every faith & religion across the globe, there is a truth that lies beneath all of this:

Within each of us is a river of joy, love, and peace. It’s always there, flowing quietly beneath the surface. However… when we resist life—when we build dams of anger, fear, or resentment—we block that flow.

Surrender is the act of rediscovering that flow - opening ourselves up to the beauty and love that life still offers, even in the face of loss.

My focus right now is on being as productive as possible. For me this starts with gratitude.

Hey, we lost some homes and businesses… But no one died in the Palisades at least. My friends are safe. My family is safe. And that’s what’s most important.

Beyond that, I’ve got some insanely exciting work projects to focus on. As soon as I send this out I’ll be diving into those.

• I’m working with my friend on his start up that is going to revolutionize banking for online businesses

• I have new music on the way

• New 8AM designs on the way

• Crypto is booming, $milk???

• 8AMapp.com is setup and ready to crush 2025 for all members. You can apply now…

• And I have a killer mastermind group that I’ve just kicked off - which if oyu’d like proximity to me this year to build alongside me and likeminded members, please DM me on ig. This is for mainly guys growing 7-9 figure businesses. DM! @arlin

A Fresh Start

The Pacific Palisades will rebuild. Life will go on. And as it does, I’ll keep practicing what I’m sharing with you here: letting go, stepping forward, taking action and remembering that even in the ashes, there’s a deeper beauty to be found.

Let this new year be your fresh start. A chance to let go of the resistance you’ve been holding onto and embrace the flow of life as it unfolds.

Happy New Year. Let’s rebuild—inside and out.

With love,
Arlin

P.S. If this resonates with you, let me know on insta or reply to this email. Appreciate you always!