Dash of Courage: Wildcatting

"You all have been to so many shareholder meetings, you forgot what it is we actually do for a living." - Landman

I'm a big fan of the show Landman.

The writing is perfect, the plot is gripping, and thankfully none of it sounds like ChatGPT.

It has Texas oil, chaos, coverups, and the best actor on television: Billy Bob Thornton. He's a straight shooting oilman whose problems start before breakfast and language that cuts deep and leaves you laughing.

He said a word this season I've never heard of… and now can't stop thinking about:

Wildcatting

Apparently it comes from the oil world. It's drilling where no one else will based on a belief.

No guarantees
No proof.
Risking it all.
Chips to the middle.
Fortune or Failure.
Caution to the wind.
All on a hunch

Because you feel it in your gut.

I've had a few moments in my life where the spreadsheet said no and my gut said yes. I imagine you have too.
But 2026 is a brand new year and a brand new chance for a little Wildcatting.

Most people don't do that.
They wait for certainty.
They wait for permission.
They wait until the odds feel safer.

Wildcatters don't wait.

The older I get, the more I realize that the people I admire most have one thing in common: they were willing to Wildcat.

Dash of Courage
Wildcatting doesn't mean burning your life down.
It means fully choosing the thing you're willing to bet yourself on.

You might strike oil.
You might strike growth.
You might strike clarity.
You might strike out.

But you won't strike regret.
If we're honest, you already know what your wildcat is.
And that's a bet worth making.

Courage over Comfort,
Garrett