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Category: Living Well

Information-Only Isn’t Enough

Published on July 11, 2024

I spent this past weekend surrounded by some of the best martial artists on the planet and best minds in the martial arts business world.

On the one hand, I was attending a martial arts conference where presenters would share ideas, tips, and strategies that would help attendees run a better martial arts school.

On the other hand, I attended one of the biggest martial arts tournaments in the world which was being hosted right next door.

And what’s interesting is I learned just as much from the martial artists who were performing as I did from the presenters who were formally offering lessons and ideas.

It was a great reminder for me that learning isn’t just words, slideshows, and notes. Learning is an energy exchange. One that happens just as much from proximity to other people’s aura, actions, and behavior as it ever does from information and words.

Don’t just settle for words in our modern world. And definitely don’t let screens be your only window into the world. Get out of your shell. Leave the concrete jungle that is your home and home city. Get your eyeballs on some real life greats. Be in the presence of others. Feel their energy. Watch their mannerisms. Soak in their presence. Learn via proximity…

Information-only isn’t enough.

P.s. This is my post from Tuesday, July 9th.

Earn Your Tired

Published on July 11, 2024

It’s okay to be tired at the end of a long day.

No need to complain about it.

Being tired is probably a good indicator that you worked hard, got a lot done, made some necessary mistakes, had some good conversations, built a few connections, engaged in new experiences, learned a bunch, etc…

All reasons to feel proud of a tired that was earned.

What’s not okay, is being tired at the end of a long day… and feeling like you have nothing to show for it… nothing to feel proud of… nothing learned, grown from, or adjusted to on your path.

Which isn’t to say you have to spend your day any certain kind of way.

It’s simply to say, act in ways that align with your “proud”—whatever that is.

Earn your tired. Don’t complain about it.

And let your ritual at the end of the day be about appreciation… towards yourself, your life energy, your opportunities, your interactions, your perception, your lessons, your actions… let yourself drift into a wonderful sleep with gratitude towards the fact that you get to engage in life.

Something many others would kill to be able to do.

P.s. My websites were down for the last 72 hours. Now, they’re back up and running. I apologize if this caused any inconveniences. This was my post from Monday, July 8th.

Laughing At Fart Noises

Published on July 8, 2024

Sitting at dinner the other night with some associates, we overheard a group of young teenagers making fart noises and laughing.

Most of the people around (myself included) rolled their eyes and gave that “grow up” kind of look.

One, however, looked at them, slowly took on a face of awe and said, “Man, I miss the days when I could just laugh at fart noises.”

And it was amazing to see how quickly those faces of disapproval melted away.

What a beautiful thing it is, indeed, to be so free of intruding thoughts, overbearing feelings of stress, and learned “adult” behaviors that you’re able to laugh at something so pure and rudimentary.

Maybe the eyes rolled should be turned the other way around.

Maybe instead of growing up, we should be looking for ways we can grow “down.”

Maybe being able to laugh at fart noises is illustrative of an understanding much deeper that many of us modernized, indoctrinated type folks are willing to admit or explore…

P.s. For those who look for it every Sunday, I wasn’t able to get the MoveMe Weekly email done for today. I’ll finish it and get it sent out tomorrow.

Life/Legacy GPS

Published on July 7, 2024

Today, I was asked to write down what I want my personal legacy to be… in one sentence.

After a few moments of reflection, here’s what I came up with: An honest, hard working, generous guy who loved the people in his life, the work he did, and the gifts he left behind.

The benefit of seeing that written out now… is that I can live it forward rather than trying to figure out what I spontaneous chose to do looking back—after the fact and when it’s all over.

Spontaneous wandering won’t lead you to your highest, most realized personal legacy. You have to envision what that looks like now and use it as your life’s GPS from here on.

Do you have a life/legacy GPS?

78 Years Young

Published on July 6, 2024

I took a martial arts seminar today from Bill “Superfoot” Wallace.

He’s 78 years old and is still teaching two hour long martial arts seminars.

…Not to mention he demonstrated every technique at a high level (quite literally kicking people in the head), speaks with a level of enthusiasm and humor that many folks half his age would envy, and… get this… opened up into a full center split as he was warming us up.

I have never been able to do a full center split in my entire life.

This… ladies and gents… is continued proof that age is just a number.

With the right mindset and habits… we can stretch our lives much further than society leads us to believe.

Don’t believe society.

Believe in good habits. Believe in mental health. Believe in focused, daily progress.

Believe in yourself.

Investing In The Best In Your World

Published on July 5, 2024

It’s hard to be around people who are the best in the world at what you do, and not feel wildly inspired.

I say you and not they in the above sentence intentionally.

Because you could be around people who are the best in the world at what they do, and think to yourself… “I don’t know how they do that…” “That’s absolutely insane…” “I couldn’t imagine ever doing that…”

But, when you’re around people who are the best in the world at what you do—your chosen field(s) of focus, your area(s) of interest, your favorite pastimes or lifestyle practices—it’s much more likely you’ll think to yourself… “I don’t know how they do that… yet.” “That’s absolutely insane… and I want to learn.” “I couldn’t imagine doing that today… but, next year…!“

Which is why we should always make it a point to invest our time and energy in both discovering and being around those types. It has very little to do with the few moments you might actually be with them and everything to do with the years you’ll spend nurturing the seeds they’ll likely plant in your mind.

The Art of Being *Actually* Helpful

Published on July 3, 2024

I have two baby trees growing in my front yard.

They planted themselves and all I did was not mow them dead while cutting the lawn. And it’s been about a year now.

The one is growing in solid. Upright and sturdy. Tons of branches and leaves. About 5 feet tall.

The other is… not so much. He’s having a hard time staying upright as of late. He’s about 4 feet tall and was toppled over almost in full, laying sadly on the lawn when I looked out the front window the other day.

So, I propped him up with a makeshift crutch and he was good again.

Until today, when I looked out and saw that he’s starting to lean the other way now.

I want to help as little as possible because I know it’s through this process that he’ll deepen his roots. Which, evidently is the main difference between the first tree and this one. Mr. 4 foot either reached a little too high, too fast with his branches and/or didn’t invest enough time on the deeper, wider reach of his roots.

Of course, I can’t deepen his roots for him and the more I add crutches, the less he’ll invest in root stability himself. On the other hand, I can’t just leave him toppled over… so there’s this delicate balance going on of letting him get knocked around by the elements and making sure he doesn’t topple over and die completely.

…An act I think about often as it relates to life.

There’s trying to help… and then there’s letting people help themselves.

The art of being actually helpful is in balancing these efforts mindfully.