All or None

 Sensitive times... 

Everyone's right.   

You're definitely wrong.

Racist or insane?  

Selfish or short term thinker?   

You have not lived long enough... not enough experience to know.

You've been here too long... time for young blood.

"Hold up... none of that is me, I don't know who he's talking about..."

...but someone thinks you are.  

WE think WE'RE right.  So if WE'RE right, THEY must be wrong.  Right?  

Right?  

But I'm pro-police... so I must be racist. 

And I do feel we have a deep layer of systematic racism still at play... so all cops and judges are bad.  

or maybe, just maaaaybe, we're all being played.  Are there bad cops?  yep.  Are there racists?   yep.  Are there assholes of all sorts?  yep.  Are there even black or minority racists?  yep.  All that is true.  There's bad doctors, there's bad politicians, there's bad teachers, bad parents, bad bosses, bad everything.  It's true.  It all exists out there in the world.  You may have had experiences with one or all the above.  I'm sorry to hear that.  

I am not one of them.  I can easily scan through my phone and find a hundred people who would say the same for themselves.  

There's a very weird space where we can say as an individual human, "I am ____," or "I am not ____," but then we see these masses of individuals on television forming a type of tribe and think "jeez, they must all be _____."  I'm sorry, its not even a television, its a social media app.  A social media app that makes a lot of money keeping you engaged.  

So how real is it?  

Pretty good, right?  

As individuals, we don't have this anger and hate and fear.  But we create a symbol of a thing that is not us and we must conquer it.  I think this is ironic.  

"Why is this ironic?"

Because creating an external suppressor (and both sides have) is much easier to deal with than dealing with yourself. 

...And then when we can paint friends and neighbors into the tribe that is not us, now we have a real deal going

---

I'm may say a few things that may read hypocritical. 

I might not make perfect sense.  

I might say "maybe," a lot.  

Because I dont know anything.  

But there's a math here and trying to re-scramble the numbers, because everything I'm reading doesn't add up.  

---

We dont trust anything... maybe for a really good reason.  

Looks like the govt owns the media.  Someone definitely owns the media and it does not appear to be actual journalists.  So we pretty much know we're not getting unbiased info.  We're getting click bait and sensationalism because they really need your face glued to whatever face they have staring back at you.   I don't know the names of many stations, but I hear station x leans left and station y leans right.  Twitter is censoring people, instagram is removing hashtags, Zuckerberg sold all the info to the CIA.

---

Zoom out... 

Remove yourself from yourself and take a seat high above the country.   Lets slide time back to early 2020...  walk yourself through March... April... May... think of everything that happened as an unbiased observer... think of the order of things... think of how moving one decision to one space, created a reaction in another space... June... July... will school start on time?   August... September... October... November.. 

I hope you were able to review without judgment... try again.  

Look at ALLLL of those events and moments that snowballed into more events and moments and it somehow all connected to one scenario.  

Keep thinking.  

Isnt this all a little too odd?   

---

We've been so busy tribing up and hating those who are not us, we stopped paying attention.  

Stress levels have gone skyyyyYYYY high.  We're walking around, wearing masks - worried about covid and the cure... how about that?   We don't know what's scarier, covid or the "cure?"  Everyone says "boy we need that vaccine," and now we here its 90% effective.  But I dont know if I know one person ready to be first in line.  

We cant seem to trust a government operation to count ballots, you think I'm going to trust a rushed and clearly politically motivated vaccine?  

Or maybe everything is just a political tool.  Even us.  A bunch of tools. 

---

I've seen some really weird things on social media... 

A lot of violence.  Maybe we're really not as advanced as we think or wish we were.   Maybe we just really suck, but really good at projecting versions of people we wish we were... maybe thats why everyone is so depressed.  The acting.  The pretending to be good and decent is exhausting and we eventually crack and the real deal comes out.  

Maybe.  

A lot of posturing.  Same as above but maybe more gross.  The above "pretending," is probably subconscious, we dont even know its what we do, its so deep.  But the posturing is a gross decision.  It's where people think, then decide, "I want to be viewed as _____."  

"What's the cool thing I can be now?   I'll posture up and become it."

A lot of fear.  It's sad.  I've read and searched too much, things I wish I didnt.  Sat and thought too much about things I wish I didnt.  The future feels uncertain, more than ever and that lack of vision is shaky.  I'm speaking as a culture, as a society.  

We have badly lost our way.  

A lot of abuse.  Abuse of power.  Abuse of influence.   Thats pretty bad.  To intentionally deceive.  no accidents.  "I am going to bait you in and trick you and then I own your thoughts."

---

I dont blame a politician.   I dont blame a cop.  I dont blame the news.  I dont blame God.  I dont blame the older generations.  

I blame myself.  And I think you should do the same.  

I dont really care much but what any dumbshit on television says, no matter if behind a podium or playing basketball.  

I say I blame myself and I think you should do the same, for a reason.  But first think.  

Think "I am responsible for this," and I dont mean the events.  I dont blame myself for covid, dont do that.  

I blame myself for my emotions and the reactions they've created inside of myself.  (I want to say "im sorry if that reads crazy," but I cant.. think).  

If we all took personal accountability and owned everything in our personal world.  Every outcome, we worked to steer it properly, mindfully, to secure the best outcome for each other...   

---

Remember when we were little and afraid to act up, especially as we got closer to Christmas?  If we got in trouble in March, "santa," would forget that one.  But if we f'd up in December?  Santa will absolutely find out.  

So we checked our own behavior.  

Then as I got older, it was coach.  Act up, coach will find out.... you should see me shaking my head even right now... coach finds out, it will not go well.  

So we checked our own behavior. 

Maybe the lack of religion and faith has left us we no coach, santa or great judge assisting us to check our own behavior. 

And maybe this lack of faith has influenced also a lack of shame.   

Remember when we would do something we knew was wrong, and the conversation we had in our own heads weighed us down?   We knew we were wrong, but we did it anyway and now we feel like shit.  We judged ourselves.  Good.  Shame.  It's needed.  Do something stupid, you should feel like shit about it.

But do we?   

I'm not innocent.  

---

I'm just sitting in my basement, listening to The Doors, trying to feel "ok," about being called a racist for living in a county that voted for Donald Trump.   That bothers me.  For one, it was a friend.  Should I say former friend?   Or is he as confused as everyone else?  

---

Rogan referenced Reagans reference to "Alien watchers," and I wondered.   

How insanely embarrassing it would be if all the lights turned on and the curtain fell and there's the crowd... staring at us... in complete disbelief about our behavior and what we've done with this opportunity.  

---

Can you have faith and be progressive? 

Is there wiggle room for a variation of human evolution while maintaining tradition? 

---

We stopped communicating respectfully and because of that, we've removed opportunities for compromise and understanding.  Because WE are right and THEY are wrong and absolutely nothing else except our ideas and opinions could possibly make any sense.  

---

That's how I'm feeling today.

   

A Drop from the Ocean

I'm not sure if I'm religious, but I'm confident in my faith. 

I'm disappointed.  A lot of you are too. 
I promise, I don't intend this to be a long, political rant.  We could all use a break from that. 
This is personal. 

I recorded a video last Sunday, link here, where I used a quote from Aubrey Marcus that I believe he rounded out from someone else. 
"You are a drop from the ocean, and the ocean forgot."

It was a video about perspective.  Perspective on time, maybe importance and priorities.  Maybe more that I didn't realize. 

You are a drop from the ocean, and the ocean forgot. 

I remember struggling for words occasionally, only because I was worried that if I came off too casual or unconcerned, someone would think the recent events are not that important.  As if the quote and interpretations could mean "eh, whats the big deal in the grand scheme anyway?"

Within the perspective of time, I am actually saying that and then the opposite.  This is a blip that the future will discuss and dissect, but you will not be remembered.  In the infinite, this is nothing.
But it is our everything. 
It's our everything of our everything. 
Infinite means very little to us, now, because we will not touch it as humans.  (uh oh, here we go)

It's our everything and to most people alive, this is the most important phase we have ever known.  My frustration is that we behave opposite of both of my scenarios. 

We don't blow it off like "eh, whats the big deal anyway?" and we certainly don't treat it like our everything is on the line. 
Is there space between?   I don't think so, not anymore.  I think we were already floating in that space between, and that is what has landed us where we are.   

We need structure and freedom. 
We need limits and choice. 
You will immediately want to argue this, but look at your life.  Do you not operate better with some routine?   Do things not run more smoothly for you when you have plans?  That's structure, you are free to choose the structure that fits x outcome. 

I think we play chicken with dangerous scenarios when we lean choice and freedom too far away structure and limits.  No one wants a lawless world, but we also do not want to live under martial law.  We want balance.  Or at least I do.  I continue to write "we," as if you've been nodding along... have you? 



There are over 328,000,000 currently living in the United States of America (man, I want to feel pride in those 5 words again soon) and nearly 8,000,000,000 in the world.   If we want all lives, across the entire planet to have importance, healthy lives, we need great unity.   A common vision.

We cannot see people as statistics or numbers. 
They are us, we are them, living a different existence. 
I've said many times, where you born, who you born to, on and on, it was luck.   Being able to type this out tonight, was luck.   You reading this on you iPhone, a lot of luck. 
Because it's 2020 and you are alive to read this in the greatest phase this planet and our entire everything has ever known.  Do you not feel a massive calling to level up your life in every opportunity?   Do you still not understand that although we are drop of water from the ocean, and the ocean forgot, we are everything. 
Because it might be all we'll ever know, finite. 
That's good pressure. 

Have conversations and influence progressive dialogue.  People will say crazy things, educate, don't shut it down.  Push-push is combat, push-counter-pull is momentum. 

I do not think this is that hard, so it's definitely not impossible.  It's not a crazy dream, it should be our direction and future. 


-----


I've been noticing more birds lately... maybe I'm just taking the time to notice them. 
I ran and sat in the park to stretch.  Actually kicked off the socks/shoes and relaxed in the grass for a little while.  Nothing to see but trees and grass. 
And I just stared and zoned out on nothing.  It was a great, needed moment.  And my first thought was "opportunity." 
We are too great to suffer the way we are.  We have opportunities in every moment.  Win them.   Win moments, with one decision at a time, in every way.  The next choice that comes along, make the best decision you can with all information you can.  Put that habit on repeat for the day and watch what happens. 
It starts with micro to build a strong macro. 

8,000,000,000 micros... one great decision at a time. 
I see a worldwide culture shift. 

Quick Note to Young Athletes

In no certain order...

1) Find a role model
     Find a few.  Find as many as you need.  Find one for skill x, another for skill y, etc.  There are no limits, no rules. 
      I believe you have to see someone, dream of being them, then maybe even catching and beating them.  By doing this, you will force yourself to level up whatever skill it is that you see in this person, because it's a) on your mind and when its on your mind b) you will start to copy the behavior.  It wont be perfect, but it will be improvement.  And with enough improvement, 1% improvement everyday, that's momentum and action and you're on your way to becoming.

2) Have an Imagination
     This goes right along w the above.  A lot of us just watched episodes 1&2 of the MJ documentary.  Do you know how many kids grew up imagining they were Mike? 
     Kobe did.  Probably 80% of the current NBA did too. 
     So whatever your sport, find your MJ and imagine you are him. 

3) If You Really Want It, Get Obsessed
     A lot of coaches, leaders, quote masters have said "You get out, what you put in," (I think thats the quote).  It's true and unless you are the 1% of the 1% of the 1%, its absolutely true.  If you train only when the weather is nice, only when your machine is open, only when you're in the mood or only when coach says it's mandatory, you will not be very good and will not reach your potential. 
     Be obsessed.
     Right now, a lot of young people are on their own for training, so what will you/they do?   Wait for school to open and coach to call?  Or get an edge on the "competition," now? 
     If you want to reach your peak, if you want to optimize your time and experience, you have to go all in, and do it in every way you can think of.  That's nutrition, that's proper sleep, that's training, that's film study, that's reaching out for advice, everything.  No stone un-turned.  Lift, run, stretch, walk, sprint, train your mind to be tougher than ever...

4) Train Your Mind
     My middle daughter, Livi, wants to play high school volleyball and we were talking the other day about training.  She asked what the Eastside girls used to do.  I told her "It was half physical, half mental..." She wondered about the mental. 
     I would add a variety of elements to any random session to spark an emotional reaction.  Totally intentional every time.  Reason being, shit happens.  Game or life, shit happens and we have to regain focus and rally back.  The only way to do that when it matters is to practice it. 
     One of the greatest tools you can have is to be able to do this to yourself.  You wont be able to surprise yourself with a sudden drill you didn't see coming, but you can choose to do some of the hardest drills possible and hold yourself accountable to perform as absolutely best as possible. 
     Set your own personal goals for physical achievement, even from session to session.  Find a set of stairs and time yourself to the top, how long did it take?  Now go back down, recover for 30 seconds and repeat 14 more times, all trying to beat the preceding sprint. 
    Be Obsessed with beating your time.  What would your role model do?   Imagine it. 

     Training your mind is everything. Laser focus to execute the task at hand and that task should be alignment with x goal.  If it is not, you need to change the task or the goal.  Otherwise you are wasting time.  Read that again. 
     If the task at hand is not in alignment with the goal, either your task/drill/practice is wrong, or your goal is wrong.  The choice is yours to pick. 

A Good Week For This One...

A few months ago I was driving with Livi, my middle child.  She's 13, plays pretty much any instrument; athlete; 4.0 student; but for some reason, even given all the great things she does, everyone says shes mini me.  I'm laughing right now thinking of some dumb, maybe rude,  joke she would make and I would be the only one laughing hard, then someone just says, "see?"
Anyway, theres that part you have to know for this make sense. 
So we're driving, and she makes fun of me, comparing my jokes to my moms jokes.  I thought about how much sense that made given all I really tried to do around her was make her, my mom, laugh at something she shouldn't laugh at.  And that's what Livi now does to me. 

So then later on I was giving this more thought... thinking about how circular things are.  How "vision," can come and go.  How an old view from a new angle to change everything. 
We just shifted... i became ____ and she became ____... make sense? 
We just slide a mark to the left every now and then, making our way off stage. 

Or are we....?

Because a lyric hits me now when I think like that (insert arrow up).   I've been asked to stop writing so dark and talking about crazy shit, but... its my page.  And its needed, it makes sense of things.  It adds a variable or angle. 
Anyway, they lyric:
"Those who are dead are not dead, they're just living in my head."

And I gave a lot of time to thinking about energy.  

Energy of our thoughts.  

A deep, controlled energy.

Thought about ourselves as energy.  

Energy just temporarily operating within mammal.... what can the energy create w this mammal?

What can the energy create that the mammal hasn't realized yet?  

STOP!  That idea is too much fun, I will continue that idea at a late date.

Where the energy of these thoughts took me... 

some peace.  

The lyric... those who are dead, are not dead, they're just living in my head...

Doesn't that feel better?  

Those that arent here, can still be here to a degree.

I will gladly hold on to a degree.  

And with that, the energy, the energy we all share.  

Always shared.  

We come and we go and the energy can continue.  It can build momentum, that's what we mean when performing "in honor of,"  isn't it?  

Give this some thought.

yes, i am 100% sober.  

I'm sure you wondered at some point.  

Did That Make Sense?

Hello.

1/1/20... we know how it goes, new "chapter," and all that.  This one maybe a bit unique with the decade flipping, able to look back on the previous 10 years. 
Not something I actively do though (but we know subconscious has a way of its own). 

Forward. 

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!!!
I hate those memes and pics mocking new years resolutions.  Such an uppity, hipster, shit thing to do.  "Here come the new year, new me..." with an eye roll figure.  I'm not about that.  Anything you can do to help light a spark and get it going, go for it.  If 1/1/20 is the trick, excellent.  If 2/1/20 is the date, cool too.  (Just don't keep pushing it back, right that goal list and get after it... the clock is ticking)

That all being said, lets talk about a healthy mindset to assist your track.

There is a universe of information floating around you, day and night, on your phone, on the radio, even popping up on your screen because you iPhone once heard you say "KETO," and now you have 15 amazon ads everyday.  INFORMATION EVERYWHERE.
What is right?
But the better question, what is right for you?
This is where many books, podcasts and social media "influencers," (aka know it alls), drop the ball. 
Friends will recommend a documentary, someone you follow on social media will recommend a book and a 3rd person will tell their success story.  All good.  All could even be true.  But true for them. 
Could it work for you?  For sure.
But it may also not.
But how?  Why?  All these books, all these fads, all these "professionals," selling their info, all claiming to have thee answer, how can there be so much confusion?
It's very simple and thats the problem.  Too often, we dont want simple.  Simple doesn't sell many books.  Simple is one sentence. 
Eat Real Food. 
As I write "how simple!" I also know Eat Real Food is just the beginning.  I ask next, What are your fitness goals?  Are you trying to gain or lose?  Tone up or bulk up?  Any injuries?  Any family health history like diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer?  Whats your genetic history or nationality? 
That all matters to a point.  If you're 80lbs overweight, both parents had/have diabetes, eastern European descent, I would still say Eat Real Food but I would also steer you differently than I would someone with a more clean health history, looking to lose 25lbs and parents are from South America. 
Why?
Macros matter. 
BUT do not overthink it.... not at all.  You will know how to align your own nutrition if you listen to your body, not your mind.  Should you or a professional count cals for a few days to give an educated assessment?  Absolutely.  You want to feel confident about your track.  You'll be putting a lot of time, energy and heart into this, you need to feel strong mentally.  But also, don;t be worried or flustered if you have to adjust. 
Listen to your body...
a quick example, the sugar crave.  Super common early on with those changing up their nutrition.  You may find moments where you really, really, REALLY want to chomp on some bread or chocolate, maybe even a soda.  This is your body looking for sugar.  NOT ALL SUGARS ARE THE SAME.  Not sure why this line is getting blurry, but science is still science and sugar in a soda is very different than sugar in an apple.  Also, sugar from an apple even digests differently than organic apple juice.  Free t-shirt to anyone who knows why...
3

2

1

No shirt for you!

Answer:   Fiber. 
The apple has it, the apple juice does not.  Therefore the apple juice is nearly as shitty as the soda, from a sugar only perspective.  The presence of fiber in the real apple with that sugar forces your body to digest slower, using it as a long lasting fuel (no insulin dump), whereas the juice does just the opposite (a little more science, but thats the gist).  No fiber, so its a quick sugar buzz, we go up real, we crash real fast.  Like a gatorade or snickers, it fixed the "I need a carb," but it hurt you. 
Eat Real Food and avoid sugar. 

Should you eat carbs?   Sure, depends which ones, when and why?  But again... SIMPLE. 
Can you pick it from the ground?  Off a tree?  Eat it. 
Is it in a cardboard box?  Then no.  Be literal. 
Can you have the chick fila sandwich on a whole grain bun?    Only if you've seen a tree that grows those magical buns.  A Whole Grain Bun Tree?  Maybe someday. 

Would this be better as a facebook live?  You could ask questions, I can stutter and get nervous, it'll be a hoot. 

Generically, you can eat potatoes but again, this is all dependent on your goals.  If you're trying to drop weight, reduce inches, etc., cut back on the portion of carbs.  Simple, right?
Swap out rice for quinoa.  Rice is still ok, but quinoa is fantastic and far more powerful.   
No noodles.  Same as the whole grain bun... no noodle tree, no noodles. 

Everyone is different, different genetics, different health history, different damages, different everything.  So there is no perfect diet that everyone can fit into.  Use logic. 


Same for your training and I wont ramble much longer.
Do what feels good to help you build some momentum and the habit of the gym or yoga or power walks, whatever it might be.  Don't think you're going to lose 10lbs on day 1.  This will take time. 
Once you're comfortable and ready to push hard, I do recommend doing a few different things, and I'm again, I'm writing this for the "newer," gym goer or someone just looking to dive back in. 
Lift weights.
Take a yoga class.
Do something to breathe hard. 

If your weights are too easy... pick up a bigger one.
If you think yoga is silly or "easy," free class on me.  Yoga is a real game changer for everything in life.
Hard breathing to train your actual cardiovascular system.  I tell people that and they look at me like I just redefined the word.  Yes, "cardio," is not just a form of torture on a stair stepper.  The primary reason for those torture devices is to actually train your heart, lungs, blood vessels and everything else to handle more movement at an elevated heart rate.  Ever been so out of shape that 2 flights of stairs made it where you can't speak a full sentence without gathering breath?  Ya... imitate that feeling in the gym, then recover.  Then do it again.  Then do it again.  And another 7 times.  1 minute of "oh shit intensity," x 1 minute of "thank god. recovery."


Everything up there make sense? 
You can contact me for training or nutritional guidance if you like but here's the deal...

You have to commit. 
Not to me.  To yourself.  I wont have conversations with any wishy-washy, on the fence, gee I don't know's.  And trust me, just as our physical is all different, I also know our minds, our wills, our damage and pain, our stress, our history... its all different.     Trust me, I'm aware.  I'm a very good teacher, I'm very patient, understanding, empathetic, etc.  I've been around, you know?
I understand if you feel the need to talk to other trainers, nutritionists, coaches, I get it.  All good and you should.  But I do know for absolute 100% certainty, our meeting will be where your search ends.  You will achieve the goals. 
I'm not even saying you have to train with me, pay me, any of that.  I'm saying you have to use the information I give you, remember it, and run with it.  You can then contact as you like for adjustments, more info, the deeper dive as you like.  Then know, the physical is just the beginning.  There will be breakthroughs.


STOP
That was for myself.... I had a good one going then I started to slip into outer-space with a bunch of woo woo shit and break my streak! 
EAT REAL FOOD
LIFT
YOGA
BREATHE HARD

Love ya