Awaken The Awesome

You often meet the most interesting people when you least expect it. You don't know why, but something about the person just clicks and makes you want to connect and exchange with them on a more insightful level. This is how I can honestly describe my meeting the lovely Ms Dionne Nichols, Program Director, Researcher, and bonafide "Lady with The Facts" of the very entertaining " TWO BLACK GUYS WITH GOOD CREDIT " podcast.   (I couldn't make up that title even if I tried - AWESOME!) I remember when I was a young student, barely making above minimum wage, working 10-hour shifts, 4 days a week, at a shoe factory WHILE also going to college full-time. NOT a fun time. When you factor in the long bus routes, the classes, the rent, the books...AND the very expensive tuition...not the best memories. So, the concept of being financially conscious as well as cautious was something that I kept very close to the chest. Personal Finance and the notion of man...

I can tell you I'm really excited to share this second episode  of the Awaken The Awesome podcast  with you guys. Not just because I have yet again lived to to tell the tale of yet another engaging and grueling Spartan Race , but I get to sit down and take a look back at the whole ordeal and actually  smile, not sure if it's the euphoria or the pride. Either way, this is a special one because my brother-in-arms and fellow Spartan Racer/Teammate Ludovic Godefroy joins me as we do a Post-Mortem "What were we thinking?"-type discussion on the dos, donts, whats and watch-outs on running your first Spartan Race - which you should. An engaging conversation that I hope will help demystify certain urban legends but also serve as measure of precaution and planning for newcomers. Empowering and engaging, we had a lot to discuss. Ludovic is a certified kinesiologist, personal trainer, motivational speaker, father, husband and all-around awesome gent. Just listen to th...

Rude awakening this morning? It's ok. We're human. We're works in progress. Now, let's get you psyched. Rub the crust out of your eyes. Do a few pushups. Grab a pillow, put it against your face and scream in it. Again. Good. Stretch to the ceiling. Again. Good. Lean over to touch your toes. Again. Good. Now... Take a second to breathe. Breathe. BREATHE, dammit! Let the air in...hold it. Exhale. Again. Close your eyes and acknowledge this precipus gift that is air. This precious often overlooked, mishandled, misused, essential gift...that is gettimg you emergized, fueling ypur blood cells, purifying your body with every...single... breath. You're breathing. You're alive. You exist. You matter. Wow. Go impact the world, you Awesome one. #StayAwesome

Here's a thought - What if...today, you held back on the subtle reflex to go "...oh well..." and replace it with "Hell Yea!"? What if...today, you looked at a stranger with a genuine smile and in you heart of hearts, wished them a good day? What if...today, you forgave yourself for your own insecurities and shortcomings and embraced your singular traits and strenghs? What if...today, when someone pays you a compliment, you actually hold back on the "...you're just saying that..." and actually thanked them for the kind words and bidding them words of appreciation of your own? What if ...today, you held back on killing those precious brain cells of yours by : overthinking, overstressing, self-deprecation, complaining, whining, sighing...and instead took a second to acknowledge the subtle yet resounding fact that you're.still.here...despite it all... What if...today, you didn't text or WhatsApp or whatever and actually cal...

Listen...it begs repeating...but you are not owed anything. You are not entitled to anything. Nobody owes you anything. You don’t have some kind of privilege beyond everybody else. You...yes, YOU are the sole architect of your own destiny. I have a cousin with whom I have been exchanging this thought/parting for years and, for some reason, I never truly embraced it to its fullest until some years later : "Go to your Destiny". We don't say 'goodbye' 'ciao' 'later dayz' or whatver...just "Go to your Desitny" - In doing so, we acknowledge the incredible power and influence we have on the the Universe pulling us and guiding in the direction the we choose... You, yes YOU, have the Awesome potential to WAKE THE F--- UP and get S--- done! Enough with your sob sotries of being too tired, too broke, too stupid, too incompetent, too sad, too depressed, too disheartened, too...little... Enough already! You are no...

I will be curious I will be anxious I will be envious I will be motivated I will walk I will crawl I will run I will skip I will limp I will stop I will breathe I will pace I will rest I will assess I will doubt I will fear I will question I will (want to) cry I will calm I will think I will reason I will choose I will rise I will be patient I will draw strength I will ache I will bleed I will strain I will be tempted... but, no matter what... I will not quit. I will conquer. AROO.

My wife and I have been married for a little over 6 years now - but we've actually been a couple for 12. Yea. What I love about our dynamic is the effort we individually put into keeping our communication as rigorously honest as possible. (I actually got that term from a very good movie, Top Five  with Chris Rock & Rosario Dawson - you really need to check it out. Please do.) Don't get me wrong - it hasn't always been smooth sailing as relationships, and the people in them, can and do evolve. And keeping up with these changes can often lead to some uncomfortable, if not upsetting chapters. Fortunately, we've managed to stay strong and committed to each other and keep a steady course that has brought our fair share of fun and insightful conversations and memories. In this post, I wanted to share 2 very insightful episodes from two of my favorite podcasts namely  Lewis Howes' The School of Greatness   and  Brett McKay's The Art of Manlines...

Self-explanatory. Enjoy. You can download the MP3 for this episode by  right-clicking here  and choosing "Save As" Stay up to date - Subscribe to the podcast ( RSS )  ( Apple Podcasts ) ( Google Podcasts )   ( T uneIn )  and get the latest episodes as soon they're published. Remember to leave a comment and let us know how we're doing. Either on the blog of via email : awakentheawesome [at] gmail [dot] com #StayAwesome

Really enjoyed this conversation from this podcast I started listening just this morning. The podcast is called the Good Life Project and is hosted by Jonathan Fields. I'm a podcast fiend, maybe because I enjoy conversation and the intimacy brought on by the medium which, in my honest opinion, has simply become and can be very well considered as the natural organic evolution of Radio. I often gravitate and am draw towards content that seeks to elevate and add value to my personal quest of being better everyday - and this certainly hit the spot. A powerful and insightful talk about the pervasiveness of mobile phones and the increasingly concerning social shift brought on by these devices, in regards to relationships, conversations and expectations. Seems like beating on a dead horse, right? It certainly would seem that way. But, in this time of split-second attention spans, digital dominance, information overload and skewed social norms...I think it's important to be mind...