Growing up, probably like most of you, I always wondered if I was going to be special at something. I was told I was special many times by teachers, parents, grandparents, and other relatives (admittedly sometimes mockingly). However, deep down inside, I really wondered, if I was special at anything, because it certainly did not seem like it.
I would try all sorts of things hoping I would be naturally talented in it. Throughout school, I tried baseball, hockey, soccer, guitar, tennis, marketing, business, math, science, English, French, writing, film making and countless other things. Yet, in each one of them I found the same situation: I was not special at it, and it would take really hard work to be so.
I always learn more by teaching Jiu Jitsu than just by rolling (sparring). This morning, as I was helping instruct a brand new student, I wound up teaching myself something about life. The new student was having trouble maintaining his balance. He would start out kneeling in a strong position on the ground (sort of like the person in blue above), but after he began to try and pass the guard (his opponents legs), he would get swept to his back time and time again.
Growing up I was always rather shy. I got picked on a few times in school. It wasn’t as if I was really afraid of other kids, rather, just unprepared. One time when I was young an older kid on our block used to pick on me relentlessly. I mean this kid would take ice cream out of other kids hands (I grew up in Brooklyn and there was a whole army of these type of kids)…Anyhow one day this kid made my little sister cry (mind you my sister was 3 and I was 8 ) I can’t remember specifically what had happen, but we got into an altercation over it and he punched me in the chin. It didn’t hurt all that much. For some odd reason I didn’t hit him back. My grandfather was standing in the window. I was shocked more than anything I guess. Probably a little too young to have an inflated ego to mend. Old enough to know that I just got punched by the neighborhood bully…
The other day, I ran into a person I went to high school with. We both looked at each other and had that five seconds of an awkward moment when you are racking your brain trying to remember where you know each other from. To break the awkwardness, I smiled, and put out my hand. Immediately, he shook my hand and we began the routine ‘how have you been?’ convo.
I tend to run into a lot of people because I have known them through my family and businesses. One of the things that I always find strange is that moment of awkwardness that happens on these chance run-ins. You know, you have just left your home in a hurry, not looking your best. You enter the super market all frazzled just trying to grab the necessities and get on the shortest line possible.
We all like to eat healthy, but it can be expensive to do so. Below is an incredible list of 10 Tips that will not only keep you healthy, they will save you some money as well.
1. Buy Whole Foods. Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Avoid anything that comes from a box 90% of the time.
Progress is an obvious key to attaining any goal you desire. With every goal, you have a starting point, and then you have your goal, which is the end point. In between is where the progression happens. However, the path of progression is no escalator. It does not continually go up until you reach your destination. This is what many people fail to understand when they set out to accomplish a goal.
Judging your progress day to day can be extremely taxing on your mind. If you need some reassurance during a particularly bad time of little or no progress, simply do your research. Find out if others have faced similar trials in their attempts. Chances are, you are not alone.
Working out is something I believe everyone should do. What type of workout, or level of workout makes no difference. Everyone has their own starting points. The key is just to make sure you progress forward at your own pace.
However, the common myth most people have is that working out is only good for your body. It is actually very satisfying for your mind as well. Many people discount the mental effect working out has on your daily mood, and this is a mistake. The mental edge you get from pushing yourself daily is highly worth it.
After struggling for the last few months, and surviving by the skin of our teeth, my company Reimagine’s hard work has finally paid off. We calculated our balance sheet for the next few months, and finally, some money is starting to trickle in. It has been a long journey, but I finally feel we are breaking into a new plateau. We have reached the next level.
We are Writers, Film Makers, Producers, Artists, Musicians, Thinkers, Idealists, Dreamers, we are Us, We are You, we are the speech of the young collective whole, that is often speechless. ...read more
