Monthly Archives: July 2023

In a recent podcast episode, I threw out a question that got me thinking: Can you handle discomfort? Sounds weird, right? I mean, our instincts tell us to avoid discomfort at all costs. We’re wired to play it safe and steady, preferring to keep things just the way they are. It’s our biological homeostasis switch kicking in, ensuring we stay comfy and survive. But here’s the kicker: sticking to comfort zones doesn’t get us far. The secret to growth is actually flipping this script.

Want to grow? Then you’ve got to do things that make you squirm a bit. So, I gotta ask: What are you doing to shake things up? What steps are you taking to ensure you’re not stuck in the same spot next year? If we’re not moving forward, we’re losing the game.

Here’s a little story for you. I just invested in a basketball club that my kids are part of. I’m teaming up with three other coaches who are getting their first taste of business ownership. I challenged them, and myself, not to make any unnecessary personal purchases until the club starts turning a profit. Now, to be real, I’ve done this dance before, with multiple successful ventures. I could easily sit back, but I’m choosing not to.

I’m jumping back into the ring with the guys, matching their discomfort step for step. So, no new Jordans for me for a while, even though I’m a sneaker-head who’s nuts about them. I know it sounds trivial and hardly qualifies as ‘discomfort’, but it’s my way of staying connected with the struggle.

Recently, I’ve been tuning into John Danaher’s talks on Jiu-Jitsu and improvement. It’s not just about getting better at Jiu-Jitsu, though. His principles can apply to just about anything.

He talks about how to get better when your time is limited. Let’s take Jiu-Jitsu as an example. You’ve got three hours a week to train. If you casually float through each session, following the instructor’s cues without any specific focus, you’ll have fun, sure. But will you see serious improvement? Probably not. Time is a precious commodity, and if you’re not using it with purpose, your progress will be slow.

Instead, Danaher suggests going into each session with a plan. Say, for a month, you decide to work solely on your knee space guard pass and your attacks from side control. That’s it. Those are your focal points. You drill them into your muscle memory, not just until you get it right a couple of times, but until you can’t get it wrong.

This isn’t a strategy exclusive to Jiu-Jitsu. Whether you’re learning a musical instrument, picking up a new language, or honing your basketball skills, the same principle applies. Narrow your focus. Instead of trying to conquer everything at once, work on one piece of the puzzle until it fits seamlessly into place.

The beauty of this approach is that the improvements might not be earth-shattering in the first month or two. But give it six months, a year, or even a couple of years, and you’ll be amazed at the progress you’ve made.

Ice Cube once said, “Can you work for five years without even thinking about getting paid, so that at the end of that five years, you get paid for real?” It’s a question of discipline, focus, and dedication. Can you commit to the grind and put in the time to perfect each piece before moving onto the next?

So, find what sets your soul on fire, harness the power within you, and share your purpose with the world. Master the art of patience and focused effort, and watch as your progress leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

Alright, let’s get real here. For those who’ve been following my journey on Instagram and other platforms, you know I’ve been wrestling with a bit of anxiety lately. It’s nothing new, just a pesky guest that pops up once every few years, maybe even a decade.
I didn’t get here overnight. I didn’t wake up one morning and think, “I fancy some anxiety today.” It’s a slow build, a gradual process that brought me to this place of discomfort. And even though I’d give anything to shake off this uneasy feeling, I remind myself that just as it didn’t arrive in a day, it ain’t gonna disappear overnight either.
This is where our mental practices come in. Can we sit with the discomfort when it shows up? ‘Cause let me tell you, it’s gonna show up. We all have our battles to fight, our struggles to overcome. None of us are alone in this. What we’ve got to remember is that our troubles ain’t booking a one-way ticket out of our lives tomorrow.
Our minds and bodies aren’t like dealing with the common cold, where some rest and a vitamin boost have us back on our feet the next day. There’s a delay to this process. The actual anxious situation isn’t what triggers my anxiety, but it’s the aftermath, the comedown that gets me. It could even be the aftershock of stress piled up over years. Who knows?
The point is, it’s a process. The mental wellness practices we uphold – be it meditation, journaling, or anything else, they’re not one-and-done solutions. They’re like training for a marathon or nailing a basketball shot. It takes consistent effort over time.
So here’s the challenge: Can you sit with the discomfort? Can you miss that basketball shot over and over again, fumble your jiu-jitsu moves, botch your video edits, or even just feel out of sorts, but still show up? Still do the work? Can you keep going, keep pushing, so that one day, you can look back and say, “This too has passed?”
‘Cause that’s what the real winners do. They put in the work, even when it’s uncomfortable. They keep at it, knowing that the discomfort today is just paving the way for triumph tomorrow.

My grandpa, my “Zedi”. Dude had a signature move whenever someone hit him up with a “how you doing?” His reply? “I’m good. Nothing to complain about. Nobody cares.” Zedi’s no-nonsense response stuck with me, and now I’m passing the baton.

Let’s face it, most people don’t have time to sit around listening to a complaint fest. You yourselves probably tune out when someone else starts moaning. So here’s the deal: we’ve got the power to decide how we react, and we can choose to skip the whine session.

Don’t get me wrong here, I am not. saying bottle it up when you’re stuck in a bind. If you need a hand, holler. Strategizing, making tweaks, getting feedback – all of that’s solid gold. That ain’t complaining. That’s just playing smart and figuring stuff out.

But, let’s be real, we all know what whining looks like. It’s those pesky, negative thoughts that sneak in when we’re zoned out, just cruising down the highway or chilling at home. If we let them run wild, they’re nothing but trouble, nibbling away at our sanity, squashing our mojo, and turning our vibe into a bad B-movie.

Here’s the truth bomb: you aren’t ever gonna find a winner who’s also a constant whiner. Those two don’t mix. So, it’s time we ditched the whining and started grinding.

Starting today, let’s get on the Zedi train, quit the complaints, and focus on the good stuff. Now that’s a winning strategy.

In this podcast episode, I’m driving home the point that training your mind is as essential as brushing your teeth. We all know how life throws curveballs, especially when we start getting a taste of success. To be ready for anything, I share my morning routine, which includes meditation, breath work, prayer, and cold showers – stuff that gets my mind primed for the day.

Just like ignoring dental hygiene can lead to a mouthful of problems, ignoring mental training can land us in a tough spot. So I hammer home the idea that we have to keep at this mental workout routine no matter what – whether it’s a sunny day, a rough day, or even while you’re on vacation. Remember, our mind’s like a muscle; it needs regular exercise to stay strong.