12/31/2022
Today marks 6 years off the sauce for me.
To celebrate, I wanted to put something out there that may help someone that is considering giving up alcohol for health or other reasons.
These six things I wish I’d have thought a little more about before I quit.
I think it would have made the journey a little easier, and quicker.
1) If you’re an introvert like me, you may use booze to open up and be more social. I think the big lesson here is that you have your own powerful ways of connecting with people that don’t require you to be the life of the party. Your job is to reconnect with those superpowers.
2) If considering that your identity is totally wrapped up in alcohol as the centerpiece, and that scares you, consider that getting in touch with who you actually are underneath the masks you where might be the greatest gift you can give yourself
3) You may find that you only shared one thing in common with some people in your life, and that’s drinking. It’s all good, move on, and know that as you change, relationships will also change.
4) Do you use booze to relax? Exercise of meditate. Do you use it to get out of your shell and be social? Join a booze-free club or meetup.
5) Unless you have some physical ailment directly linked to your alcohol consumption, quitting will not cure you of anything, but it will start you on a journey of healing that would have been difficult if not impossible otherwise.
6) You may fee like without alcohol, you are less… fun, cool, sexy, exciting, interesting, social, or whatever else. In reality, it’s the opposite. Alcohol suppresses the things about you that make you more of all of those things.
If you’re seriously considering this move, I wish you the best, and I hope a little insight into my journey helps.
If you’re planning to get smashed tonight for NYE, have fun, be safe, don’t drive, and cheers to a fabulous 2023.
12/22/2022
I want to address a common misconception about head injuries in sports
That is, it’s often not the major concussions that lead to lasting problems
Often times, it’s the little hits that stack up over time that lead to chronic issues
A major head injury is usually pretty obvious, and these days is dealt with in a much more involved and better understood way than it was when I was playing football in college
But, even so, imho, more can be done to protect players from the bigger danger
The next hit that happens too soon in recovery
Major head trauma aside, this post is more about the little hits
Getting your “bell rung”
By a helmet to helmet hit
A whiplash injury
Hitting your head on the ground after a fall
Or an explosion near enough to rattle your brain
Repetitive hits like this that are all too common in sport, combat, and regular life can lead to changes in your brain and nervous system
These adaptations are meant to protect, but are inconvenient and uncomfortable
They look like pain, postural changes, stiff neck, cognitive difficulties, hypersensitivity to light and sound, headaches, ADHD, autonomic dysregulation, and many more
Some make sense, others seem out of left field
The good thing is, your brain is endlessly plastic and can adapt in a positive direction with the right training stimulus
Comment below or DM me if you want to learn more
12/02/2022
“Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise”
-Michael Jordan
11/23/2022
Just a friendly PSA for your 🦃 day preparations.
04/07/2021
Deep squat, thoracic rotation...
I've been hammering my mobility hard for years
This one is still humbling...
A couple short years ago, and I'd be unable to even squat down into this position and balance without support
Hips loosened, I can drop down into a deep squat with little effort
But damn, trying to sit up tall or move my thoracic spine is super difficult
To me it shows how important posture is in daily life
I spend a lot of time on a computer these days, and if not in front of a screen, I'm usually nose-deep in a book
A tough combination for someone that already suffers from a forward head posture and chronic neck and back pain
My posture at my desk and everywhere else outside the gym is definitely showing up in my mobility progress
This is why many people struggle with "rehab" or "corrective exercise" or "mobility work"
They struggle (and I'm speaking from my own experience as much as my clients' experience) most of the time because progress is minimal or fleeting in the beginning
And it seems like any progress made is gone by the next session
Three staps forward, two steps back
It's frustrating for sure
Until you really start to inject that postural awareness into everything you do
Then... Progress grows exponentially because you're not taking steps backward anymore
So simple right?
Yeah, right...
Deep squat, thoracic rotation...
I've been hammering my mobility hard for years
This one is still humbling...
A couple short years ago, and I'd be unable to even squat down into this position and balance without support
Hips loosened, I can drop down into a deep squat with little effort
But damn, trying to sit up tall or move my thoracic spine is super difficult
To me it shows how important posture is in daily life
I spend a lot of time on a computer these days, and if not in front of a screen, I'm usually nose-deep in a book
A tough combination for someone that already suffers from a forward head posture and chronic neck and back pain
My posture at my desk and everywhere else outside the gym is definitely showing up in my mobility progress
This is why many people struggle with "rehab" or "corrective exercise" or "mobility work"
They struggle (and I'm speaking from my own experience as much as my clients' experience) most of the time because progress is minimal or fleeting in the beginning
And it seems like any progress made is gone by the next session
Three staps forward, two steps back
It's frustrating for sure
Until you really start to inject that postural awareness into everything you do
Then... Progress grows exponentially because you're not taking steps backward anymore
So simple right?
Yeah, right...
#mobility #stability #functionaltraining #functionalfitness #rehab #prehab #3dmaps #movementculture #grayinstitute #mostability #odysseyhealth
03/19/2021
Nick and I have been lifting heavy stuff again... Feels so good!
These are reset deadlifts, meaning you step away and reset, making every rep your "first rep"
If you look closely at my spine, especially the mid-back area you'll notice I'm focusing a lot on my breath, and proper position of my rib cage
If you're a chest breather, and your rib cage tends to flare, causing overextension in your lumbar spine, it might help to use your breath in this way to create the appropriate intra-abdominal pressure and hold your spine stable
Nick and I have been lifting heavy stuff again... Feels so good!
These are reset deadlifts, meaning you step away and reset, making every rep your "first rep"
If you look closely at my spine, especially the mid-back area you'll notice I'm focusing a lot on my breath, and proper position of my rib cage
If you're a chest breather, and your rib cage tends to flare, causing overextension in your lumbar spine, it might help to use your breath in this way to create the appropriate intra-abdominal pressure and hold your spine stable
#legday #glutes #squats #bootybuilding #bootybuilder #hamstrings #happyhumpday #deadlift #deadlifts #bootygoals #thickfit #bodyfit #muscleman #fitguy #leanandmean #legs #lift
03/12/2021
𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃' 𝒽𝑜𝓉, 𝒽𝑜𝓉, 𝒽𝑜𝓉
DID YOU KNOW?
1-The word "sauna" is a Finnish word and sauna as a practice is used by 99% of the population of Finland
2-In Finland, there are more saunas... than cars...
Reminds me of home
Except Montana is known for having more cows than people
3-Finland's President Urho Kekkonen was born in a sauna and routinely held political negotiations in the sauna
4-In Finnish folklore the sauna is home to Saunatonttu, the Sauna Elf
You're welcome
03/06/2021
Trying to fit in is exhausting.
Putting on your mask every day,
trying to match what you think others perceive you to be.
Eventually, after living behind these masks -
one for work, one for home, one for the boys, one for ___ -
long enough, and you start to forget who you really are.
You become unable to separate your true self from the identity(s) you’ve adopted to meld with the herd.
All the while, you’re carrying this heavy-ass black bag that you’ve stuffed full with all of the parts of yourself that you’ve rejected.
The parts that you were too afraid to show people, or that you were victimized for showing in the past.
It’s easier to repress that s**t than face rejection, abandonment, ridicule, or simply the blank stares from someone that just “doesn’t get it”.
But here’s the thing: your pain is not unique.
Others out there have experienced the same, and by holding back your truth, you deny the world the precious gift that only you were meant to bring to the world.
Your greatest gift lies right next to your greatest pain.
03/05/2021
One of my fav songs/albums is the title track for 1999's Make Yourself - believe it or not, below was all from memory...
𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦
𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸
𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧
𝘐'𝘥'𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸
𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦
𝘐'𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘸
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦
𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸
𝘉𝘺𝘺𝘺𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘦𝘦-𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦,
𝘈𝘭𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵,
𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦
𝘈𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴
𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺
𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺
𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦
𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘺
-𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘴-
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘐𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦-𝘩𝘦-𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩
𝘉𝘶𝘵, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦,
𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 ＃\ud835\ude2e\ud835\ude22\ud835\ude2c\ud835\u
03/04/2021
Ever feel stuck in the Routines of Daily Living (RDLs)?
Same s**t, different day kind of thing…?
Forced awake, drag-ass out of bed, go through the morning motions…
Go to work at a job you barely tolerate
To pay for a college degree you don’t use
Until you wake up one day and it’s midlife. Crisis ensues
Where’s the significance?
People believe life is passing them by, or has passed them by already
Others feel severely restricted by the demands of their job and supporting a family,
Or stuck under the financial and societal pressures of their chosen lifestyle
Some people are consumed by acute or chronic stress, some are consumed by boredom
Some have to always be doing and others are paralyzed, unable to do anything
The problem here is a common problem people everywhere have when it comes to “finding true purpose”
Simply put, your purpose cannot be found by looking out, it can only be found by looking within
Your purpose is not concerned with what you do
Your purpose is concerned with what you are
According to Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth
We have an inner purpose and an outer purpose
Your primary purpose is your inner purpose
Inner purpose is about being not doing
Inner purpose is about awakening and you share it with everyone else on the planet
It’s the purpose of humanity, of us all
Outer purpose is more malleable, more individual, and will change over time
Alignment of the outer purpose and inner purpose is where true fulfillment is found
You must awaken to your inner purpose first
It sets the foundation for living your outer purpose in alignment and finding true success
When you do this, you don’t even change anything, you just shift your mindset into alignment with your purpose and the feelings of frustration and stagnation are gone
If you want help with all this, just reach out, I’m here for you
04/09/2021
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04/07/2021
04/06/2021
04/02/2021
03/31/2021
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03/09/2021
03/08/2021
03/06/2021
03/06/2021
03/05/2021
03/05/2021
03/04/2021
03/04/2021
03/03/2021
