(93) Flip The Switch 

You’ve been quiet. Humble. Back to the lab. Drawing up a plan. You’ve been training, of course. Sharpening your swords. But everyone wonders where you’ve been. No texts. No public declarations. No selfie. No “celly”. Just toiling and tinkering. Doing the work you enjoy most—what few others are wired to do, in the shadows. In your “box”, adhering to your routine, this is where you thrive.

It isn’t easy, sticking to the script, pursuing your purpose. It takes heart and soul and faith to keep a dream alive. You must feed it and care for it daily, like a pet or a plant. Water it and tenderly tend to its needs. Because ultimately, it depends on you to survive. Whether you’re sad or depressed. Angry or frustrated. Fatigued or frightened. Lost or listless. You must answer destiny’s call. You must be accountable to an uncompromising vision. You must summon the courage to forge forward. Every day. For years. Not everyone is cut out for that commitment.

But you were born for this. You’ve built yourself up since you were a kid, for this moment. To rise to the occasion when everyone needs you most. When the world is watching, the work you did alone will come to light. The value of each day is determined by your determination, decided by your will to make a decision. To urge yourself forward, undeterred, brave enough to be your best self. You’ve been there before. You know your capacity to create. You’ve felt the awesome strength that courses through your veins. It is time to enter that zone again. To be in that mode again. To unleash your potential on the planet. Reminding them… Reminding yourself exactly who you are. Flip the switch.

 

(92) Rebellion Of Respect

In a world too often characterized by apathy and ignorance, by tough-guy posturing and bluster, by subservience and obsequiousness, respect is rebellion. Your training is a sign of respect. The sort of humble self-respect that allows one to come back to a task of self-improvement day after day, knowing you can always do better and be better. To gradually grow stronger, one day at a time. To build yourself up in a society quick to tear people down, is defiance. Appreciating the divine gift of good health, and curating and caring for it, requires self-awareness and self-love. Strengthening your intellect, too, is a sign of respect. Learning, and the quest for knowledge. Teaching, and the quest to share understanding. Cultivating that which cannot be seen, is a sign of respect for the fullness of humanity—that we are not merely beasts, but beings with brains. At the same time, when beset by bullies and bigots, it is a sign of respect to be kind to others. To stand up for those without voice, to cherish the sick and elderly, to embrace the outcast, to show decency to the marginalized—to simply advocate on behalf of another person, is a fundamental display of respect for your fellow humans, and for life in general. And when we see the value in others, encouraging them along the way, we promote their own self-respect. A self-perpetuating cycle that benefits us all. When society seems most dark, be defiant in your decency and dignity. When you seek to change the world, be rebellious in your respect.

 

(91) The Choice

Each day begins with a decision. Each moment that follows, a series of choices. Those that are constructive and build. Versus those that are destructive and destroy. Those that inch you towards a better reality, or those that hold you back. Those that naturally flow in the direction of you becoming the best version of yourself possible. Or those obstacles you allow to slow you, each a drag on your progress. That first fork in the road, to me, can be stumbled upon at any time. Maybe when I open my eyes in the morning or as I lay my head down to bed. Or perhaps, it arrives at the perfect time for you—right now. To allow the same old to continue or to determine your own path… To dictate your own destiny. To take control. It all begins with a choice. And that choice sets off a cascade of thoughts and actions—a mindset and approach that will make or break your day, and over time, your life. Today, I have made my choice. To be bulletproof in my optimism. Unreasonable in my idealism. Unyielding in my determination. Infectious in my positivity. Mindful in my gratitude. Defiant in adhering to my dream. I will use my energy to encourage others, meaning I will infuse them with the courage they need to make this bold choice on their own. Life is not without its challenges, but it is our response to struggle and adversity that manifests the greatness that lives within—battle tested and baptized in the flames. Embrace the heat. Grow strong under fire. And decide to become what you were put on this planet to be, no matter what. The future is in your hands. And it will be as beautiful as you choose it to be. Make the choice.