𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚉𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚘𝚙

July 11th will always be a very important day for me. Six years ago today was one of the most significant crossroads I would ever experience in my lifetime, and it still holds relevance.

It’s important to remember that in the immediate, not everything is going to make sense. In fact, sometimes it can feel damn near impossible to simply move forward from where you are.

Movement is such a critical part of human life. Without it, we become stagnant and atrophy sets in for both mind and body, and we slowly start to sink deeper.

Over the last six years I’ve made it a point to do just about as much as I could. It wasn’t easy, but the word “easy” is rarely applicable in adulthood if you’re doing it right. I stopped thinking about things and dreaming about things, and I started to do them. One foot after the other.

I started writing, I started speaking, and the next thing I knew my aspirations became my reality. Most importantly, I knew that if I hadn’t moved forward, I would have never made it. Cowabunga, it was.

I turn 41 in a few days, and the work is far from over. At 41, I’m grateful for every single experience I’ve ever had. I’m grateful for the people I’ve met along the way. The friendships I’ve created. The memories that I get to look back on someday as an old man. All of these feelings of gratitude because I chose to do- and not wait.

Structure feels good, so does stability. It’s safe. However, in order for you to obtain some level of maximum fulfillment, you do have to introduce a certain amount of risk. I’m not one to gamble, but I will always gamble on myself. For the naysayers? Fuck em. Don’t waste your energy on non-energetic people.

The days are long but the years are short. Before you know it, there will be things that will pass you by. Opportunities that are no longer available. Time spent with family, friends, your kids- all of it. Personal goals, things to experience, everything that will someday be memories for you to look back on. And someday, that will be all you have left.

Don’t wait for it. If you wait for life to happen for you, there’s a high likelihood that it will never happen at all.

Don’t wait. Do.