Just Say Yes

Everyday we are presented with an infinite amount of possibilities for what we can do. Every single second is another opportunity to take action and do something. But most of us have become so accustomed to living within our comfort zone that we rarely take advantage of these opportunities and stick with what we are familiar with. Even when these opportunities are directly presented to us we will often choose to let them pass us by because we lack that adventurous spirit that keeps things exciting.

But I say screw that. We have one life to live so we should take advantage of every single opportunity, every single second, and say yes every chance we get! You know those times when you’ve been invited to do something but refused to because you were too “tired”? Well wake up! The clock is ticking and the train of life isn’t stopping for anybody so next time you get that invite you better say yes!

Obviously there are consequences to every action we take and you need to be smart in making your decisions. And sometimes those consequences aren’t going to be the ones we were hoping for. But I’d rather be out there experiencing those consequences and going on new adventures than hiding inside my comfort zone and never really living life.

So be exciting. Take a risk. Do something you would never imagine yourself doing. Live a little. Live a LOT. Sleep when you’re dead. Have fun. Be crazy. Say yes!

You Gotta Have Faith

I never went to church as child or had any religious influence in my upbringing, but I truly understand the power of faith and know it’s a vital part to having success in life. When you completely believe in something and erase all doubt from your mind and heart, anything is possible.

When I decided to move to LA and start my career in the music industry, all odds were against me. Most major record labels were laying people off, not hiring them. I had zero job experience, I only knew one person in the whole city and on top of that, I severely broke my leg after being here for less than 3 months, requiring surgery that put me off my feet for the next 4. It was like trying to ride a bike uphill with two flat tires.

But deep down inside me I KNEW with absolute conviction that things would work out and I would succeed in my goal. I didn’t care what the odds for success were, failure was not an option. I trusted in myself and in the universe with 100% faith and removed all uncertainty from my life and I absolutely credit that mindset for getting me to where I am today. If I had ever faltered and allowed even an ounce of doubt to affect my journey then I honestly don’t think I would have come this far.

Whatever it is you’re facing, whether it’s something positive and exciting like getting a new job or achieving some goal, or whether it’s something negative and challenging like losing a job or experiencing an illness, approach it with faith. Know from the bottom of your heart that things are going to work out in the long run and that the one thing you have most control over is how much you believe in yourself. You have all of the tools and resources inside of you to create any outcome you desire. So trust yourself, trust the universe, and silence any voice inside your head that says “no”. Because the answer is “yes”. You just gotta have faith.

No Matter What

I’ve always thought of myself to be a very loving person. I have strong feelings of love for my family and friends and care about them all very much. But I learned a very powerful lesson somewhere along the way about the difference between loving conditionally and unconditionally. And while I had truly loved many people in my life I was doing so with a faulty foundation that was contaminated with judgment and expectations, loving them on the surface but fostering feelings of disapproval deep down inside. One day the reality of my conditional love exploded in front of me, forcing me to re-examine my role in the relationships I had and giving me the opportunity to commit myself to changing the way that I love people.

Nobody is perfect. People have some amazing qualities that are easy to love but they also have some not-so amazing qualities. . . and we should love them anyway! Accepting a person from head to toe, inside and out, just exactly the way they are is what it means to love someone unconditionally and it takes great maturity and a big heart to do this. Let go of any internal standards you may have created for people (including yourself) and love them for the unique individuals that they are.

Now this isn’t to say that we should all be completely content with our bad habits and character flaws. We should always push ourselves and those around us to grow and become better people. But when we do this it should come from a place of love, of genuinely wanting that person to be the best version of themselves so THEY can be the happiest they can be, not because WE think they need to change or improve.

I encourage you to make the same commitment that I have made and love everyone in your life unconditionally. From those days when everything is working great and everyone is happy to those days that everything goes wrong and emotions are distraught, love them just the same. Fill your heart with nothing but love for the people in your life and let this be the only feeling you have towards them in any situation. Love them no matter what. 

Be All You Can Be

When I was sophomore in college I took an economics course that said a college degree is merely a piece of paper that proves two things: 1. That you are at least this smart and 2. That you are at least this hard working. And in reality, that’s pretty accurate. So whether I worked as hard as I could and got straight A’s or partied as much as I could and got straight C’s I would end up with the same piece of paper. Being the wise 19 year old that I was I took the latter approach and crawled my way through college getting by with the bare minimum.

Two years later I dated a bioengineering pre-med student that was quite the opposite of me and had a very different outlook on things. She valued having a strong work ethic and believed that if you were going to do something you should do it to the best of your ability and apply yourself to reach your maximum potential. Fortunately this philosophy rubbed off onto me and completely changed my perspective.

This is an important concept that I feel defines what kind of person you are: one that “gets by” doing the bare minimum or one that holds themselves to a higher standard. I believe that if you are going to do something then you should do it the best you can! If you’re going be a babysitter for the night, be the most fun and most responsible baby sitter those kids have ever had. If you’re going be a garbage man, be an amazing garbage man that loves his job. If you’re going to be someone's friend, be a true, sincere, fun and incredible friend. Whatever it is you are facing, commit yourself to doing your absolute best and giving it everything you got!

I think the reason that most people don’t take this approach is because there is usually no one to hold you accountable. YOU are the only person who knows if you’re working at your full potential, no one else is looking. So stop and ask yourself this question: what kind of person do YOU want to be?