This is a quote that spoke to me. Today we’ll discuss what it means and how to live with this in mind.

Understanding how the physical body and health affect our emotions and our mental health is essential to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

We are told that hard work is the secret to success. Just “work hard” and you’ll achieve. But is that the truth? I believe that is a little misleading and that there is something much more important than hard work.

Pain, hardship and loss are very difficult things and we all encounter them in one way or another throughout our lives. And while these things are generally unwelcome, I have found that often times, with a lot of work and the right outlook, I can sometimes find an upside.

It’s a wild irony. So many of the things that will make its happier, feel better, healthier, stronger, etc., are things that are hard and that we don’t really want to do. Let’s talk about it.

Over the years I’ve witnessed some absolutely incredible transformations, instances where people have completely changed their lives in a matter of a year or two. It has been incredible to watch and to experience. Upon speaking with and observing these folks, I’ve come to learn that there are basically two ways in which this happens and usually some combination of the two. Let’s discuss today!

With 58 year-old Mike Tyson stepping back in the ring to take on an athlete less than half his age, there has been a lot of talk about how much his age would affect his athletic ability and performance. And while the difference between 58 year-old Mike and 28 year-old Mike was very apparent, there were great lessons to be learned and lots of things to discuss.

Giving up alcohol is arguably one of the most powerful and life changing things I’ve ever done. Today I want to share my story in the hopes that it may help someone who wants to do the same.

“That’s it. I can’t do this. I’ve tried and I just can’t. I’m done.”

Sound familiar?

Of course it does.

We’ve all done it.

Let’s talk about why we do it and why we need to stop doing it.

Bad asses. You know the people I’m talking about. Whether they are people we know in real life or just through social media, we look up to them. Sometimes they might even just be characters that aren’t real people, but we are inspired by them nonetheless. They seem unflappable. Full of confidence and courage, afraid of nothing and ready to rise up and take on every challenge. We wish we could be like them.

Today I wanted to tell a story about a situation of my own, one where many people have called me a badass. They’ve told me how inspiring and how awesome something I have done was. Now while I am beyond humbled and flattered by these words, I wanted to share the truth behind them and the true emotions behind this event that might surprise some people. And the reason I want to share this is that in talking to many, many other badasses over the years, I have found any of the same feelings and emotions to be true for them as well. I hope you find this helpful and that it inspires you to take action despite your fears, because we all share those fears.