“Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.” - Marcus Aurelius. // This quote has spoken volumes to me. We must be like the promontory. When adversity and challenges crash into us over and over again, we must not lose our form. We must showcase our strength in the face of these, like the promontory does against the waves. It absorbs their fury and settles them beautifully as the water returns back into the sea. This is how we must face adversity. Sure, easier said than done, yet it is not an impossible mission. The more that we expose ourselves to these waves of challenge and adversity, the more we learn how to confront them and deal with them effectively when we reflect well on these experiences. Keep this in mind... As always, Much Love ❤️.

Today was momentous. Jesus became the first four-time guest on The Best Podcast. The other day, he sent me an article about the guitarist of the band “The Maine” to provoke some thoughts and reflections for us to discuss. I really liked the article and it resonated with me a lot. It hit on a lot of topics we both are interested in, so it served as the inspiration of today’s conversation. We touch on Radical Transparency, accepting the consequences of your own decisions, and the power of “what ifs” in today’s episode, which was full of deep commentary and dynamic back-and-forth between us. It’s always a pleasure to have Jesus on. He’s such an enthusiastic and bright man from whom we can all take some vital piece of learning away. Check it out! You surely won’t be left saying “what if I didn’t do this” afterwards! Much Love ❤️

This was a fun one. Layne is my housemate, and over the past couple years I have gotten to see how much of an energetic, fun, and interesting guy he is. We’ve shared plenty of laughs, as you’ll hear in this episode, and we’ve also shared plenty of deep thoughts, which you’ll hear in this episode as well. If you want a laugh or to be thoughtful for a bit, I strongly recommend you listen to this. Much Love ❤️

At 21, she had been married for 2 years, she had been working for even longer, she had a child on the way, and she had to make a number of life-changing decisions. 

Sitting down with her tonight to talk about what this experience was like for her, what it was like to handle such hardship, and how she got back up on her feet was eye-opening and humbling.

For over 70 years, she always had someone to do something for and someone to come home to, whether it be her own parents, her husband, or her kids. But when my grandpa died 13 years ago, this changed. After so many years, she came home to an empty house for the first time. “I stopped caring about this house,” she said to me with a trembling voice and tears in her eyes. She described the loneliness she felt over the last 13 years and how hard it could be to sit alone in that house which she loves. 

These are just a few details from the long conversation we had. It was a moving #conversation for me, and I really wanted to #share a bit with you. To hear more, check out my full #podcast episode, where I describe my reactions in more detail. As always, thanks for tuning in. #MuchLove❤️. 

This is for anyone out there who doesn’t feel comfortable being their truest selves. For those who struggle to open up to others and be vulnerable. For those who have had a mask up for too long just to be accepted by others. Whether this is you or not, listen to this. I want you to mean something to someone. Think about who you really are at your deepest level. Are you that person with others? Are you able to be that person without fearing what may come of it? Listen to this and think about these questions. I hope this podcast helps you gain some perspective on yourself and on those around you who may be struggling with removing their mask. As always, much love ❤️

Today’s episode was a really meaningful one for me. The concepts of Radical Truth and Radical Transparency from Ray Dalio’s book Principles have resonated with me for quite some time. In this podcast, I discuss these concepts and why they would be so beneficial for all of us. Much Love ❤️ Talk soon!

Oh no. We’re going to talk about politics now? Yes! But we’re not going to be talking about politics in the way that you see it on the news. That’s not how it should be happening. In this episode, I break down the biggest issue I think we have in terms of politics: putting each other into boxes. If you’re curious about what this means, listen to my short episode about it. I promise that it’ll spark some cool reflections for you. Much Love ❤️

Today’s episode provides a little bit of a twist. I look at a different angle of what it means to be a bandwagon fan, why we should stick with our teams at their lowest points, and how being a bandwagon fan would not make sense in most other contexts of life. I hope you enjoy it! Talk soon. Much Love ❤️

Today’s podcast is a key point in the road. Thanks to you, your engagement, and your attention, the Best Podcast has hit 10,000 downloads. This is an exciting milestone. However, it is not the most important one. The Best Podcast is more than metrics. It’s a continuous conversation about topics that we may not think about as often as we should. It’s a different side of the coin. It challenges me, and hopefully challenges you, to think and see things in a different way. That’s why this will not burn out. Recording each episode of this podcast has been an absolute joy. It’s so valuable for me, and hopefully it has been able to bring a pinch of value for you, too. I’m looking forward to the months and years to come, in which this mission will be put forward with every published episode. As always, thank you so much for your attention and your support. Much Love ❤️

In a shorter and more direct episode, I discuss the impact of building principles in our lives. I’ve been diving into my work with the Mindset Assessment Project and the JMU Honors College lately, and it’s been so moving for me. I am so fortunate to have these opportunities at this point in my life, and I’ve been doing my best to take advantage of them. A key facet of taking advantage of these opportunities for me has been organizing my learnings. With each meeting and each progression, I feel myself learning and growing in terms of my skills, my perspective, and my performance, and I attribute that growth to developing principles and documenting my process. Reflecting on these progressions and developing an understanding of best practices in my work (aka, principles) for the future has been so important for me, and I can already see the dividends. It’s an exciting time, and documenting these learnings only amplifies this excitement. Thanks for tuning in again. Your attention means so much to me. Much Love ❤️