We’re conditioned to believe men should be and are supposed to be masculine, strong, tough, powerful, and almighty.

We’ve learned that men should be closed off and not express their feelings.

We’re taught that men shouldn’t cry and show vulnerability.

I assure you men feel and have emotions. I assure you men are weak. I assure you men cry.

I’m in touch with myself. I know I’m strong. I don’t have to put up a wall to prove it.

Open up, men. Be secure. Be confident.

Feel. Express. Share. Communicate. Cry. Care. Love.

It feels good putting your guard down and being a human, not a “man.”

My life has no path. It’s waiting to be forged.

This is my adventure. The path will be laid step-by-step, day by day.

I am one of a kind. My journey is unique.

There is no precedence. I have no map and no directions.

I’m unsure of my destination and when I’ll arrive. My heart is my compass. I trust it will guide me in the right direction.

I believe I will get where I’m meant to be and have faith I will get there when the time is right.

Distance does not determine connection.

We can be close in proximity but distant in connection and absent of love.

We can be far away but have an intimate relationship and be near at heart.

Affection has no radius. A bond has no bound. We can be separated and still be close and together.

If we are fortunate to experience surplus, may we share the abundance with others.

I’ll never forget the day I was in the hospital when my pap was dying.

I said, “I love you, pap.”

He couldn’t speak. He had a trach in his throat.

He squeezed my hand three times.

Although he couldn’t say I love you, I felt the three squeezes and knew what they meant. I knew exactly what they meant.

That day and those three squeezes will stick with me forever.

Thank you, pap. We didn’t have the same blood, but you would have never known it. You were a great person, were always there for me, and taught me so much.

While growing up, I was an athlete. I played multiple sports. When I wasn’t playing or practicing, I was watching sports. I slept with ESPN on the tv. I wouldn’t miss a second of a game.

I never thought I’d see the day that authors would replace athletes. I never thought I’d see the day that I’d rather read a book than watch sports.

I look up to authors. I want to be like them. I love learning. Writers inspire me. I love writing. I want to inspire and teach others.

When I read, I learn. When I watch, I have nothing to show for my time and often leave empty-handed, stressed, and frustrated.

Trading athletes for authors has changed my life. Also, I’m a free agent if anybody’s looking for a writer. 😁

We’re a constant work in progress. We’ll never be a finished product. We live in a perpetual state of transformation.

Change is constant. We constantly change. Our lives constantly change. So does the world around us.

Detach. Let go of what no longer serves us. Make way for the new by parting with the old.

Old ways won’t lead to new destinations.

With time comes clarity.

Moving improves our overall well-being.

Moving means something different to each of us. Move in a way authentic to you.

We were born to move. Find life in moving.