overthink. I go. I work. I improve.
Everyone has rituals—things
they do regardless of everything.
Read your kids a bedtime story.
Wake up and take vitamins.
Working out is my ritual. I do it no
matter what. Because, at worst,
it keeps me stationary. But most
often it pushes me forward.
I never drop below. Because it’s
my passion to be a better me.
Like it does to many, life got
me down. Traumas happened. I
lost my dad. But, trying to be “the
man,“ I put up a hard shell and
pretended that I wasn’t affected
by it. I just picked up and moved
on. It wasn’t until after my mom
passed away that it really hit me.
All the memories of losing my
dad flooded back, and I crashed.
Hard. Devastation doesn’t begin
to explain it. I was lost.
And although I always loved
training hard and pushing myself,
this is when I realized that I had
to find a different “why” before
I could be the better me. My good
friend, former UFC heavyweight
champ Josh Barnett, told me
something that really changed
my perspective. He said, “Don’t
do this because you want to win.
Don’t do this to be a gladiator or
Mr. Universe. Do it for your last
name. Get up off your ass and
stay true to who you are.”
And when I applied my actions
to something greater, something
more meaningful, that’s when
I got in the best shape of my life.
This is what drove me further—
building a legacy. Not to get
onstage and be judged. Not for
Instagram likes. I am so beyond
judgment. I do this for me. My
name. For my family. In honor
of them. For all they taught me.
That is my passion.
At the end of the day, the
most important thing you can
do is to be your best. The longer
you can move forward, injury-
free, healthy, and happy, the
longer you can conquer
whatever lies ahead.
You want passion? It has to be
about more than a show. More
than the stage. You have to find
your why. If you are working out
to make someone else happy or
to conform to certain standards
or impress people, then you’ll
eventually lose the drive. It has to
be for you. Realize that, if you are
active and getting your workouts
in, you’re taking care of yourself
and working to be the best you.
You need to start going to the
gym with purpose—with function
in mind. Function first. Period.
Everything is possible. I have
never needed outside influence
or reassurance of what is
possible. I will make it possible.
I will make possible whatever I
can because I can. I have always
been my own experiment. I test
everything on myself. I don’t care
if textbooks and articles say
that something can’t be done or
that something is impossible to
achieve. I will put my head down
and work as hard as I can to see
for myself. I don’t care what
anyone else thinks. I really don’t.
My passion drives me to find
out what I’m capable of. You’d
be surprised—put everyone else
out of your head and do what
fuels you. You’ll see that there
are no limits.
Bruce Lee said it best:
“Knowing is not enough. You
must apply.” And I apply. I don’t
waste time overanalyzing. I just
do. Because it’s my passion. It’s
a beautiful thing, being in a
roomful of people and knowing
that I’m different.
If you want to separate
yourself from the pack, then find
your passion. Working out and
taking care of yourself is about
so much more than how you look.
Seriously. Take time away. This is
absolutely worth doing. Dig deep
within yourself. Find your why.
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