We’ve all experienced the unconditional love that a dog gives but have we ever stopped to think, why can’t humans love the same way? Dogs have the ability to live in the moment and appreciate their human without judgement or ulterior motives. They just simply trust… and love…

We humans, being the much more intelligent and complex species, analyze and overthink everything. Most are unable to truly live in the moment and appreciate their human without regard for anything else. So, are we really the smarter ones? I say, no.

As humans we have so much going on in our lives. We are pulled a hundred different ways each day, we have obligations and responsibilities. We are running at a tempo that would have killed our ancestors….

So stop… stop and simplify your life. Live in the moment and love unconditionally. Trust that your human wants, and will make, the right choices. Let go and allow yourself to love and be loved. This is where the magic happens…. dogs have already figured this out and that is why dogs are better at love than we are.

The power of positivity. We’ve all seen the IG and FB posts and the motivational YouTube videos touting the power of a positive mindset… I’ll be honest, I used to be the biggest skeptic of them all when it came to this.

Today, I know that positivity indeed is powerful and that with a positive mindset and attitude you can accomplish just about anything.

I’ve been getting better at applying a positive mindset in my daily life. Some days it’s harder than others but everyday I can find something to be positive about.

Positivity breeds confidence and confidence attracts the kind of people that you really want in your life. Negativity attracts the opposite.

Every night I spend about 15 mins self reflecting and counting my wins for the day and identifying the opportunities for improvement. Last night I identified that I need to let go of trying to control everything. I also identified that I need to be prepared to truly walk away from relationships that aren’t mutual.

These are both difficult areas for me but I know that in my new world of self love and improvement, I need to value myself and know my worth. That means that of someone else doesn’t recognize my value they may not have a place in my life… as painful as that might be for me.

Ultimately, I know that through keeping a positive outlook and focusing on the positives in my daily life that I will attract and find happiness.

The journey to self love and improvement is a fascinating one. If you are authentic in your approach you will learn so much about yourself and what is truly important in your life.

So give it a try… I’m positive that you’ll find value and perspective in it.

Whats in a smile? Pretty simple question, right? But have you ever noticed that even one person can have many different smiles?

There are smiles that are used when greeting a stranger… there are smiles that come with laughter… there are smiles that happen when annoyed…. smiles when you’re mad even. But there is one smile that is best.

Have you ever looked at someone who loves you and they are looking at you and smiling? Not just a vanilla smile, but a smile that consumes their whole being. A smile that captures you and your heart. The kind of smile that can’t be faked or manipulated. It is genuine and honest.

I don’t know about you, but that smile says more to me than words ever could. It is a direct link between two people that connects their souls. It’s a smile that says, “I adore you”. A smile that says, “I see no one else in this moment”.

When you are on the receiving end of one of these smiles you know that you’ve found something very special and authentic.

When you are on the giving side of this smile your heart and mind melt into one with a singular focus that cannot be denied.

Some people will spend their entire lives looking to both give and receive this smile. Some find the giving but not the receiving and others find the receiving but not the giving. If you are ever lucky enough to find both at the same time…. well, I think you will finally know what true love looks like.

So go out and find your smile… it’s out there…

What’s the recipe for love? Well, there are many depending on your particular tastes… some like it hot… some like it spicy… others like it sweet… while some prefer it a little on the bland side. Me? I like it hot, with some spice to it and a little bit of crazy sprinkled on top.

That’s right, a little bit of crazy makes life and love more fun! It allows for spontaneous adventures, it makes laughter happen more often and it removes some of the filters that make ordinary people boring.

It’s a touchy recipe though… not enough crazy and you don’t even notice, but too much crazy and things get weird. Sometimes really weird! Everyone has their own preference. Every recipe is different and some may have things about it that you like but when you find that one that you can’t get enough of… well, that is a happy day indeed.

So experiment and find the recipe that is right for you… find your favorite and you’ll experience life and love in a way that others won’t understand. You’ll find that full feeling, that I need a nap after that amazing meal sensation and you’ll never… ever…be hungry again.

Okay, so I’m a couple days late on the results of my insane 30 day challenge but I think the delay will be worth it.

As a recap I challenged myself to lose 45-50 lbs in 30 days. No alcohol, intermittent fasting and a low calorie, very low carb diet as well as daily exercise.

Also keep in mind that I had a trip to Texas during this 30 days and the diet and no alcohol thing went out the window. As did the workouts. The result of that trip was me packing on close to 10 lbs over 5 days…. yeah, yeah, yeah… I know!

So it has been a couple of days over the 30 day mark but I was trying to hit a number before I called it a wrap on this challenge. That number hit this morning….

I was aiming for 50 lbs and I knew that was a very ambitious goal. So, how’d I do?…………. drum roll please…..

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30 lbs in 30 days (even with the Texas setback)!! I was almost 100% alcohol free minus two or three days, I stuck to my diet and I was consistent in my working out. If not for Texas I think I might have been close to 40 lbs lost but 30 lbs is still a huge win!!

I feel great! Those that know me know that I have bad knees and foot pain as well as sporadic lower back pain. I was a little worried that all of the hiking and running would make those things worse but the opposite is true. I have almost zero knee pain, zero back pain and my foot pain is manageable. I have more energy than I’ve had in a long time and I feel a sense of confidence and optimism that I haven’t felt in even longer.

So what’s the take away here? Aim big!! I knew that 50 lbs was probably not going to happen in 30 days but I kept it as my target the entire time. I knew I would have setbacks, it’s life after all. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I just remained focused and determined.

My trophy (other than a renewed since of motivation and confidence) was when I saw a friend that I hadn’t seen in almost 3 months. She was shocked at what she saw… she knew that I was working on myself and knew that I had set this lofty goal but I don’t think she thought I’d do it. The look on her face was priceless!

So where do I go from here? I’m not done… not even close! I want to drop another 40 lbs or so, but more than that I just want to live life and stop just existing. I want to make new goals and challenges and I want to continue to push myself beyond what I thought was possible… in many areas of my life. I want to win… and win big! I want to refuel my passions and go after things that mean the world to me.

Why? Because I’M WORTH IT!! I’m not going to be that guy that just works and comes home. That doesn’t have a passion for life. That isn’t willing to push himself to be a better man. That doesn’t want to be extraordinary!!

It’s doable guys! Anything is doable if you set your mind to it and commit to yourself to do the work! Set huge goals and break them down into simple to manage daily tasks. Be confident and consistent and you’ll crush any goal you set for yourself!! You can do it…. I know you can!

Be true to yourself and go after what’s important to you. Being authentic and genuine to yourself and others is the pathway to happiness and success in life. So is chasing the things that are important to you in your life. Again, if you do this with complete authenticity you’ll find that it can lay the foundation for many other great things.

Sometimes it’s hard to be transparent in the things that you do. Sometimes we feel like telling a white lie in order to make things easier or less uncomfortable is acceptable. It’s not. And another problem with it is that the more little white lies you tell someone, the easier it becomes to tell larger ones… you can see the problem here, right?

You’re character is based heavily on your integrity. Your relationships, both personal and professional, are based in trust. Without trust, failure is inevitable.

A lack of trust breeds insecurities that grow like a cancer. Your character and integrity are everything. So choose the truth. Choose integrity. Choose to strengthen trust instead of decaying it.

Believe me when I say that any hurt or uncomfortableness is better than creating doubt in whether or not you can be trusted.

Likewise, going after what you want in life should be done so with your character in mind. It’s fine to be aggressive in pursuit of what you’re after, as long as it’s not malicious or deceitful. It’s honorable to know what you want and to do everything within you to obtain it but again, be careful not to jeopardize your integrity.

Being truthful begins with being truthful to yourself. If you can’t be honest with yourself how can you expect to be honest with anyone else? Follow your heart and make the tough choices. In the long run you’ll be rewarded with everything you were looking for… without compromising your character.

Respect yourself and know your worth. Sounds simple enough, right? Then how come so many people accept less than what they are worth? How come so many compromise their self respect because of another?

You are one of a kind. There is no one like you in the entire world. You are 1 in 7.53 billion… so treat yourself that way!

You should be respected and admired. Loved and cherished. And much, much more. Don’t waste your time with someone that makes you conform to their lifestyle. To their schedule. To their priorities. YOU ARE A PRIORITY!

Align yourself with a person that respects you enough to make you an equal in their world. A person that would never expect you to go out of your way for their convenience. A person that respects your time as much as they respect their own.

Find someone that is proud of you and doesn’t insist on hiding you out of sight. Someone that has a place for you in their lives. That one is huge folks! You shouldn’t be another part of their life or another life altogether. You should be integrated into their lives as a sign of mutual respect and pride.

Find someone that knows your value… that recognizes your future value… and that values you and everything you are.

Find someone that will fight for you, support your dreams and goals… someone that will be your biggest fan but who also will tell it to you straight… even when it’s not what you want to hear.

Know your worth… and never settle for anyone that doesn’t. Respect yourself enough to want an equal… not a dominant. Someone that has goals and dreams of their own but who will also support yours as your biggest cheerleader and confidant.

Don’t waste your time with people who cheat or expect you to. Don’t waste your time with people that expect you to change for them. And never… never, waste your time with someone that you have to share.

At the end of the day you deserve to be truly valued. You deserve to be respected. You deserve that one person that knows what your worth… and maybe even thinks you’re worth even more….

If you aren’t chasing something or working on bettering yourself in some way… are you really living? If your existence is simply going to work, coming home and repeat… you aren’t truly living. Even if you spend your non working time doing things like camping or fishing or going out to eat… if you’re not working towards a goal or self improvement, are you really living?

Living is having a purpose. A dream. A goal. A passion greater than your everyday obligations. Living is more than being a good husband/wife, father/mother or lover. Life is about making a difference in this world. It’s about making your mark.

Some people have lofty dreams and goals. Some people have more modest ones. The point is about challenging yourself and pushing past your perceived limitations. It isn’t necessarily about wealth and fame. While one person may aim to run a 100 mile race or cure cancer, another may be looking to write a book or volunteer feeding the homeless. Again, it isn’t about the grandness of your goals and dreams, it’s about having them and going after them.

Many people write down their goals or have dreams but never create the action needed to fulfill them. Action is the catalyst to success. Without action there are no goals or dreams. They are simply empty words.

Living a purpose driven life is the key to true and complete happiness. Happiness in all aspects of your life. Work, family, love… all aspects. Without a purpose, goal, dream or challenge life becomes a routine of emptiness… it becomes boring.

If you are chasing a goal or dream, good for you!! If you’re not, start today!! Start small if you need to. Set a goal of losing 5 lbs or paying off a bill. But don’t stop there, those are just “entry level” aspirations. No, once you’ve really decided to go after it, aim big!! Huge dreams and goals equal huge life returns.

Don’t settle for mediocrity. Be great. Both for yourself and those you surround yourself with. Be the best version of you. Everyday won’t be a win. Some days will be hard and some days you will fail. That’s part of the greatness. If it were easy it wouldn’t be fulfilling. If it were easy, everyone would be great!

So go after it… dream big and TAKE ACTION!! Forward progress towards your dream or goal is a win. Everyday take some action, however small, towards your own greatness. Focus on the day not the finish line. Create a series of daily wins that ultimately will lead to your own best self!!

Today’s the day… tomorrow never comes.

What makes a person extraordinary? I mean, think about that for a second… what is it that separates the average Joe from Joe Montana? Is it DNA? Is it motivation?

Well, in order to answer this I think you first need to define what extraordinary means…. to you. That’s right, it doesn’t always mean the same thing to all people. To some extraordinary means financial success, to others it may mean family and to someone else it may mean something else entirely.

You see there are people in this word that live in absolute poverty but they are still extraordinary. There are people that are extraordinary in business or sports or talent. Extraordinary is an adjective that is fluid and unique to who you are as a person.

Many of the most extraordinary people in history didn’t aim to be. Many were just “regular” people that just did what they felt they needed to under their circumstances. To me, those are the most extraordinary. They don’t look to be extraordinary and they don’t look for admiration or accolades. They just do.

So that’s my message for today… JUST DO. Find your own extraordinary by just doing you in the best possible way. Love yourself and learn from your setbacks. Love others and learn from what they bring into your life. Challenge yourself to be the best possible version of yourself. It isn’t always easy…. but nothing great ever is. You’ll have setbacks… that’s life. You’ll make mistakes… you’re human. Just wake up every day with an extraordinary mindset and look to make a difference in some way. Live with integrity. Love with your soul. And live for the moment.

So, go ahead…. be extraordinary today!!

Life has a way of challenging you and rewarding you, often at the same time. Over the the past three weeks I have been on a mission to drop a huge number of pounds in a 30 day time period. During that first week I was down 5 lbs and then got on a plane and flew to Texas for 5 days. During those 5 days I put on 10 lbs!! What the hell!!

You see, at home I could more easily control my diet and exercise, in Texas I was eating out every day and did not workout except for once. In addition at home I had been refraining from alcohol but in Texas I drank almost every night.

So I returned home 5 lbs above where I had started… that was a challenge. I had a choice, I could either give up and just go back to eating and drinking whatever I wanted and dropping the exercise OR I could get back at it…. I got back at it.

I cut my calorie intake and started exercising twice a day. I went back to cutting out alcohol and increased my water intake. One week later and I’m down 13 lbs! I’m hitting a groove and starting to really feel good again. My mind is clearer and my attitude has improved.

So what started as a challenge has become a reward. I’m not done yet but I’m already being rewarded. I can see a big number being hit on my weight loss. I’ve decided to add a week to make up for the Texas debacle and I’m still aiming for 50 lbs. like I said at the beginning of this, that is a huge goal and probably unlikely but if you don’t aim for huge goals how can you ever achieve great success?

Often times we get bogged down by all of the external stresses around us and we forget that WE have the power to control our own outcome. WE have the ability to set and chase goals… WE have the ability to change direction… WE have the power to rise above the stresses and obstacles and crush life!

So if you’re feeling like you can’t get out of your rut, like you are drowning in the stresses of life…. change course. Find your happiness and don’t let anyone tell you what’s right or wrong. Follow your gut and go after greatness. It’s there for you, you just have to be willing to go after it!!