We are at a critical junction with regards to the coronavirus and many people just accept that this is going to be our reality for a while.  There are two sides to looking at the word acceptance.  One side is being complacent and the other side is empowering.

 I live and understand both sides of the acceptance dilemma. I always accepted the fact that I will probably live with my disability and the ramifications of it for the rest of my life. What I never accepted was the fact that I could not have an amazing life. Every day I fight and claw for the chance to live an amazing life. I want to create a loving family, a business that inspires me, the ability to work and serve amazing people, and amazing experiences. In order for the latter to happen, I needed to accept the former. I spent countless days wondering if my disability was too much to deal with. However, I was always focused on creating an amazing life.

 We are well into dealing with this pandemic and most...

Every year I write a blog about gratitude. It’s one of my favorite topics because I believe it is a principle and a tool for success.  It’s more than a feel-good concept.  In order to move forward in your life, it’s important to see the blessings in your life and use the tools at your disposal.  This is especially true in challenging times, and boy, 2020 is uniquely challenging.

 Let’s face it, 2020 has not been the year that we imagined.  We all have had our lives disrupted by the pandemic.  I had to change the direction that I was going in.  I was working on some exciting business ventures that would have been life changing and downright fun.  I had to postpone two big family trips and a couple of trips with friends.  Yet, my life is still amazing, and I view part of the year with a smile.  I spend a lot of time watching my kids well… be kids.  I have gotten gooder with my writing.  It...

Part of being clear about your life is managing expectations. For you to live out an amazing life, you must manage your expectations while simultaneously being aspirational. Where people get into trouble is when their expectations are not met. People measure their lives and their happiness based on their expectations.

 For example, if I promised you that I would give you $100 in a week and I give you $75, you are going to be disappointed.  However, if I promise you $50 and give you $75 you’re going to be ecstatic. The end result is exactly the same. The only thing that changed were the expectations.  Much of stress and frustration are born out of misguided expectations. When I was a kid and a teenager, my experiences were not that different. After all, all kids needed rides from their parents. Most of my friends were schoolmates and lived in my neighborhood and I had a pretty normal and great experience as a youth. My assumption was that if I kept on living my...

Our lives are not independent of outside factors. We are dependent on the actions of others.  We are part of an ecosystem with other human beings. One characteristic of human beings is that we are not perfect beings. We all have different emotions, different mindset, and different experiences.  

 One component to an amazing mindset and an amazing narrative is personal responsibility.  With so many factors and so many random occurrences, it’s often challenging to decipher what we are and are not responsible for. In addition, with so many random occurrences coming at us, it’s often challenging to make sense of it all and to take personal responsibility for it. It’s even more challenging when you were born into a worse situation than someone else.

 My own personal mantra is my disability is not my fault, but it’s my responsibility. I am disabled because of a doctor’s negligence. However, I am responsible for making the best...

There’s no doubt that 2020 has been one of the most unique and challenging years of our lives.  On television I heard 2020 referred to as “a long decade”. Although it’s been challenging for me personally and professionally, I feel that I have grown as a person.  I have enjoyed watching my boys, Andrew and Tyler, explore and grow.  I have enjoyed going for long rides in my wheelchair.  Lastly, I have grown as a writer.

It looks like this pandemic is going to be here for a lot longer than we expected.  Right now, we have about two months to go in this year of 2020, and it’s great time to at least think about how you want your life to look in 2021 and beyond.  Let’s face it, we have a little less control over lives.  We have fewer freedoms such as giving hugs, going to concerts, going to sporting events, family gatherings, etc. 

 This does not mean that we have to be at the mercy of the pandemic or...

We all have areas in our lives where we struggle, and it often feels as if we can only get rid of certain emotions, people, problems, feelings, or anything else that gets in the way.  A common example of this is getting rid of challenges. We all have challenges that if we get rid of we will feel unstoppable. 

One of the keys to an amazing mindset is how you deal with challenges. I teach that challenges are meant to be engaged with in a positive way. Challenges or obstacles can lead to some great triumphs.

My disability forced me to start thinking about success and mindset. Because of my disability I took an opportunity to learn what it takes to become successful and what mindset really is.  I did not ignore my limitations or try to cancel all negative emotions. The goal is to limit and channel negativity.

We can’t ignore or cancel whatever we don’t like, or whatever gets in the way of amazing success. Instead, we have to understand how it effects our life...

No matter who you are, you have life coming at you all the time. You must deal with the agenda of others. You must deal with your own weaknesses, insecurities, and other challenges. Nobody has a perfect life. With so much coming at us, oftentimes we take on a victim’s mindset. I want to explore what a victim mindset is and show you how to rewrite your narrative to turn that mindset into an empowering one.

It would have been easy for me to take on a victim mindset, and, if I’m not careful, a victim mindset can take over at any minute. It is so easy for a victim mindset to take over. A victim mindset is blaming our setbacks on outside factors. There is a difference between being a victim and having a victim mindset. The statement “don’t be a victim” never made sense to me. I feel that I’m a victim of cerebral palsy. Minorities should not deny the fact that racism still exists. If you are robbed, then you are a victim of robbery. The number one goal...

Let’s face it. This is one of the most challenging times and one of the most unique times that many of us have faced. We are dealing with a once in a century pandemic and the ramifications of it. We are on a doorstep of a consequential election. We are also dealing with racial questions. These are just some of the consequential issues that are before us.

 My first book was about loving your life. My second book was about how people need to sacrifice for their dreams. For the past couple of years, I have been writing about how to develop an amazing mindset. In all three, one of the through lines is what you put into your life is what you get out of your life.

 From a young age, my parents instilled this narrative that what you put into your life is what you get out of it. They never let me act like a victim. They always brought joy, laughter, and love to every situation. Bottom line is they are loving and helping people.

 If we are going to move forward, we have...

 A big part of success is developing our strengths and mindset required for whatever we want to accomplish, whether that’s growing a company, getting ahead in our industry or even raising children. Part of our narrative is what strength really means.

 If I ask you to imagine a strong person, you might envision a tough, rugged, person.  Unfortunately, different goals take different strengths. Our narrative about what strength is can often get in the way of developing the true strengths that are needed in order to accomplish our goals.

 My disability forced me to redefine my definition of what it means to be strong. My mindset was strongly influenced by my parents who are two of the strongest people I know. Part of my father’s success was due to sheer hustle. When my dad was younger, we joked that my dad would never walk. Everything was a slow run.

 The way my parents achieved success was not an option for me. I had to create my own...

Oftentimes, it’s challenging to make sense of our lives and it feels that life often happens to us.  Nobody has total control over their life and circumstances. With that being said, part of our job is to take control of the aspects that we can and have faith that the rest will work itself out.

There is a popular saying that is often used to understand the randomness of life, but there is another way of looking at the statement that can be empowering.

 Are you ready?

 The statement is…

Wait for it…

 It is what it is

 Traditionally, people use this statement when life happens to them. Guess what? Life happens to everybody. If you’re human, life happens. You are going to have bad days. You are going to have unexpected expenses. You are going to have disagreements. You are going to have rude waiters. And so on. Guess what? So, does everybody else.

 Realize that there are two powerful parts of life. There is reality and there is...