Kevin Durant: Boston Celtic

This will either go down as an epic blog, because I will be totally right, or it will disappear in a week or so once KD picks his new team and I am wrong. Either way works for me, but I am pulling for the former, obviously.

I am going to visit each of the top six prospects for Mr. Durant’s talents. I understand that the Knicks and Lakers want in, but they are both dumpster fires, so we can ignore them. I am also aware that the Hawks are going for him too, but they don’t have a shot either, so I am going to pretend they are just not there (like the rest of us do).

There is only one thing KD needs to think about when making his decision, legacy. Winning is a huge part of that legacy, but so is the franchise you play for, and the city you play in. The fact that the Lakers and Knicks are not involved in the talks shows that KD has no faith that he can win there, even though the upside for legacy in a big city is tremendous. Being a big name in a big city on a loser team is not good for legacy. Just ask Melo (even though he is a big reason his team sucks, and it is not going to get any better with Rose).

Think about that……

The Knicks could be a new “Big 3” if it weren’t for two of the three involved. It would be more like the “Big 3rd.” That says so much about the Knicks organization, Melo AND D Rose. It’s deafening. Can you hear it New York? I can hear it in Silicon Valley.

The same can be said about the Lakers and their organization, but they have NO ONE for KD to play off of. That one makes a ton of sense. What’s the point?

The two biggest markets in the US, two blue bloods of The Association, and they can’t even get a meeting. Wow. Wake up Lakers and Knicks fans, your teams suck, out loud.

Now to the real teams, with a real shot of landing the biggest free agent in 2 whole years.

Here we go, in ascending order of likeliness:

6. Miami Heat  — With Pat Riley at the helm, I think he owes it to himself to at least hear what the Heat have to say. This is such a strong organization and it’s in Miami, which might be the polar opposite of Oklahoma City. KD doesn’t seem like the type of guy that hangs out with Pitbull, and buy a piece of the Miami Dolphins like every other celebrity in Miami kind of guy, but I also don’t know him personally. I think we are all going to learn a whole lot about Mr. Durant during this free-agency season. Hopefully he won’t just wuss out and sign a one year deal.

Why it would work: One dude, Pat Riley. He will give you a solid team every year because he might want to win more than you do. He also understands that he needs someone like you if he is going to win any time soon. The “one that got away” is going to also be the “one that’s in the way” for quite some time up in Cleveland. Miami would be a great pick, except for…..

Why it won’t work: To be blunt, he doesn’t want LeBron’s sloppy seconds.

Too blunt?

Sorry. I should have said ear muffs first. My bad.

LeBron was just there. The bed is still warm. It would be great for an instant rivalry (in fact, any Eastern team KD picks will lock that rivalry in for the next 4–6 years), but it’s, as Jeff Ross says, “too soon.”

5. Los Angeles Clippers  — Luckily, LA has two teams. Same great city (depending on your perspective), same insane exposure, and all of that on top of being one of the best players in the game. He is already at a 9 on the NBA radar. Signing in LA would put him out a 12 (this is out of 10, people. Just want to make that clear).

I mean, look at what they are doing now with LA players, every fricken commercial has Kobe, CP3, or Griffin in it. Imagine if they were winning? Holy crap!

Why it would work: KD and CP3 would be amazing!! I mean, F***ING AMAZING!!!! Aaaaaand that’s just about it. Don’t forget….

Why it wouldn’t work: No more Blakey Poo if KD comes to town. Who do you have left? Dondre Jordan? Meh. Paul Pierce? Double meh. J.J. Reddick? Solid, but how the hell are you even going to beat your old team with this one (let alone the Spurs and Dubs)? Remember, the Thunder have a phenomenal GM and a fantastic head coach. You can’t go somewhere where your old team is going to beat you, at least in the West. For that reason, I’m out (Shark Tank style).

4. San Antonio Spurs: I love this team. I mean, I respect this team. How can’t you? They are always in the mix. They have clearly proven they are in the upper echelon of NBA franchises, and any free agent would be out of their mind to not sit down with them at least.

Why it would work: Pop. Enough said. In fact, I would rank SAS and MIA pretty even if it weren’t for the fact that the sheets still smell like LeBron in Miami. The Spurs have a better coach, but the GM has done an amazing job of restocking this team for the last 20 years. They are always contenders. Winning a ton and being in the mix for a championship will never be an issue. Is it a better situation than the one he is in right now? Only in one regard, he would be the true #1 on the team, no questions asked (offensively of course). The biggest issue with the Spurs is….

Why it wouldn’t work: He would be going to a great team historically, but probably not better right now, and it’s in San Antonio. It’s not a major market (like Oklahoma City), and his legacy would be damaged by leaving one situation for basically the same one someplace else. They are too similar, at least at this point. Great coaches, great GMs, small markets, bleh. Why leave? The Thunder showed the world in the playoffs that they are serious threats to Golden State Warriors and could handle the Spurs. The move doesn’t make sense to me at all (but it totally did BEFORE the playoffs. Things change).

3. Golden State Warriors  — An offensive clinic every night if he came here. This is my team. I love the Dubs, but I don’t want KD here. I think there is a lot to be said about clear roles on a team. KD and Steph on the same team would muddy the waters. It would be similar to KD and Westbrook, but Steph isn’t a maniac ball hog (which works out great for Westbrook sometimes and terribly others). It would be great for the Dubs offense, but they would still need to address their size issue, which OKC exploited in games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals. KD is a big ol dude, but he’s not getting in there and pulling down the rebounds like they would need. You need a beast for that, KD is a toothpick.

Why it would work: The offense would be amazing, obviously. The Dubs play as a team, they would bring him in, adjust the offense and thrive, but…..

Why it wouldn’t work: It’s Steph’s team. He would be coming in to a situation where the most popular player in the team’s history is still on the team, still young, and still the number one option. This would hurt his legacy in the long run. Would Steph’s star shine brighter than his? There are a lot of players on that team that don’t get the recognition they deserve for the success of the team. How does KD deal with that? They would get some rings, but it would almost force an asterisk to be placed next to it *Steph carried the team, but KD got the ring. No bueno for legacy my friend.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder  — Great team, great coach, great GM, great city? I don’t know. Never been there, lots of tornados in the summer, small town. The only reason to leave at this point is for legacy. They are so good right now, it’s almost crazy to leave. I don’t really have a negative except it’s a small town in the middle of America. The only team I see as a better place in terms of legacy is…

1. Boston Celtics  — They have the coach, the cap space (which is good because the team is not that great), the history in the NBA and a city that creates legends.

Why it will work: Legacy. When KD signs with the Celtics, they become the automatic number two in the East (sorry Heat, sorry Hawks, sorry Drake). For the next 4–6 years it will be LeBron and KD in the Eastern Conference Finals every stinking year. The huge difference for KD? The history of the franchise. He is an East Coast kid. The Celtics and the Knicks control the East Coast. The Knicks suck, and will keep sucking, so it’s Boston. All the banners, all the history, the fans, the town. That would all be his. The Prince of Boston? The Boss of Boston? I don’t know, that will get figured out in a couple weeks.

They have a smart GM, a smart coach, and they are in the weak ass East. No more stacked Western Conference, it would be wide open, just KD and LeBron. Two of the best players in our generation all by themselves (seriously, sorry East fans, but its’s true).

He would enjoy the East Coast bias, in a sports mecca, on one of the most historically significant franchises in all of sports. He will bring them a title, and he will be revered forever.

Legacy. Complete.

Joey

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How To Deal With Assholes

Let’s get straight to the point: Just avoid them.

Easy, huh?

Just kidding. You can’t. They are everywhere.

At work. In traffic. At the grocery store. In your family. And probably in your house. You might be one too. Let’s be honest, you are at least sometimes. I know I am.

Strategy Time

I truly believe that you can’t let someone get under your skin unless you let them get under your skin. What I mean is, you can’t get angry unless you let yourself get angry. Not unless you give them the power to control your mood and your happiness.

Did you honestly think I wasn’t going to make this a “you” problem? I am and the King Of Self-Awareness baby! All problems are your problems. It’s time to get on board! Toot toot!

All kidding aside (even though I am not kidding about it being your problemo), there are different strategies based on who you are dealing with. There is: The Stranger Approach to Assholes, and the Frequently Deal With Them Approach To Assholes.

#1 The Stranger Approach To Assholes

Do you really walk out your door and get surprised that you run in to assholes? Seriously? You know you are going to drive next to them. You know they are going to be in front of you at Costco. You know they are going to be on the train or the bus. You should be prepared for this the second you walk out the door each day.

Here is a quote from Marcus Aurelius. This should go through your head every day:

“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own — not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.”

The truth is, you have no idea what someone else is going through that day. Just like they don’t know what you are going through. We all have bad days. We all have perspectives and points of view. That’s what makes us so interesting. It is also what makes us so irritating. We don’t walk through our days thinking about everyone we come across, we think about ourselves. That is why you are so mad when they cut you off.

How dare they!! Don’t they know you have places to go!?!

It’s not about you.

It’s not about me.

You need to prepare yourself every day to deal with people that do not have the same agenda as you at the same time. Not everyone is late for work. Not everyone takes their job as seriously as you. The world is not here to please you. So when you walk out that door, understand that you are just a piece of the puzzle. Some pieces fit and some don’t, but there is a place for everyone.

So when someone cuts you off. When (one of my favorites) someone at the grocery store is oblivious to the fact that there are other people in the aisles, when your waitress is rude, or when that dummy is playing his completely inappropriate music out loud in a crowded space for everyone to listen to instead of having some headphones (another one of my favorites), you can just say, “Wow. That person has a lot going on today.” And move on.

Simple. Effective.

Now for the hard one.

#2 Frequently Deal With Them Approach To Assholes

This is basically designed for people you work with and family members.

It is really hard, I know.

Lazy, rude, sloppy, stupid, the list goes on and on. You can’t fire them, unless you are the boss, then go ahead. But you can’t fire your family. You can’t ignore them, or “unfriend” them. You are bound by blood, and you are stuck.

So you have to make it work in both instances.

My only suggestion is to flip the script on them, make light of the thing that irritates you the most.

Get to the root of their assholeness. Really get in there.

That sounds weird, even in context.

Better put, use their stuff against them.

If you are a Metallica fan, fight fire with fire.

If they are negative, joke around about their negativity.

If they are rude, make a joke about saying please and thank you.

Tell them it is a pleasure to see them in such a good mood.

Whatever your strategy, don’t let it build up. When it builds up you explode. When it builds up you gossip. You talk about them behind their back, that means you are getting worked up about them even when they are not directly irritating you, then you are an asshole too. Be straight forward with people. If you have to tell them they suck at their job, do it. If they are a family member that does something you don’t like, tell them. Joke with it, or go straight at it, but holding it inside is the worst thing you can do when you are dealing with this type of an asshole. Holding it in ruins your day, your week, your month, your year. On top of that, if you bring it home (assuming the person is not in your home) you are ruining your house too. Look how much power you are giving this person. This asshole.

Seems silly doesn’t it?

The Bottom Line

It all comes down to anticipation. You should be anticipating dealing with assholes. You may not know how, but you can anticipate that something will get you irritated. The anticipation allows you to let it bounce off of you because you were expecting it. Instead of being surprised, you can be prepared.

The same anticipation you use to go out in the world is the same anticipation you can use to deal with the Frequent Interaction Asshole. If you know Betty is going to be a bitch at work, for whatever reason, if that ruins your day, it’s your fault. Work around it. Absorb it, ignore it. Whatever you need to do to block it out. You have the ability to block it, so use it. You know it’s there, so you should never be surprised by it. It’s all about the game plan.

You have more power than you know. It’s time to utilize it.

Stay strong my people.

Joey

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How To Become A Runner

Those of you who follow me on Snapchat (and you should), know I love running.

I share beautiful pictures of my runs. Sunrises, beautiful golden/green hills (depending on the time of the year), animals, everything. The level of appreciation I feel when I run is off the charts. There is so much beauty in the world, just begging us to notice. Man, I sound like a hippie. Damnit.

I just know when I crest a hill, when I see all of South San Jose from the top of Santa Teresa Park, I am filled with appreciation, feel I can do anything, and that the world is a beautiful place.

I swear I am not a hippie.

There is no way you believe me, I can feel it.

Anyhoo.

I have been running since I was 16. Consistently from the ages 16–22, not so consistently from 22–32, and then coming back to my long lost love from 32-present with a better understanding AND appreciation for it.

I share this with you because I know how amazing it is, and I hope it can be amazing for you as well.

Judging from the questions I have been getting about it, I am doing something right.

Victory!

So, where do you start?

This really depends on where you are starting from. Have you ever run before? What are your goals?

I think the first thing to do is look at it as….

A Lifestyle

I hate diets. I think they are stupid. Just eat right.

What happens when you lose that 40 lbs? Get fat again? No! You should eat well to maintain your health! Duh.

When you are just starting out, have goals to keep you motivated: 5k, 10k, marathons, accountability partners, aka — other runners, etc. But look at it like a new part of your life. This will allow you to view it less like work, and more like a part of you.

Your New Mantra: “Running Is What I Do.”

Ok. Now that we have that established, there are good ways and bad ways to run. Maybe not good and bad, but smart and not quite as smart. I am going to teach you the way that will promote a healthy development of your body, and set you up to be a lifelong runner, not one that breaks down over time because you have not taken care of yourself.

The MAF Method

This changed the way I ran, completely diminished my injuries, and made me a better runner in the long run (no pun intended, well, maybe a little).

What is it? The heart rate at which you will be using fat as a fuel source instead of sugar. This is good for the reduction in your belly and booty, a better, more sustainable fuel source, and is easier on your body.

Think of the sugar burning HRs (heart rates) as RPMs in your car (hopefully this analogy works for you). Your car shifts gears once the RPMs reach a certain level. If you don’t change gears, the RPMs are too high, and it is hard on the gears. Make sense?

If that doesn’t work, think of making rice. Sometimes it gets too hot and the water boils out from under the lid and you have to turn it down. Is that better?

This is like your body. You don’t want it to boil over, you don’t want to run the RPMs too high, or its tough on your “gears.” Running with the MAF method allows your body to be functioning at the ideal temperature and heart rate.

How do you get it?

1. 180 — your age = your ideal heart rate (your peak heart rate).

2. Peak HR — 10 = Your ideal, fat burning, good for your body, HR zone.

3. If you are in shape, you can add 5–10.

Example: I am 37.

180–37 = 143

143–10 = 133

My ideal HR zone is 133–143. Add 5–10 because I am in shape = 143–153. Boom. Done.

As long as I keep my HR in that zone, I am a machine. It is easier on my joints, it is burning fat instead of sugar, and it will allow me a longer, healthier running career.

You will need: A heart rate monitor. I use Garmin, but there are tons of options out there. Just remember that you get what you pay for (so don’t be too cheap).

FYI

When you start this, you will feel slow. Your heart rate will be up in your range, but you will not be moving very fast. That is perfectly normal. As you continue to run, you will be going faster and faster in that same HR zone. Don’t be impatient and push through it because you are letting your ego get in the way of health. The speed will come, but you may have to do some walking to keep your HR down (especially on hills).

Pick A Route

I LOVE hills. I only run hills. I want the view. It helps start my day with the proper perspective. It allows me to see immense beauty every time I run (there’s that hippie crap again). It is the perfect way to start my day.

Luckily, I live in an amazing city to run. There is ZERO personality in San Jose, but there is really good/diverse food, and lots of great running.

So where is there beauty near you? A park? A trail? Hills? Where is it? Run there. Treadmills are effective, but we are talking about love here. You can’t fall in love with running on a treadmill. Get outside. Be in nature. Run in beauty.

Recovery

If you are going to be a runner, you are going to have to take care of your body. You need to eat right and sleep well so your muscles can recover, but you also need body maintenance.

I will address weight training, diet, and sleep another time, this is more for the couple tools I use to make sure my muscles and tendons are healthy.

You will need two things:

1. A lacrosse ball: Just sit down and roll your feet over the ball. It loosens up all the tension in your feet, which allows relief on your calves, which allows relief in your quads, etc. Very important. You will feel the difference the second you start using it.

2. A foam roller: Use it to roll out your: calves, quads, and back. You are going to get tight, especially in the beginning. Stretching may cause more damage that good, so I recommend rolling out. Great for your muscles and your tendons.

This Is It

This is what you need to start your running career. It is an amazing sport. Hard work and beauty all in one.

If you have any other questions. If you need more specifics. You know where to find me (and in case you don’t know where to find me I attached links to all my social media below).

Happy running!

Joey

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The Best Piece Of Advice For Anyone, Ever

This may be the most important thing you ever read from me.

This may be the defining moment in your life where everything starts to turn around.

Maybe it was good before. Well, it’s going to be GREAT now.

I will be considered a genius.

Or I would have been, if I came up with this on my own.

But I didn’t.

What I did do is hear virtually the same thing from three different places, and they are all equally powerful. You can decide which origin works best for you. If you want to use me, I am okay with that too.

So what is this end-all-be-all pieces of advice?

“Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” — Matthew 5:37 (that’s in the Bible by the way. I want to make sure we are all on the same page.)

Not a churchgoer?

How about,

“If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.” — James Altucher (@jaltucher)

Want more flash? More pizazz?

“If it’s not a fuck yes, it’s a no” — Derek Sivers (@sivers)

They all work the same, they are all equally powerful. You pick which one sinks in the most.

How It Works

This basically comes down to commitment.

You are either in or out. The times we find ourselves in trouble are when we are in the middle. We say “yes”, but there is a lot of “no.” Or we say “no,” but we leave some room for “yes.”

This can be applied to anything!!! Jobs, assignments, relationships, tasks, chores, and most importantly, things that can get your ass in trouble!

How many times have you been in trouble for something you knew you shouldn’t be doing in the first place? Let me guess, every time you have ever been in trouble? EVER? Why don’t we listen to our guts? They let us know when things are not right. Do we discount them because we can’t process exactly what the bad feeling is? Everyone else is doing it so I must be weird or whatever else we tell ourselves. We say yes, but we mean no.

How about the times when we say no, because we know it is bad, but we don’t definitively slam the door? Guess what? 99.9% closed is still .01% open. Guess what happens with that little itty bitty opening? Soon it’s 5%, then 12%, then it’s wide the F*** open and you don’t even know what happened.

I do.

Your “no” wasn’t “no” enough. You didn’t slam that door. Were you trying to be nice? Trying to not make the situation worse? Trying not to hurt feelings? Why did you leave the door open? Now look at you. Idiot.

This can happen in ALL situations, ALL walks of life: cheating, stealing, drugs, alcohol, drink driving, violence, etc. I guarantee in EVERY SINGLE ONE of these situations, there was a no, but too much yes (and by too much, I mean any), the door flung open, and you found yourself in a total mess.

Tell me I’m wrong!

That’s what I thought.

I hate being right, but I know I am. Why? Because my “no” wasn’t “no” enough. I realized that too late.

When You Say No To Others, You Say Yes To Yourself

Holy crap. This is a big time blog today. You are getting all kinds of good stuff. See what happens when you listen to someone who has messed up and learned? I’ve been there, and I got out. I do this to show you that you can too.

When you focus on what you truly want to do, there are going to be “no’s.” There have to be, because you need time for your “yes’s.” Don’t worry about missing out on things. Don’t worry about the money you could have made, you are happier, there will be other opportunities because you are focusing on what you REALLY want to do, not what you think you have to do, not what someone else wants you to do.

When you learn to: listen to, love, and know yourself, you can do this easily. That doesn’t mean make drastic decisions. You may need to sit on an idea for a couple of days to know if it is truly a “hell yes” or not. One thing you will know, is don’t commit to it when it looks like a “no.” That will only make you miserable, or worse, get your stupid, non-listening, ass in trouble.

Can you see how valuable this is?

Think back to every single mistake you have ever made in your life. There was a lot of gray in the decision making wasn’t there?

Now think to everything that was a “hell yes” or a “hell no” (substitute the “hell” for “F” if that is what works better for you). You either did something that you loved, or you avoided a disaster, but you were better for it. Now apply that to everything in your life.

Some Potential Issues

If you don’t know yourself well enough, and even when your decisions are definitive they mess you up, then you need help. Not in a mean way, in a, ”Please get help” sort of way. Or, if you can look at the things you really want to do, you are an absolute “hell yes” but all of those decisions are stupid, like: cheating, hurting, stealing, dealing, abandoning kids, spouses, not paying bills, etc. then you need help as well. Just being honest. Like anything else, there are upsides and downsides. We need to learn about ourselves before we can move forward in life. Give yourself a chance. Self-reflection is key.

Apply It ASAP

Start this today. Just for practice, look at your day today. What are you “hell yes” about and what are you “hell no” about? Hopefully you have more “yes” than “no.” Don’t get down if it doesn’t look so hot, realization is the first step. Then audit the shit out of your day.

This life is a constant evolution. Always be refining yourself, getting better every day, living smarter, appreciating more, being a better person, a healthier person. We have something beautiful at our fingertips. Hold on to it instead of letting it slip away.

Joey

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Steps To Find Your Northern Star

This may not work for everyone, but it worked for me.

I found my Northern Star. Looking back, I always knew what it was, but I let the “real world” talk me out of it. It was just a hobby. You can’t do that for a living. Music? Who does that? What are the chances of you making it? Get a “real” job, and then do “your little music thing” on the weekend and after hours., where it belongs.

Ok. So I got a real job.

And how did I interpret my interpretation of a job? 1. Jobs suck, but you have to do them. 2. Love and passion are for hobbies. 3. Now you need to find a job that gives you time to do what you really love, but make enough money so you aren’t a loser.

And that was the beginning of The War With Myself. World War Joey.

It was a fight to fit in. A fight to do what I thought I was supposed to do.

I knew I didn’t really want to do it, but this was the real world. Right? Suck it up and do what you gotta do.

I allowed the “real world” to cage me in, to neglect my passion, to trap me, and I didn’t even know it. 

My life view was so limited, I didn’t see my own potential.

Looking back, the slow decay is obvious. The rust was eating away at me, oxidizing my dreams, breaking down my armor, and I just sat there, like a dummy.

Why wasn’t I doing what I knew I wanted to be doing? Did I even know what I wanted to be doing?

Lesson #1 — Reflect, Reflect, Reflect

I have no idea how old you are. I was 32 when I started reflecting. Never too late, right?

Because I was in the middle of a life implosion, I was looking for any kind of clarity. 1. When was I more focused? 2. When did I have a stronger sense of self? I was looking for the point in my life where I would have kicked the shit out of myself for being where I was today. When was that?

For me? College.

Ages 18–22. San Diego, CA

What did I love then?

Music. Running. Learning. All three were things that would pop up at different points of my life, like they were a part of me. Music is in my blood, running is in my blood (I found out later I loved running because it allowed my ADHD brain to work correctly. Yay!), and I love learning about new things, analyzing them, taking bits and pieces so I can apply them to other aspects/projects in my life.

Make sense?

Like I said, this is my journey. Focus on the lessons, not what I found out about myself. This is a custom job. Pimp My Life. Sorry, too old of a TV show? What’s a TV show you ask? Dang.

Now it’s your turn. Look back over your life. 1. What are things you love (even if they don’t seem like they could be a source of income)? Reading? Writing? Socializing? It can be anything. 2. Where are you most comfortable? 3. When are you your happiest? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a thing, like poetry or cycling, just think of times when you were at your best, your happiest. What were you doing?

Start there.

WARNING: If you say you are your happiest when you are out drinking and smoking with your friends, STOP. That sounds like a quick trip to Loserville, population You. Unless you and your friends do something inherently constructive, hanging out, drinking and getting high are not avenues to explore you purpose in life (unless it is so epic you can start a vlog, but even then, you need a videographer, equipment, creativity, vision, etc. and that may be the real passion, not the partying).

Can you think of something? Start looking between the ages of 14–22. What did you love? What do you look back on fondly?

What didn’t you focus on those as a career back then?

Because you were scared.

Lesson #2 — Don’t Be Scared

The only reason you would be scared is because you don’t think you are good enough at what you are passionate about to do it for a living. Failing at the thing you love the most? Uh, no thank you. I will just daydream and never put myself out there. Better safe than sorry. Better to “what if?” than “oh, I suck.”

Don’t be a pussy (cat).

The magic of your passion is, because you love it, you can take the hits, you can allow yourself the opportunity to fail because you love it so much you will rebound and learn from it. You have to. It’s your passion! You may not be good enough yet, you probably aren’t, but that comes with time. That comes from commitment. It needs to be deliberate, and it needs to be A LOT!!! So…….

Lesson #3 — Put In The Time

Nothing worth doing is going to be easy. If it’s easy it’s not pushing you, it’s not stretching your capabilities, it’s not allowing you to grow, which means you are stagnant, just floating in the same place. If you are going to grow and get better, get to a place where you can take something you love and embrace it as a career you need to be damn good, and you need to be a hard ass worker.

Think you are too lazy?

Don’t worry, you have just conditioned yourself to be lazy. All you have to do is un-condition yourself. Sound hard? It is, sort of, but just start with a 24 hour audit of your life: 1. How do you spend your time? 2. When you are most productive? 3. What things do you need to do/have to be your most productive? This is not something you can sit down with and write out in 10 minutes. Start working, then audit yourself along the way. In no time, you will be more efficient, producing better whatever-it-is you are doing. But you HAVE to put in the time. Work ethic is EVERYTHING once you have your direction. You will never get there just looking at it.

Lesson #4 — Remember It Is A Direction, Not A Path

People fall in love with paths.

I did.

Paths are so easy.

When you are 22, just graduating college, the world is wide open. You can do anything, be anything, and go anywhere. What do you do? You look for a path. You try to find the, A + B = C. Ambiguity is not comforting, so you look for the certificates that lead to specific jobs, the degrees that lead to specific jobs, staying in school because you want more degrees, you know, the things you are familiar with. Why? Because they are comfortable. You do what your dad does, or what you mom does. Why? Because it’s a path, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to walk on a path than head in a general direction (even if your dreams are that way). It may be perfect for you, maybe your direction and path are smooshed together, but I would bet it is just an easy way out. It allows you to tell yourself you are doing the right thing.

“I know exactly what I am doing. Look at this path I am on.”

But really, you are just being lead. Handing in your individuality, your potential, the thing that makes you special, because it is a big ‘ol scary world with too many possibilities. Have you seen Room? The kid wants to go back to Room. Why? Because it is familiar, and small, and safe (sort of).

Don’t be lead astray my friend. You can just as easily get lost on a path.

When you follow your Northern Star you know where you are going, but you don’t necessarily know how you are going to get there. That’s okay, because you know every move in THAT direction is progress, and that’s what you need to do, make progress, every single day. Big steps. Baby steps. 

Who cares? Just keep stepping.

What also becomes clear while following your Northern Star are the things that are definitely NOT on the path. A job offer, a trip, a friendship, a lunch, relationship, whatever. You can see it for what it is, and you can avoid it.

Something else happens as well, you start picking up things along the way that you can use later. You may not be sure how, but you know you will recognize it eventually along your journey.

Lesson #5 — Only Do The Things You Need To Be Better Once You Get There

This is the most amazing lesson.

Learn all the aspects of your Northern Star and you will be amazed at where it can take you.

All I can do is explain my story. I will bullet point it so it’s not too daunting. There was a huge surprise along the way as well. (I will get to that later.)

My Northern Star: Music

1. Learn how to record my music (first on GarageBand, then Ableton Live and Ozone)

New Skill: Producer, Audio Engineer

2. Need to deal with my past so I can move forward with my music (write a book)

New Skill: Author, Editor, E-Book Editor, Audio Book Producer, Distributor, Story-Teller

3. Need to promote myself and the book more, create more online presence, build an audience

New Skill: Social Media Marketer, Content Creator, Blogger, Vlogger, Video Editor, Photographer, Videographer

4. Need a website to promote the book

New Skill: Web Designer, Graphic Artist, Media Creator

5. Need to be on top of my game all the time

New Skill: Nutritionist, Sleep Consultant, Personal Trainer, Chef

6. Expand my reach as an author, writer, blogger, vlogger, designer, creative

New Skill: Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, etc.

That is all from just heading in a direction, the right direction. As things came up, I learned them. I added certain things that would be helpful to fulfill my purpose, I discarded the ones I knew wouldn’t. Now that I know how to do them for myself, I can do them for anybody, and I enjoy doing it.

This lead to my biggest surprise: I love music, but it is the creativity involved in music that I love the most. I love creating. I love making things awesome. As I learned new skills, I realized that I just like creating, period. My Northern Star is creating, having a vision and seeing it through, but I found it through music. I followed my Northern Star until I realized what my Northern Star truly was.

Now my options are wide open. Look at all the skills I gained? That can be applied all over the 

world, to anyone!

I went from not knowing what the hell to do to having more options than I know what to do with, all by listening to myself, and following My Northern Star.

Please take a second and be quiet.

Just listen.

What are you saying to yourself?

Listen.

Now follow.

Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the happiness. Never stop pushing. You will get there.

Joey

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Why Does Casey Neistat Run?

I have three things to admit:

1. The actual question I received was, “What are natural ways to medicate ADHD?”

2. I have been watching a ton of Casey Neistat videos lately. He has an amazing vlog, I am doing my own vlog, and I feel you need to learn from the people who are already doing what you want to do. Hopefully those people are doing it well. Casey Neistat’s vlog is amazing.

3. He is always saying that there is no excuse to not get a run in. I thought this was a perfect way to show how certain exercise can be the perfect natural remedy for ADHD.

To be honest, I don’t even know if Casey knows this information. It feels good, he loves it, and he does it. That may be all there is to it.

That’s the way it was for me until I started auditing myself, my life, everything. Not because I wanted to, I had to. It was either audit or oblivion. I chose audit.

My Running Background

I started running when I was 16. It wasn’t for health reasons, it was for looks. Just being honest. I saw a video of my band playing a show and I didn’t like the way I looked in it. I wanted to be thinner, I thought running was the best way to do it. So I started.

I enjoyed it right away. I thought it was the fresh air, getting out, feeling good about doing things to look better. You know? General stuff.

Little did I know there was a lot more going on.

Once I was in college I really hit it hard. The hills in and around UCSD are incredible. Ocean views, great weather, beaches, it’s perfect. It was hard not to love it. While in college and I was doing better in school than I ever had. I thought it was maturity. I was finally bearing down, taking it seriously. By this time I had decided the reason I loved running so much was because it allowed a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning. Get the blood flowing and the momentum started to do big things that day. Beginning your day with 8 miles along the cliffs of La Jolla? Can’t think of anything better.

Accomplishment to start the day? Makes sense, right?

After college, the professional life took over (because I let it). I ran less. Loved it the same, but didn’t give it the time it deserved.

Every time I looked at the hills I would miss them. I thought about the trails all the time, but didn’t do anything about it.

I always assumed that things in life start getting crazy once you are out in the “real world.” I associated it with how the real world was, not that I was sabotaging my ability to succeed. I was passing the torch, but the fault was with me.

It wasn’t until after my life blew up that I learned I had ADHD. It wasn’t that I didn’t know I had it, it was that I didn’t really know what it was. I thought it was just being a hyper kid that couldn’t pay attention, but it is WAY more than that.

So I studied.

And studied.

And learned.

And learned some more.

What I found out was the real reason I loved running was because it actually helped my brain function better.

How?

Before we get in to that…….

A Brief Explanation of Exactly What ADHD Is

To make it simple: Not all the parts of your brain connect.

Too simple?

There is a deficit of neurotransmitters in the basal ganglia.

Neurotransmitters not doing their job?

Then information does not get transmitted. It is like separating the frontal lobe of your brain from the rest of your head.

Is the frontal lobe important?

Well, only if you like to control: emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language, judgement, and sexual behavior. If you don’t, then it’s not really a big deal.

It would be nice to be able to connect all the parts of the brain, wouldn’t it?

I bet you would love to be able to control your emotional expression, wouldn’t you?

Does your wife or husband have issues with judgement calls?

Your kid having trouble with emotional expression? Problem solving? Sexual behavior?

I bet you would like to fix that.

You want to connect all the parts of the brain? You want those problems to go away?

You can take a pill.

Or you can be like me and Casey Neistat.

You can run

How Does Running Help ADHD?

It boosts levels of norepinephrine and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters.

Who cares?

Well, the people who take Ritalin and Adderall do. Because that’s exactly what those pills do.

Did you read that correctly?

Running (basically) = Ritalin and Adderall.

Running boosts norepinephrine and dopamine which are neurotransmitters. What do people with ADHD lack? Yup. Neurotransmitters.

Have you said, “holy shit yet?”

So that feeling I was getting when I was in college, the need for Casey Nesitat to go out for a run no matter what? It isn’t about the running, it’s about our brains. And it’s about us being better after the run than before. It’s about us giving ourselves a chance to reach our potentials. To be the best versions of ourselves. All with some time, a path, and some shoes.

We are whole after a run. Our neurotransmitters are firing and connecting and doing everything they should be doing in the first place but don’t. We are more creative, make better decisions, have better judgement, better problem solving, our emotions are more in check, better memory, better language use, everything! It is like plugging in our personality! We aren’t us until we flip the switch. Running means we not only do what is good for our body and overall health, we are helping our brain! What’s not to love?

But…..

What if I don’t like running?

How about cycling? Swimming?

Pretty much any sustained exercise will have a similar effect. You are focused on the workout, your body is releasing endorphins, and boom, Ritalin and Adderall, right there.

Look Around

I live in Silicon Valley, so I may have better access than a lot of you, but you can still Google it. Duh. Look at the CEOs. Look at the big wigs. Look at the people who are killing it in whatever field you are interested in. Most of them are in relatively good shape, and most are doing things that seem superhuman. At least more super than whatever it is that you are doing. Do you think that is a coincidence? Hell no. It’s ADHD. I look at the people I follow: Tim Ferriss, Gary Vaynerchuk, Ryan Holiday, Tony Robbins, Casey Neistat, etc. There is no way in hell these guys don’t have ADHD. No way. But what have they done differently? They corralled it. They have harnessed it. How? They are all in shape. Why? Because it helps their brain whether they are doing it for that reason or not. I know what you are going to say, Gary Vee just started working out. Well, the dude is a machine, his work days are like marathons. So, suck on that.

Marathoners, cyclists, tri-athletes. A majority of them have ADHD.

If you have ADHD or know someone who does, are you seeing the power yet?

It’s right there!

To unleash it you need to move. Just move.

ADHD is f’ing awesome, and it’s just a run away. A swim away. A ride away.

Casey Neistat knows it.

It’s time you knew it too.

Joey

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