It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Even when riots burn Philly to the ground, it’s still our home. It’s still Philly. The sun will rise tomorrow. Justice is rising and busting through. This city is resilient and so are it’s righteous people.
Living in a Movie
Threat of World War III. Kobe dies. Coronavirus devastates humanity. Global lockdown. 3+ month Stay at Home order. Economy tanks. Businesses close. Countless black people are senselessly murdered by racists and police. Protests turn into riots. Societal upheaval. President threatens citizens. Twitter threatens President. First amendment uncertain. Basic human rights uncertain.
Fr. McNally always said: “Life is complicated, Love is not.”
Life is complicated.
Love is not.
Don’t forget about Lemma
I ran by Saint Joe’s today. I turned into campus and walked around the track, the same track I made countless memories on. Running, stretching, sweating, laughing, cheering, supporting, striding, giving, receiving, loving….
Running track for 4 years molded me into a lead, a captain. On the team, everybody called me “Lemma;” calling me “Aaron” was an oddity. I began to identify with Lemma because he had certain admirable traits.
He was ferocious, dedicated, and determined. He always looked out for his teammates, supporting them no matter what beef was present. Others looked for him to lead them around the track at the right pace. They looked for his leadership.
Lemma did things whether he felt like it or not.
During quarantine I’ve struggled to balance responsibility with self forgiveness. I’ve been easy on myself because I experienced so much loss–or so I told myself. I haven’t been holding myself accountable because I’ve been operating as Aaron. Plus, I’m more than whatever I identify as because there’s no depth to Who I Am.
That’s all bullshit. I was Lemma once and I loved being him. There’s no reason I can’t tap into who I was to create the ideal of who I want to be. I want to be a leader who holds myself accountable and does the hard things.
Aaron is necessary. But don’t forget about Lemma. It’s time to start embracing both.
Justice for George Floyd
We have to stop letting racial injustices live and die as hashtags. George Floyd was murdered in cold blood. So was Ahmaud Arbery. And Breonna Taylor. And countless others.
Racism is a disease of human consciousness. Seeing other people as less than you is fundamentally delusional; it has to do with conditioning, false belief systems, and untethered judgement. No spiritually or consciously awake person can be racist. Racism is impossible if you truly respect all other people. It’s only possible if you don’t.
Protesters have been burning down buildings, destroying infrastructure, and looting stores. But the protesters cannot be to blame–it’s the fault of the media. For years “Breaking News” has become every news story. The only stories that are covered and listened to are the truly horrible ones.
Some people (including the president) say that destroying an American city is no way to get what you want. Well, in 2020, it might be the only way to make the people pay attention. It might be the only way to get the government involved. It might be the only way to actually change things.
Philosophically speaking, violence is never good. It’s a departure from the potential peace that could exist among a group of people. But the story isn’t finished. Riots and violence may be the only thing to bring our world to racial harmony and equality once and for all.
Black Lives Matter. Justice for George Floyd. If you don’t think so, you need to reconsider. We’re running out of time.
Connection
We’re in this together. If the lockdown has exposed anything, it’s that we can’t do this alone. We need each other’s love and connection.
Today connections can be made in unlikely places. For instance, for the past few weeks I’ve been watching Tea with GaryVee, a livestreamed Q&A with entrepreneurial legend Gary Vaynerchuk. I’ve hoped in the comments a few times and people interacted with me. Then I followed their social accounts and messaged them. Once I even called someone I met.
The viral nature of TikTok is nothing short of spectacular. I’ve been talking about it since last summer (like in this post from August 12, 2019). My videos haven’t gotten the most engagement, but it only takes one video before everything changes. One unlock to unimaginable connections.
Whether in YouTube comments or Reddit feeds or TikTok duets, there are connections to be made. Not to mention the old-fashioned connections, like a professor who taught you, or a friend’s friend you met at a party.
What’s the moral? Keep your heart open to the possibility of connection. You never know who will change your life.
Kevin Hart on Life
“We lose because we are not okay with accepting our faults. It is not until you can accept your faults, your bullshit, that you can grow and do better.” – Kevin Hart during his recent podcast with Joe Rogan.
He talked about the Game of Life and how understanding yourself, by yourself, is so essential for a good life. Then he reminded us that you don’t have to be cool; if you have a question, ask it. Be curious about possibility.
I don’t know, it just has me thinking. Fr. McNally used to say, “Life is complicated, Love is not.” Yeah, I think he’s right.
I did it for me
Last year I bought an Indo Board at a yard sale for $10. I could’ve sold it for around $130, but it meant more to me than that. I started really using it this past week and I love it.
One of my favorite workout tools is an Onnit Steel Mace. I bought a 20 pound one two years ago and I’m good with it, but it’s still heavy.
Today I had the idea of standing on the Indo Board while trying to swing the steel mace over my head, in both directions. It only took me 30 minutes to learn. Click here for the video.
What’s the point? I don’t really know. Hold onto your toys? Maybe spend more time outside? It’s okay to fall down?
I’m a hypocrite
I was on a run today and I gave up. I stopped running because it hurt too bad. This happened a few times recently. My ego has been getting in the way and I think I’m a better runner than I am. I’ve become a hypocrite.
I gave myself a talking to on the shameful walk home. This isn’t the only way I’ve been slacking lately. From my diet to my exercise regimen to not waking up on time, I’ve been lacking discipline across the board. This isn’t who I want to be.
Currently, my dream is to be a physician and help people be healthy. Instead of strictly pharmaceuticals, I want to teach people how to use the Free Medicines available all around us. I want the cornerstones of my practice to be breathwork, cold showers, earthing, sunlight, drinking water, and loving yourself. But recently it’s been hard to implement these things.
If I can’t commit to it, what makes me think my future patients will? I can’t even convince myself to wake up and do breathwork right away, so how could I convince them? What makes me think I’m the kind of person who’s able to give other people advice?
There’s a solution to all this: become the man I want to be. Become the hero of my story, not a hypocrite. This starts with discipline. I must become the person others will listen to through my lived experience, not theories. Only then can I actually help.
Want to be a Master, but I love 25 things
Becoming a real master means you have to choose something to be masterful at. That’s a problem for me.
I like lifting, running, yoga, calisthenics, and jiu jitsu,
writing, thinking, flipping, creating, and innovating,
science, philosophy, theology, poetry, and leadership,
cooking, reading, hiking, praying, and creating photographs,
health, nature, farming, laughing, and cold showers.
And that’s just the start. I’m a jack of all trades but a master of one. I really have no idea what to pursue in my free time, so I end up spending hours on social media and watching TV.
I should probably work on one thing at a time. That’s how the masters do it.
Taken for granted
I never told my computer how much it meant to me. Then it didn’t turn on. I regretted ever taking it for granted. Just imagine how much we’d accomplished together: we got through college, started two businesses, and watched too many episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And I never said thank you.
Finally, after troubleshooting for three days (which included serenading it), I hit the screen in just the right spot, spurring a reluctant boot-up. I cheered like the Eagles won another Super Bowl. Childlike bliss and wonderment. How incredible it was to have my computer back.
Then I realized–how incredible is it to have a computer?
Maybe our possessions are more than utilities and commodities. Maybe they want to feel meaningful, too.
What if we started honoring our possessions instead of taking them for granted? Or at least said thank you?