For the Love of the Game 🤞🏾

¿What’s the Point of Doing Anything?

“Okay, but why?”

Wanna know what I’ve been struggling with recently?

Motivation. 😐

At the height of a bleak winter, I often find myself asking why I’m doing something.

“What am I working for? What’s the point of any of this?”

It used to be that I had to do something. In school, I had to do my homework and study, or my grades would suffer.

In my early journalism career, working hard was crucial to prove my worth and ability.

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Now, I have to conjure up motivation out of thin air.

It can be confusing and agonizing.It doesn’t help that today’s society can make it difficult to see what truly matters. Is money driving us? What can we do with that money once we have it?

Spend it?

An online personality referred to New York City, my hometown and current residence, as a “money prison for softhanded debt slaves” and I’ve been shuddering at how eerily accurate that is.

The rat race — working all day for someone else’s profit — takes energy away from our relationships with friends, family, and hobbies.

Unfortunately for most, however, time-consuming labor is the only way to sustain.

But what if we motivate ourselves using the love of others?

I believe that this is the key to making the best of the cards we’re dealt in this Supermax prison country.

In Viktor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning," readers bear witness to the human ability to find meaning and purpose in life, even amidst great suffering.

Frankl calls back to his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, where he observed firsthand the devastating impact of losing meaning and purpose on the human spirit.

Frankl argues that finding meaning, even in the most difficult circumstances, allows us to transcend suffering and maintain a sense of well-being.

Finding purpose and meaning while in a Nazi concentration camp is playing life on hard mode. None of us find ourselves in such circumstances. Things are almost too boring and uneventful. A different sort of torture.

It makes us constantly ask ourselves, why are we doing this?

Western Society tells us to do more. More work. More money. More spending and hoarding.

Never are we told to work hard for the people we love.

Put it this way.

If through some biblical curse, you lost all of your friends and family — all of them — what would motivate you to do anything? Would it be material items? Vacations and nights out? Cold, hard cash?

I can confidently say that these things wouldn’t matter at all. We would spend our days longing for the chance to spend time with those loved ones again.

And still, I know that this is a reality for many people across the world who are all alone.

After years of being selfish and self-serving, as many of us are trained to be, I’m learning that the love of others is truly the only motivation that matters. They’re the only things we have.

It’s a skill that I’m learning to master.

My Simple Trick for Motivation

When I wake up and mull over my tasks for the day, I try to make sure that each thing I do is serving someone else too.

I simply ask myself, “How can I make someone happier or healthier with what I’m about to do?” That usually gets the wheels turning.

Then, for a larger boost, I visualize someone I love. I’ll picture a friend or family member and think of them smiling, dancing, or doing something silly. It’s also useful to call back on cherished memories with these loved ones. This exercise is powerful beyond measure. It fills me with joy and reminds me of why I do anything.

Truly nothing else matters besides the people we love.

Ultimately, yes, I want you to leave this post with a new sense of appreciation for your people, but I also want you to realize how powerful it is to get a boost of motivation just from thinking about them.

So, loved ones, I thank you for getting me out of bed each day.

I am your servant.

My Grocery List This Week

Steal his look/steal his plate

Egg Bites Man I love these. Delicious, nutritious, and convenient. I always make sure to drop a couple of these in my basket when I hit up Whole Foods. The eggs are from Vital Farms, a top-tier Upstate New York farm with free-range chickens. I’m always on the go, so this is a great way to supplement a meal or get a boost during a workout. Yes, during a workout — I’m big on protein “bumps” while exercising to keep the strength going. More on that another time.

Blueberries It never ceases to amaze me just how incredible blueberries are. The sheer fact that they have a blueish hue at all is wild. All the antioxidants and fiber position these as one of the most nutritious foods you can eat.

Just imagine running into a bush of these as an ancient human

Grass-Fed Ground Beef Another staple. For a decent price, you can get good-quality, grass-fed red meat from Target. It is crucial to ensure that your beef is Grass-fed for several reasons. First of all, you don’t want to be eating an animal that eats grains and soybean feed — it makes the meat lower in quality and it’s often sprayed with pesticides. It’s also important to note that grass-fed beef is a more complete protein.

Chopped Kale Convenient and reliable, this big bag of pre-chopped and washed kale has saved me tons of headache and made for delicious side dishes. Kale is one of the healthiest things you can eat. Straight up. All the fiber and potassium will instantly make you feel more youthful. I like to cook the kale in unrefined virgin coconut oil until it softens. If you somehow manage to leave leftovers, the kale tastes even better after a night in the fridge.

I promise you it tastes WAY better than it looks

Bison Meat This week was my first time having Bison. It was delicious. I know some people don’t like the toughness and strong taste of steak — that’s why I would recommend this to them. Air fry the meat or toss it in the frying pan to make a burger.

A Plan for Achieving Success, Fulfillment, and Peace (2024)

What do you want for yourself this year? What can you request from the universe?

As the luster of New Year’s festivities fades into a memory, it’s time to embrace the year ahead. Let’s get back into the driver’s seat, and engage the pedal to the metal.

We’re going to track our progress in writing this year.

Did you think you could just wish for more this year and not plan for it?

Nah. As my father would instruct my brother and I, Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Let’s get to it!

A Template For Your 2024 Plan

To develop a good plan, you’ll first want to list out the aspects of your life that affect you most. Write them down even if you feel they don’t need improvement. I’ll share with you the aspects I’m planning to improve this year.

Health, Sleep, Screen time, Relationships (family, friends, romantic) Community, Finances, Exercise (Basketball, football, yoga, cardio) Cleaning, Investments,

Side Hustles, Recreation, Spirituality.

I recommend that you list as many as possible. Your life can always benefit from more growth!

Okay, now that you’ve written down the areas you want to improve in, pick the one you want the most improvement from. For me, community is what I want to build most this year. Last year, it was health.

Do you have the area you want to improve most?

Good. Now, we’re going to free-write.

Think about what you want. What does your life look like once this area is improved? Who will benefit from you improving this aspect of your life? What do you have to work on to see growth? Make sure to write in sentences, not worrying about the language. This plan is your playbook for the year. Write your own rules.

Now, set some goals. Incorporate some numbers. Do you want to divest $200 each month to savings? Write it down. Do you want to cut 300 calories from your meals each day? Write that down. Looking to make new friends? Write down your commitment to approaching one stranger a week. Write it all down.

You’ll do this for each area of improvement until you’ve completed the list. I know this might be overwhelming, so I’ll share some of my plans as an example.

Sleep: I will continue to prioritize sleep over nearly every aspect of my life. Getting more is a priority. To ensure this, I will aim for a 10:30 P.M. range for sleep, trying not to go past midnight if it can be helped. Past 9 P.M., I will continue to limit screen time, and dim all lights in my environment. I will also continue to wear blue-light-blocking sunglasses ahead of bedtime. I will continue to limit eating large meals 2 hours before bedtime. To supplement sleep, I will take 6g of citruline before bed, a dose of vitamin D and magnesium glycinate, and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. I will stretch often, breathe, and massage to get more relaxed for sleep. Nightly mouth taping and eye masking will continue. I will also limit water intake before bed.

Notice that I am writing in full, complete sentences, but also using numbers to mark my progress. My goals are both challenging and realistic, offering balance and flexibility in the ways I push my goal of “better sleep”.

Screen time: Limiting my screen time using various tools and shortcuts has been successful. I would like however to cut down on my time in messages. While an effective way to communicate and coordinate plans and ideas, messages and group texts can be a time suck. To limit this, I will opt to have more phone calls and in-person meetings as opposed to texting so frequently. I would like my screen time on messages to remain below one hour daily. Overall, my screen time should not exceed 2 hours. Limiting social media use and mindless pickups will achieve this. I will continue to keep all social media apps off of my phone.

Here is an example of a more ideological goal. Ideally, I’m below 2 hours of screen time each day, even if I go over that limit on some days. Some of my goals, however, are to optimize the behaviors surrounding screen time. For example, I am setting a permanent ‘goal’ of prioritizing in-person interactions over texting, which will accomplish communication without screen time.

And that’s it. When developing your plan, keep in mind that nothing is written in stone here. Your plan and goals can evolve as you grow over the months. Do make sure to finish writing your plan, however, as to not lose momentum on what you want to accomplish. If you’d like to see my complete plan for 2024, reply to this email and I will share it with you.

Fill Up Without Overeating: Jazzed-Up Chick Peas

Craving a healthy, crunchy snack? Look no further than these addictive air-fried chickpeas!

Chickpeas lay claim to a quirky corner of the food world. Are they beans? Peas?

What the hell is a garbanzo?

In spite of their oddities, chickpeas are nutritional powerhouses. Check out the macros for a whole cup.

Where my volume eaters at??

A staple in ancient Mediterranean and Syrian dishes, they’re loaded with complex carbs and dietary fiber, along with several essential nutrients.

It’s no wonder why a pile of them is always skulking around the salad bar.

But even these time-tested pods must modernize.

Get your air fryers ready. And your appetites.

The Recipe

Today, we gon’ learn how to freak ‘em.

What you’ll need:

• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Your preferred seasoning. (I use Celtic Sea Salt and lemon juice.)

Instructions:

• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
• Pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. This helps them crisp up nicely.
• Toss the chickpeas in olive oil and seasonings until evenly coated.
• Spread the chickpeas in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Don't overcrowd them, or they won't get crispy.
• Air fry for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
• Munch on these chickpeas by the fistful, drop them over salads, or even add them to wraps for extra protein and crunch.

Bonus: For an extra flavor boost, marinate the chickpeas in your chosen spices for 15-30 minutes before air frying.

Happy guilt-free gorging.

Mind the Gap

One at a time, baby… Just one at a time.

It can be challenging to get back into a productive headspace after holidays/time off. To combat this, I assign myself two crucial tasks for the day. Only two.That could be the full execution of a project, front to back. It could also be as simple as writing a few emails and completing a breathwork session. Sometimes, my big task is to catch up on the phone with a loved one. If I don't get anything else done outside of those two critical tasks, so be it. I completed what I said I would, and that's all that matters. If I happen to do other stuff, that's a bonus. Keep it simple. It ain't a sprint, it's a marathon. Really, it’s like a marathon that never ends and somehow gets increasingly more difficult.Balance! Pacing! That's what it's all about.

Thank you for reading this edition of Down to Earth. Reply to this email if you have any questions or concerns, or just want to chat!

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