You Can Do It!!

Some say you can't! Some say you won't! Some say you're just trying it out, but you won't stick with it! Noise all in your ear can get all in your head. It's not always people either, sometimes it's you. When you know you have challenges, the last thing you need is negativity. It comes in the form of people, family and yes, even YOU! Sometimes i look at my life and wonder how in the world i got here??!! Twenty years ago i would have never thought i'd be almost divorced, living in a place i'd never been, working at a place i never thought about, and be running like a mad man!! Hmmp...But here i am. And in spite of all of the challenges that life can bring, I know I can do it! Do what you say? I can still achieve, dream, build, be better, live better and so can you. The longer I live on planet earth the more i realize that there is no greater motivation outside of Almighty God than YOU! When teams are down and can't get up, the job of lifting the team doesn't solely rest on the coach. There has to be a "want to" if you will inside of the players on that team as well. I guess that's why i love running soo much because it forces you to look at you. Ohh yeah! All of you! All that stuff you don't like about you. All of your inadequacies, fallacies, all of that fear, frustration and insecurity. When you run you get to see all of that stuff and make a decision about how you are going to handle it. Challenge the hill, or say forget this and turn around? But friends with the help of God and your will to survive, You Can Do It! What's the It? The "It" is whatever you say it is. On this miracle Monday make a decision that no matter what life looks like "You Can Do It!" On my runs i also allow myself to celebrate victories as well! I didn't cuss somebody out. LMBO!! I tried to help somebody who had a problem. Heyy! I lost some weight and i feel good. Feel me? God knows i know it can be tough to push when you don't want to have to deal with things and people. But trust me we're getting stronger and stronger as we go. I try to take life one day at a time and seems to work for me. Tomorrow? Maaaaan it hasn't even gotten here yet. Focus on today and what's in front of you. While your'e on your way to a better you remember,"You Can Do It!!!!!!" Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!!

The Purpose Driven Runner

For all the health benefits! For the improved confidence in yourself! For the sheer gratification of saying "I" did it! To keep your sanity! To keep from hurting somebody! LOL! These and i'm quite sure there are many other reasons we could add, to the purpose for which runners run. The purpose often times cannot be articulated. Why? Because frankly you often figure out the purpose each time you run. My running has evolved over the past year and a half. What started out purely as a means of getting in shape and pursuing better health, has turned into running for mental health. Ohh Yeah!! See! Running allows me to have my own therapy session. Whether on the "hamster wheel"(treadmill), or hitting the street. Running is my chaise lounge chair. It's purpose sometimes changes. But at it's core it's what helps me process a day, situation, challenge or whatever the case may be. Purpose! We all have one. Running is just the outlet that i have found that awakens the fight in me. Ever felt that "Boss" feeling when you do something that nobody thought you could do? Hmmm..maybe not even you? My friends your purpose i have found, actually unfolds with each run.
One of the best ways to build your mental muscle is by doing things that you don't necessarily feel like doing. See...when you push because you know what your purpose is, you get stronger and stronger. Ohh yeah! That pair of jeans you wanna get into, gets closer as you let your purpse drive you. That coworker you wanna smack??LMBO!.....Naww don't do that! But at least during your run you can process just how "not worth it" it is to respond to stupidity. Clarity!!! Clarity i say!!!!! The Purpose Driven Runner exudes clarity. You can make better decisions when you let you purpose drive you and not let lifes experiences dictate to you what your purpose is!! Runner's are full of purpose and that my friend is what drives us to hit the pavement, gym, treadmill, races every chance we get. Truth is....if we don't run? You might see a different person..lol! So leave us alone!!! And let us Run! We aint hurtin' nobody!! Let's keep it that way!! Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!!

Cookies down Celery Up!

Good morning all! What a blessing it is to be in the land of the living. I may not have everything i want, but God continually provides what i need. And for that i am soo grateful. Today i can say that i appreciate having a better understanding of what it is i put in my body. Some of you may know that i am a self professed "Cookie Monster!" It don't matter what kind of cookie for the most part, Adolph will eat it. Well, im trying to turn the tide with that and i can say i'm actually doing pretty good! I won't tell you i haven't had any, but i HAVE been limiting my cookie intake. LOL! I've been doing some new things nutritionally and i feel better already. It's taken me say 43 yrs to figure out that even though there are foods that taste good to me, they don't always make me feel good afterwards. Since i've been running and working out i can literally feel more energy in my step!! It feels great!!!! So now tackling what i eat has been the mission i am currently on. Decisions, decisions! It's not easy but i know it's worth it! When i think about how even as a kid we are bombarded with, "If it tastes good eat it". When actually that is when we began the slippery slope to a bad diet and all kinds of health issues. So today i am grateful for being able to think first then eat! Heeeey!! I like that! LMBO!!! "Think First then Eat" My friend Eliz Vas said jokingly to me yesterday, "AJ maybe you should adopt a Cookies down Celery up type thing?" Hahahaha!! LOL! Ummmm ok! Maybe? One freekin carrot or celery stalk at a time!!!  Anyway! Today my friends let's try to make better decisions than we did on yesterday as it relates to eating. Pray for me and i will pray for you. Keep fighting the good fight! One day at a time! Today is all we have! Cookies Down! Celery Up!...Uhhh...Sodas down! Waters Up!...LOL! You get the picture!!!

Let it flow.

Here we are. Inside another day that God has allowed us to see and i am grateful for it. This time of year always makes me happy and joyful. But this year it is a bit sad for me; having lost both of my parents. I love them both dearly and i surely appreciate the deposits they made in my life. One thing is for certain in this life and that is, nobody is perfect. When i look at how i was raised and the way i am trying to raise my kids it's important to remember that fact. There truly is no book on parenting, but we all should do the very best we can to make good memories for our children. Quality of life comes to mind when i think of my health and the changes I've made over the last 2 or 3 years. I want so much for my kids to make better decisions, not just in their health but in their own lives. I try very hard to lead by example and in the end that's all any of us can do. My decision today is just to let it flow. I have decided to take what life gives me and just let it flow!!!!!! You know I've said this before but the things you can't change you just have to go over, around our build a bridge and get over it! LOL! Maaaaaan i've come a long way in life, but i know i have so much further to go.
When you look at the flow of a river it never turns around because there is a rock or some object in it's way. Noope! It just gently flows right on around that thing and keeps on flowing! Today, don't let anybody or anything stop your FLOW!  Keep learning, keep loving and keep living! Trust God even when you can't trace Him! A good workout helps to stimulate the mind that God gave you so that your flow stays strong! Get up, Get out and Get into it!! Run, Skip, Jump! Just FLOW!!!!!!
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Stay the course

Good morning! I must say that i am very grateful for the much needed time off from work. I enjoyed spending time with some family and friends. But can i tell you how good it was to do absoloutely nothing if i didn't feel like it..lol! That was awesome! But alas it is back to work and for that i am grateful as well. During my time off i caught myself doing something that i had never done previously and that is, staying the course. Now of course i ate some really good meals. I had some really good desserts. But i can honestly say i didn't go overboard!! And for fatboyrunnin that's a BIG DEAL! I still worked out. I still ran and i still kept the goal and focus in view. Even though i had to peer around turkey, ham, pies and cakes! LOL!! Staying the course i'm learning really comes down to a decision that you and i make everyday. I often ask myself is not doing what i know i should do in the way of my health worth it? The answer is always NO. But for real for real...the smells and the looks of all that good food try to lure you in and make you feel regrets. Staying the course through the Holidays isn't easy but it's what you and i have to do if we want to get where we'd like to be. Let's not let another winter go by where we say, "well there's always next winter to look and like we want to by next spring." DO IT NOW!!!!! During my break at Thanksgiving i ran the farthest i've ever ran...almost 15miles!!!! Talk about feeling accomplished!! I told myself that this vacation is no different for me. Why? Because this is a lifestyle!!! It's what i do! Feel me? And it is what we all should do. Momma used to say, "One monkey don't stop the show!"..lol!!! I feel like a few Holidays won't stop me from being the person that i want to be inside and out. Have a great day my friends and Stay the course!!!! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!

Listen to your body.

I will admit i have a lot to learn in life. But when i started running i had no idea how much i needed to learn from my body. I mean..in my mind there has always been a thin line between something hurting and me just being a punk and not wanting to run. But what i have discovered is that listening to the things your body is saying will save you a lot of grief in the long run(pardon the pun). You see, we all have one body that we've been blessed with. Our temple is to be gaurded not just by refusing to smoke, drink in excess or any kind of abuse associated with drugs. But we also have to listen to things that are signs of injury. It's sort of like driving your car everyday. You know how you know your car sooo well that at the slightest difference in how it handles or sounds you immediately take notice of it? Well its the same way with our bodies. I used to think when my car made a noise....ehhh it'll go away or worse i'd just ignore it! Not a good idea!!! It's not funny when you're on the side of the road because that noise you heard was a hose leaking or a belt that was about to break!! Dang! It's all the more reason that I need to do a better job of listening to me. Everything from getting more rest, to taking rest days, to getting regular exams and paying attention to that pain in my foot. We have to LISTEN! I have a doctors appt to have some blood work done to check for any signs of prostate trouble or anything else. My doctor says this is what you need to do as you get older. At 43 i know i have to pay attention to the signs that my body is telling me. I'm not a freeking health food person nor do i claim to be. But with only one body and no more on the rack to change up with, iv'e gotta take care of it as best i can. A dear friend of mine told me to put the cookies down!! LMBO!!!! Hmmm..she sais you love them, but they don't love you! Aight!! Aight! I hear you! Hahaha! I wanna drop these last 30 and i can't do it by eating cookies errr week! Dang!!! I'm trying to do better. I'm just keepin it real as they say! Well...keepin it real for me should be really chillin on the cookies. Soo join me in doing a better job at listening to your body and doing what you have to do to keep your engine running smooth. Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!!!!!

Fresh wind.

Good morning all! Today is a celebration in newness. What do i mean? Well, simply that today is a brand new opportunity that has been given to us to take in all that God has given us. I hate to sound like a big ol' cliche'. But everyday really is a gift! I mean just look around you at all of the stuff that's off the chain in the world, in your city and even in your own life. And yet and still, you and i are able to take in another gift from God. I appreciate the life i've been given, but you know there are times that i complain about things that aren't a drop in the bucket compared to other people and their situations. I mean...I could have been in Tacloban when that crazy Typhoon came through!! Can you imagine being in the middle of the worst water disaster in HISTORY???!!! And yet we complain! SMDH! Naawww what im going through aint that serious. Yeah we all have issues, but there is always somebody who has it that much more bad off. Today i'm taking a deep breath. Filling my lungs with the fresh wind of the day and saying Lord i thank you! Indecisive, filled with insecurities, not the sharpest pencil in the box, not as cool as i wanna be..lol! But i'm me! I didn't get to run my race this weekend and Maaaaaaan did i have a mini pity party!! LMBO! I had to laugh at myself. It wasn't so bad until i heard my coworker talking about how good it was! You know what??!! SHUT UP!!!!!!! Don't nobody care what you ran!!...Hahahaha! Seriously its all goood. But ummmm i was a little jelly!!!..LOL! Anyway, im on the come back trail with this foot and i'm embracing the fresh wind of this Tuesday. Im not promised tomorrow...but baby i got TODAY!! And it feels really good!!! Hey!! And you embrace it too! Tomorrow aint even here yet! Stop trippin about what could be and work with what is!! Fresh Wind begins right now, right this second! Inhale deeply...feel that? That's God enlarging you and He loves you! Oh and another thing! Sometimes the simplest things can mean soo much. In talking with another fellow runner about my cookie addiction. She said something sooo profound! If you don't buy it you can't eat it!! Hahahaha! Dang! News Flash!! Im on it! Shout out to Lisa Swan-Smith!! Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!

Momma i wanna sing!

Dagnabit!!!! &^%$#@@!!! I put away excuses like i do dirty underwear! I will admit i used to have a ton of them for not following through with things on a regular basis. And while i will admit i still have a long way to go, running is something that i NEVER back down from. I train hard, i run hard, i cuss myself out to get the fricken job done because i'm a MACHINE!!! Ya heard??!!! LMBO! But alas, on the advice of some good friends and people who love me im not going to run...SMDH! Yeah yeah yeah! I know! I know! What??!? Not you?? Mr. 4am errday killin it??! Yeah me! Don't get it twisted! If i choose to run the race on Saturday i have NO DOUBT i would finish it. But at what cost to my running future?? I aint tryna hurt myself any further. And even though my foot feels pretty good, i know i need to relax it and get better. I love bling! We have a relationship! I love feeling accomplished and successful. But maaaaaan i aint trippin. I want to run for a loooong time. So im chillin! Yep! Fat Boy runnin bout to sit this one out! I could cry!!! But Momman i wanna sing!! I can hear my mom in my head telling me to "sat down somewhere." LOL!!! Oh well! Can't stop! Won't stop! I feel like im turning into the Incredible Hulk with all this weight lifting,crunches and crap!
Man i just wanna run!! But i realize there is no need to be a hero. I've got nothing to prove to anybody or myself. Can i just pass something on to those of you who may feel like you don't have the ability to say NO to some things?? Just say No! It doesn't matter what people say,do or think! You have the power to just say NO! Don't put undo pressure on yourself by committing to things you know darn well you're not prepared to do. Mmmm hmmm..see! It makes you look crazy and all you do is stress your own self out by doing things you know you shouldn't. Yeah! I know you wanna sing! I know you want to do this or that. But some GOOD things are not always GOOD for you! Got that?? You can be doing a GOOD thing at the WRONG time! Don't make that mistake like i almost did because you want to be SuperMan or Wonder Woman. Put your cape away invisible jet,and your lasso and say no!!! Sing at home! Your Momma would be proud!!
Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!

Committed!

Good morning all! Today is a lesson in commitment to you. Why? Because there is only one you. The you that you see in the mirror everyday is expecting you to stay the course. I know..i know. It is hard to do what you know you need to do, when you really don't want to do what you need to do. I've been there and i know how it feels. I've had a relationship with saying screw this!..lol! It's easier to just eat pie. It's easier to just say eeeeh what the hell??!! The gym will be there tomorrow. I'm not saying that you should never rest, but the reality is we all know a cop out for dipping out of a commitment to get your work out in before  we think it. It comes in sort of slyly you know? Well i do have this to do, and what about that, ohhh ohhh and i can't forget this!! "I mean what do you want me to do?" You say to yourself. Well... i say, if something crazy came up that forced us to forgo some things that we thought we had to do. All of a sudden those things would seem minimal. You are important and You are worth being committed to. You feel better, you're more confident, you learn to push through some things and shoot you look HOT!..lol! Well! Aint that worth it??! Sure it is!! Whatever you and i do we CANNOT give up on ourselves! I know it's hard sometimes and I know you may not feel like it. But ohhhh!!!!! The grinding session has begun and summer time bodies, better health and strength are made in the winter. Get it in today and KEEP getting it in! Stay committed! It's through the roughest periods of our life that commitment seems to build character.
Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!

Make it do what it do!

Good morning crew! Today is a day none of us has ever seen before. Let us all be grateful for the life we have and the time alotted to us. This weekend was wonderful! I didn't do anything especially exciting. But i did have a chance to take in the beauty of the day. I absoloutely LOVE the fall. The colors of the trees against the backdrop of a blue sky is simply awesome! I hit the gym Saturday morning feeling pretty good and decided to try and run a little on this foot. Turns out it wasn't bad..i felt pretty good. But i backed off after about 2 miles, just to give it a full healing process. I want to encourage all of you as well as myself to just DO!  I got a little bummed out about not being able to run for about 2 weeks now, but i have to thank the guy at the gym for giving me some tough love. Oh yeah! You remember this guy right? We'll just call him Jim..lol! He's the guy if you remember in some earlier posts that just tried to talk me to death up in there!! Dang!! Haha! Anyway i went in Saturday and of course he wanted to talk. Sooo i said what the heck! I told him about the stupid foot thing and his words to me were, "Man just do something else and don't worry about it!" "You'll get back at dude. You come in here all the time so chill and get on something else." Well...not earth shattering, but it served as a reminder to me. Just because things don't always go your way or my way. We have to "Make it do what it do". Aint no time for excuses and feeling sorry for yourself. It's enough of that mess going on around you, just don't let it get in you! So what if it what you're trying doesn't work this way. Try that way! This is Monday Make it do what it do day!!..lol! Keep moving no matter what because victory belongs to you. I will admit my pity party was about to be in full effect Yo!..haha! I had streamers, hats and errthing! But alas i grind! You grind! We all gotta keep grinding!! Have a great day folks and "Be the Machine!" Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Bend but don't break!

Good morning folks! Well this sucks and i have to be honest. It looks like i have this plantar fascitis thing and it hurts! My dang heel feels like a million pins are stuck in it and it makes me too uncomfortable to run. Anyway, i find myself doing a lot more weight lifting which is cool. But i do miss running. I am determined though and this thing won't beat me!! I've been taking it easy unlike before. Oh! Oh! Don't get it twisted!! I WILL BE BOCK!!(In my Arnold voice) Lol! Against my better judgment i have run when i shouldn't have i will admit!! What??!! I'm a machine!!  OUCH! Ok! Ok! I will admit i can be stubborn, but i don't think ive ever missed running as much as i do right now!! UUGGH! Well i have decided that im not going to let myself get too down about it and not do nothing. So i've done some other things. Elyptical, stationary bike, weight lifting, planks and anything else to keep me going!!! In life we all have some setbacks ya know?? Things that we just don't anticipate happening to us, but they happen! Hey..life happens! So the challenge becomes to push or don't push. I think im going to push. I have another Half Marathon in about 3 weeks and i want to be ready. We all have mess that comes out of the blue and just rocks our world sometimes. Some of us more than others. But we all have to keep at it in spite of it all. Life is soo crazy!! People try to break you. Your job may try to break you. Your health may try to break you. Your family may try to break you. But no matter what is thrown at us!! We bend, but dont break!!!! Be encouraged today in all that you do. The best way ive found to keep yourself motivated is to motivate someone else. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself and be self absorbed if you're trying to lift another person. Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!

You still got this even when it don't look like it!

My college football team lost. My pro football team lost. My son's car broke down and my fricken heel hurts!!! LOL!! All of these things happened in the span of a weekend, but in spite of it all I am blessed. Now I realize in the grand scheme of things..gov't shut downs, terrorist attacks and kids turning up missing everyday that my little issues are just that, little! But I think its important to understand that in spite of it all "we roll." I will admit im not the sharpest pencil in the box and I can be hard headed as hell. I probably shouldn't have run yesterday, but it was soo nice that I just couldn't resist!!! The air was cool, the leaves were changing and the sun was shining! As I ran I felt soo much peace and joy at how fortunate I was to be alive and in the moment. I thought about how we approach life many times just looking for the next "thing". You know what I mean? You can get soo far into the future that you forget to embrace the now. I mean im not saying that we shouldn't make plans, but we can't live so far in the future that we forget how blessed we are today. Today I am blessed! Today I am alive! Today I choose to be happy! Today I have life! Today I have abundant life! Those kinds of affirmations are necessary to combat feelings of inadequacies and depression. I always say to myself and people who throw pitty parties this one thing. The next time you feel some type of way about your life and everything that's gone wrong you need to go visit your local hospital and walk through the ICU. Feel me? Look at the people who are doing more than you with less than you. Ohh yeah! That'll make you shut up quick. You see my friends. You still got this even when it doesn't look like it! It's just that you and I have to change our perspective and introspective so that we can fly regardless of stuff,..because well you know...stuff happens and im being nice..lol!! As I ran i couldn't help but think how amazing God is in creation. I mean every leaf that i ran over and saw fall from the trees is different! Wait! Aint that crazy???!!! I mean think about that one time! EVERY LEAF THAT FALLS IS DIFFERENT!! How is that possible????!!!! LOL! Dang! It blows my mind to think that God made us all different with different abilities,gifts and yes challenges. But! in spite of that we still got this! Hang in there crew and don't give up! Ohh did i mention that in addition to all of my challenges i got to the gym this morning and my dang key fob wouldn't work the stupid door??!!!! Oh yeah!! Nobody could get in the place!! Dangit!!!! Soo i had to do some stuff at home instead. SMH!!! Oh well! I still got this! Ima go soak my foot!! LOL! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!

Right now!

Ever wonder why you waited sooo long to do something that you know you should have done a long time ago. Yeah yeah! I know! "There is a time for everything!" Look! Whatever! When you know in your mind there are things that you need to do, but don't do them because, "there is a time for everything" you're basically wasting time that you could be using to change. You know im right! It's just an excuse cause we don't wanna rock the boat. Sooo while you wait for the "right moment", you waste precious time doing the same things that you've always done. Why not start right now??!! I feel you. You know? I've been there and still am, but maaaaan we gotta do better. Look..aint nobody gettin any younger in life. When kids are born you blink, and the next thing you know their graduating. Soo..let me ask you? What's really stopping you from pushing forward and at least doing something different right now? If you think about it. Whatever it is that we allow to hold us back, is what WE allow to hold us back. What if it doesn't work out?? What if people ridicule me?? But what if you build mental and spiritual muscle in the process?? Everybody screws up! Welcome to the freekin club! LOL! I know i do! I aint perfect, but i bet you one thing! You'll never be able to say Adolph didn't try! Believe that!! I come to far! Gave up too many pepsi's and Hostess cupcakes sucker!! LOL! It is soo tough to take back your life when you've been doing the same things and people expect the same things from you. But today is a good day to start right now towards a new mind set, a fresh perspective and powerful future. Look at all the God given potential that the creator placed inside of you. We aren't here just to take up space, but to contribute to the greater good of life here on planet earth. The world is waiting on what you have and so am i! I'm always amazed at the stories of people from different backgrounds and races. Some people just have a desire to do something and just "do it". While others live in the land of coulda shoulda woulda! You know that place don't you??? Hmmp! I've lived there..moved in and thought i'd never move out! Got real comfy and cozy too! But ohhhhh! No! Ha! I feel me help here! LOL!! One day i got tired! Ha! I mean real tired! Ha! And i decided Adolph is gonna do something RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! LMBO! God made you awesome so live an awesome life! You can't control what people do, but you sure can control what you do! Today is a good day to do something RIGHT NOW!!
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!

Taking the next step.

When children start moving about it's interesting to observe how fast they pick up walking. Some tend to get the hang of it fairly quickly, while others are content with "scooting" across the floor dragging their little hips in a diaper. LOL!!! I can remember my oldest son "scooting" when were trying to teach him to walk. It was absoloutely hilarious to watch his little but sliding across the floor. Now that i look back on it. Wouldn't it be good if he could understand that he could get a lot further and exert a lot less energy, if he could just walk?...Hmmm. It makes me think about my own life. Sometimes I can "spin my wheels" as they say by not taking the next step in life. I and several of the friends i have sometimes struggle with procrastination. Ohh yeah! You know it dont you? Why put off today what you can put off tomorrow??..LMBO! Taking the next step in life is not always comfortable neither is it easy. But it sure is needful if we want to achieve a level of living that we've not experienced. Challenging yourself can be tough, especially when you've had enough outside challenges in life itself. But it is necessary to take the next step in our lives to be all that we were created to be. I've begun to learn things about myself on this journey that i never knew. I have fears, doubts, highs and lows. But such is life and all we have is the next step. So onward we push not knowing what the future holds, but ulitmately who holds the future. If God be for us who can be against us?? Well the truth is, there may be many people or things against us. But the only real threat to taking our next step is the 3 1/2 pounds of matter between our ears.  You and i own the next step. We create the next step with each decision that we make. No matter how it looks now, the next step carries us to a place that is better than the last. Do you believe it? Remember! As a man thinketh so is he. Let's all take the next step inspite of the unknown and accomplish things we never thought we could! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

I will!

Morning crew! Hope you had a decent weekend. Today is yet another day we haven't seen before. And if you're reading this post you have been granted the opportunity to live in today. This morning as i worked out i thought about how many times i've been afraid to make a committment to do a thing. Oh i've gotten better. But the truth is, once you put something out there you have openly decided that "you will". It's difficult within yourself sometimes to announce to the world that "you will". I mean what happens if you fall flat on your face? How will people look at you? What if it doesn't work out? What if you quit before the promise of what you believed would happen happens? These things all play around with your mental and swirl around inside your head like leaves caught up in the wind on a fall day. But the more i grow on my journey to a better me, the more i understand the power of just saying "I will". See. It takes guts to say " I will" in the face of your critics, friends and enemies. But the real battle is waged in between your ears. Yeah..it really is. Whenever you make a declaration to do a thing you can believe there will be challenges to your "I will." It's what adds glue to the mental house your building. I have decided that there are times when im really strong and there are times when im not so strong. But regardless of where i am in my life during those periods ,"I will". It makes no difference how i feel, "I will." If it's within your power to do a thing go ahead and do it. Sometimes doing things that we don't want to do or feel like doing builds more strength in us than we know. Tell your body and mind what you will do and then say to yourself, I will! Start today!  Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!

Happy New Year!

That's right folks!! Happy New Year! Today is the beginning of a New Year!!! Drop the ball and pop the bubbly because it's time to begin again!...What?? You may say. Adolph it's not 1/1/14 yet! I know right??!! Lol! The point i'd like to make today is this. Happy New Year is whenever you decide to do something different. I've thought for the past few years about all the hype that surrounds resolution's and plans for the "New Year" that many times seem to fall flat somewhere around February. Today could very well be your "New Year" if you wanted it to be. I can remember when i ran one of my first races. It was on Thanksgiving of all days!!! I mean turkey,stuffing,pie,cakes and cookies and all that!!!! Some of my friends kept saying awww man why don't you just wait until the first of the year. Ya know?? Start fresh! But i knew deep down inside i had to start!!! Not wait until what i thought or everyone else thought would be the perfect time. See. While other people were preparing, i was executing. It didn't mean that i didn't eat good. But what it did mean was that my mind was already in the mode of changing and my body got a good kick start. Can i just say something??? Stop waiting on people for crying out loud!!!! You waiting on them to do this or that and you build your whole life on what they do or don't do! STOP IT!!!! DO YOU!!! Drop your own ball! Pop your own bubbly!! Start celebrating today the new you! Happy New Year is whenever you decide. And when the New Year does come in, you can say you're in execution mode!!!!! Let old acquaintances be forgotten! Say goodbye to the old you and embrace the new!!!!! Read more books. Learn more about you. Sodas Down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!

Look ahead

Morning everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. I know i did!!! It was soo nice to catch up with family and friends and just have some fun. I really needed it and im just sorry it ended soo fast. With that being said. Today i thought about how important it is to have something to look forward to in life. So many times i can get in such a routine rutt that i don't see the big picture by looking ahead. See, looking ahead keeps you encouraged when your present situation may not look the best. Looking ahead helps me mentally by envisioning myself where i want to be physically,mentally and spiritually. It's not always easy to do that when you are in your present situation. But it sure does help you to not stay depressed and down trodden in your spirit. Life is a mixed bag of good, bad and in between. But our focus should be towards what is coming. Because what is coming allows us to step out of our current situation and expect some good stuff headed our way. Don't allow yourself to get wrapped up in what's going on currently because it won't last. Look ahead, take a deep breath and get excited about your future! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!

Take a lickin' and keep on tickin'

It was a day just like any other day. I got off my exit that takes me to work and out of nowhere BAMM!!!! A freekin deer hits the side of my little Corolla. Most of the time people will say, "I hit a deer!" When the truth of the matter is more times than not Bambi runs out in the road and collides with you. SMH! Anyways..as  i said...that big dummy runs into the side of my car. I'm thinking what the heck? Screw it! Just keep driving. Aint a thing you can do about it now. Just look at it when you get to work. And so i get in the parking lot and look at the drivers side of the car....nothing! Wow! Really?? Nothing?? I mean he hit my pretty good!! All i remember is sipping my coffee and seeing antlers to the left of me...lol! But when i looked at my 95' Toyota there was no damage. Now my attempt here is not to be a spokes person for Toyota, but to simply share that just as my little car took a hit and remained unscathed. We too should be the same. Ohh yeah! See..my car is what i call a "beater." LOL! It's got 340,000 + plus miles on it and it faithfully takes me wherever i need to go! I've driven in snow 6" deep, high water and yet it still keeps plugging along. As a matter of fact. When my other vehicles were giving me trouble..it was the "Yota" that remained sccrong!..lol. The point im making fam is that no matter what happens today or tomorrow, or next week or next year. We all have to keep on tickin'! In spite of the licks that life throws us. Now i will tell you that the "Yota" don't look like much, faded paint, peeling clear coat, missing hub cap. But you know what? It don't even matter!! I can get to the same destination that a Lexxus will except they may look better when they pull up!..LMBO! But who cares??!! I made it! And so will you. Some people wonder how in the world my car has lasted so long. Routine maintenance?...a little..as much as i can. I don't dog it either. In our own lives we have to approach everyday as though we were built to last! Invest in yourself. Get active, read a book(im trying to do better with that). Stretch yourself in areas that you  may be stagnant in. Try to learn something new about yourself everyday if possible. And above all else...trust the God that made you. He's rooting for you..He's rooting for us!!! He knows you have what it takes! Job took a lot!! But maaaaaaaaaan!! Did he keep on tickin or what????? One day at a time fam. We gotta lot of miles, but we in this to win this!!! Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!!!!!!

Demands.

Good morning and God bless you. Take care of this and run and do that. Make sure the kids do this. Go to work and handle your business and repeat! It seems that life is filled with soo many demands that there is hardly ever time for you. But what i have found over the past few years is that even though demands have a voice so do i. Responsibilities abound when you are living your life and the process of digging through what is meat and what is bone is challenging. While it's true that there are things that must be done, there are some things that can go undone for now and will really be ok. It's amazing to me how that people try and place demands on you without your permission! The truth is, you and i are only singular in our daily decisions and dealings. So we are only capable of doing soo much in a day. Again, the difficult task can be deciding what you will allow yourself to become attached to and what you won't. I try very hard to do the best i can with all of my decisions, but i will admit there are times when the demands of life can seem overwhelming. It's during these times that i have to step back and decide, "What is it that Adolph needs to do today?" After all that's all any of us has is "today". I think that's one of the many reasons why i run. It's my place of solitude and a source of strength to get grounded. Our lives are never short of things that need to be done. But the truth of the matter is if you don't take a break momentarily, you will break eventually. Sometimes we can act like the world will fall apart if we don't do this or that. Funny thing is, the world keeps on turning and will keep on turning with or without us. I remember when my dad passed years ago. I was sitting in the hearse and it was as if the world was passing me by in slow motion. I remember how i felt sitting in the back seat looking through tinted windows as we made our way to the funeral home. Looking out the window i saw people living life as normal. Kids playing, people going shopping, cars going here and there. I thought to myself, "Don't they know my father just died?" How could you just go on with your life? Well, life does go on. Demands are all around us. But don't let demands choke the life out of your life. I'm not saying throw caution to the wind. But please don't let demands keep you from enjoying the life that God gave you. Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Going from "I can't, to I will".

I can't explain it. I don't really know when it occurs?? But at some point on my journey in life i decided that "I can't" just isn't good enough. We've all experienced highs and the ever so crazy lows of life. But getting up again as i've stated before is the difference between those who talk it and those who walk it. Any time i think about how i feel and let emotions crowd out my "I will" it just proves i have more work to do mentally. There are times when i'm preparing to run, or should i say contemplating to run that i literally cuss myself out!! Hahaha! I be like get your fat blankety blank up from here! Lookatcha lookin all crazy!! Maaan!! Stop being a punk and let's get this workout in!! LMBO! You see..the path to "I will" isn't traveled by many when it comes to certain things that we should really be doing for ourselves. Just think for a moment. Nobody has to tell you to get up and go to work....well maybe they do?..lol! Because you know if a man don't work he doesn't eat. Nobody has to tell you to take care of things that sustain you and your family you just know you have to do it!! Sooo...why is it soo different when it comes to you pushing through a work out?? Hmmmm..well im not sure if this is the answer, but i think it's partly because we don't always immediately see the issues that come with not taking care of ourselves. You know? Its like a gradual progression to the body you don't want, and the health issues that rob you of some happiness. When i think "I can't" i think about the people i see running with an artificial leg..the people pushing parapalegic people in strollers in a Half Marathon. "I can't?" Ummmmm yes! " I will!" I've been gifted with another day to move my body in the day that God has blessed me with and so have you!! So pick yourself up and leave "I can't" and head up the street to "I will!!" In the end we only have us to blame for not living the life that we want to live. I read a real nice quote the other day. "Summer bodies are built in the winter!!" I love it!! Going from "I can't to I will" is totally up to you. Start today and don't wait!! See i used to do that a lot. Well i will just start Monday to move, but why don't you start just a little bit today???? You can do it!! I have faith in you! More importantly God knows you're able to do anything you put your mental to. With Him on board you got this!!!! "I can't??" Hmmp! Not hardly!!! "I WILL!!!!" Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!!!

Don't touch that dial!

Wow!! Chilly this morning! More reason to lay in bed. More reason to pull the covers over your head and hibernate. More reason to skip out on the gym and forget your goals. More reason to come up with excuses for not doing what you promised yourself you would do back in January. NOT!!!! I'd like to say something. Can i just say something??!! It's more the reason to hit it harder. You see. This is the hardest part of the year!!!! Good food! Family! Entertainment! Some of us will soon have time off from work!! Ohh yeah!! This mess is gone test you and me!!!! Hmmp! Stuff smelling all good!! Turkey cooking! Chestnuts roasting on open fires and all that!!!! LMBO!! But don't you dare get it twisted!! We still in it to win it!! So don't touch that dial! The same commitment you had back in the spring or whenever you started your journey MUST continue!! My big brother use to say it like this. Maaaaan  if you think about it. Winter is the time that you can build up your body and reveal what you've been working on in the spring! Hmmmm..sooo if there was ever a time to work on you it's now!!! I'm not saying eat nothing but carrots and celery all winter. But what i am saying is work like there's no tomorrow so you can be happy next year when the birds start chirping and the weather gets warm again!!!! Feel me??!! Back in the day on the radio the announcer would always say, "Don't touch that dial." This was to keep you listening to their programming so you their ratings would remain high! The same is true not only in your workout life, but in your life in general. We have sooo much to be grateful for in this life and yet it is easy to get off track with murmuring and complaining. Don't touch the dial that is your life by doing what others want you to do instead of doing what you NEED to do for you!!!! My friends you are healthy, wealthy and wise....say it with me! I am healthy, wealthy and wise!!!! haha!!!!! The fight is just beginning ya heard??!!! Stay focused through this period of your life. Why?? Because it's sooo critical! You bout to do things you never thought you could! You bout to be what you thought you couldn't be!!! DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!!! And dance to the beat of a different drum! That's what makes us all soo unique! Lookatcha!! All blessed and stuff!! hahahahahahaa!! Sodas Down! Waters up!! Peace and Love!!!!

Be encouraged! Change your address!

Good morning all! Today i'd like to encourage you and remind you that today is a day that you've never seen before. If you're reading this post that means that God thought it was necessary for you to be here. Oh yeah...that means you. It means that inspite of every difficulty, oposition, depressing situation and dissappointment you are still here. Take a collective deep breath today and appreciate the fact that while you may not have everything you want, you still have life. Some of us are in the midst of great trials and tribulations, but God is still with you. He gaurded you last night so that you could be here in the morning. It's really ok to be discouraged as long as you don't stay there. None of us have time to stay there. Today is a new day filled with its own challenges and yet there are opportunities waiting on us as well. You have what it takes inside of you. You just have to believe what God sais about you and not the press. We all make mistakes and we all fall short. But that's no reason to give up. Get mad! Throw a fit! But get your tail back in the ring! So what you fell off the wagon! I have done the same thing. But aint no quit over here! I don't know where he lives, but i changed my address and you need to do the same thing. If quit lives at your house give him an eviction notice! AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT! We got stuff to do, places to go and people to see! Keep it moving crew! Quit no longer lives here! Change your address! Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!

Get up.

The single most hardest thing in life to do is to get back up when you've been knocked down. Prize fighters struggle to do it, football players try to do it as well as every other athletes who've been down by many points and have to find a way to get back in the game. You and i have those moments in life as well. Getting up is not always easy, especially when you pay to close attention to the odds against you. Sometimes i have the tendancy to monitor the opposition too much. The problem with that is you take the focus off of your own life and that makes getting up that much harder. Today let us all remember how we got here. Our lives were predistined by a God who loves us and is always cheering for us. He's not just the cut man in the corner ready to wipe the sweat from your face and clean the blood from your nose and eyes when life gets you down. Nooo..he's there in the ring with us. Through every punch that life throws and every stare down that our enemies gives to try and intimidate us. I like a quote that Colin Kapernick the quarterback of the Sanfransisco 49ers said on this past Sunday. "If intimidation is your game plan, pick another game plan!" With all you have family let's make it one more round. I know you have it in you and so do it. Get back up!
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Make it or break it!

Back in the day when I was kid there was a show on the radio called "Make it or Break it". You know? They played a new song and you had the chance to call the station and place your vote about whether or not they should keep making this single or break it and throw it in the trash. I feel like our lives are a lot like  that show. Except that in this case, we decide whether or not to "make it break it" when it comes to our own lives.  You see, sometimes in life when we are faced with soo many different obstacles and challenges and the opinions of others about our life we don't always speak up about what it is we will allow or won't allow! Ohh yeah...its up to you to keep making the hits that surround your life and who you are as a person. And you know what?? It doesn't matter who doesn't like the lyrics that you write or the melody that you sing. It's up to to you and the God that made you to "Make it". Keep on keepin on as the the older folks would say. Align yourself with some good producers and vocal coaches who want to see you succeed in life so that you can grow and be the very best that you can be. I have this thing about negative people.....I don't like them!..lol!! I mean seriously. Isn't there enough negative stuff going on in the world today without hearing it constantly from people everyday. I'm not saying we shouldn't acknowledge when there is a problem, but for God sakes can you find something positive at all in a bad situation? And if you can't? Could you at least look at the fact that things will get better eventually? If someone played THE SONG that is YOUR life, would they "make it or break it?" You know what?  It doesn't matter how the voting would go because you're the one who casts the deciding ballot!! I say "Make it!" In spite of all your inadequacies...."Make it!" In spite of what you don't have..."Make it!" In spite of all the challenges that you know of and the ones that all of your friends know of..."Make it!" Your song is beautiful and it belongs to you. You might not win a Grammy but your song should be playing in your head everyday! And that my friends is a beautiful thing! Sodas Down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Distractions!

Morning all! Fall is definitely in the air and i am loving it! The cool brisk air is refreshing when you step outside and the slight chill in the air is perfect! Well i am about 4 days removed from my race and back to training for my next one. I gave my body a break to recover and now my sights are set on the next race. Im thinking about doing another Half Marathon in November and the cool temperatures would serve me well in this one. On Tuesday i noticed a little spot in my vision in the right eye. I haven't ever had any problems with my eyes so i got a little concerned. That night i went home and wiped my eye out thinking it's probably just some lent or something stuck in it. But it didn't go away!!! Soo.. now im still ok but my concern level jumps up a notch! You ever had your mind like fast forward to events that haven't even taken place???!! I do and i did! I'm thinking..Maaaan they gone have to remove my eye!...Suppose i go blind?? You know momma had trouble with her eyes because of diabetes?? Maaaan you might have glaucoma!!! Dang!!! Shut up!!!! LOL! I had to actually tell myself to sit down and shut it!!! Good grief!!! Long story short..they checked my eyes and no nothing! The doc sais i have whats called a floater. Never heard of it. But its not serious. Its just a dot that you see from time to time in your vision and there is no way to really fix it. He said he even has one. Soo i keep an eye on it for any change and go from there(Pardon the pun). I was thinking to myself how there are times in life when you can be flying hight after running your 2nd race and then BAM!! Something out of the freeking blue happens to try and kill your joy! See! This is why it's important to stay humble!! Dang! Life is full of ups and downs. Celebrate your victories but don't stay there. Challenges abound everyday to keep us dependent upon God almighty! It felt good to be back in the gym and doing what i do! Distractions? Yeah that's a given...but nothing can stop us but us baby!!! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!

Coming to end of yourself.

Good morning everyone! What a wonderful day. I'm filled with so much encouragement,happiness and joy right now i can't even contain it!!..lol! I had probably one of the best weekends of my entire life!!! I ran my 2nd Half Marathon down at the beach and i had an absolute blast with my friends,family and other fellow runners. You know? I had kinda sorta thought in my mind that this race would be a lot easier than running in the mountains of Central Va. I mean Va. Beach is flat right?? Yeah! Wavy Gravy Baby!..LMBO! Ummm NOT!!! It was the hardest race i have ever run to date! Dang!!!!!! The start wasn't bad, but by 8 am the heat and humidity wrapped you up like a wet blanky! Can i tell you i wanted to quit!!!! OMG!! At about mile 9 going into 10 im thinking,"Man just walk the rest of the way." "Screw this!" It's not a big deal, i said. Who would know if you walked? I said. Then i started thinking about the runners i saw at the beginning of the race. One guy had a prosthetic leg, and another guy was pushing his mentally ill son in a stroller!!! Sooo i pushed...i thought about how God never quit on me even when im at my worse. Sooo i pushed.... I thought about where i've come from and the fact that each step i take will get me closer to the finish line. Sooo i pushed. I thought about how i'm tired of being FAT!! Sooo i pushed. I thought about all the many people who look at Adolph as a template to say to themselves, "If he can do it than i can do it." Sooo i pushed! It was grueling! It hurt! My legs started to cramp! People were laid out on the ground being attended to! Sooo i pushed! I literally came to the end of myself!! All i could do was block out the pain and Push!!!!! Push!!!! Push!!!! See! When you come to the end of yourself, that's when all you have is God. Let Him carry you beyond what your mind and body may be saying and feeling. I realized i wasn't running for me alone. I was running for soo many other people who are battling their way to a better person! Ohh yeah!! I felt like all of you were on my back! And if i had to drag my cramped up leg like EGOR across that finish line?? I was going to cross it!! Thank God for showing me on Sunday that when you come to the end of yourself, that's when you put it on auto pilot and let God take you the rest of the way. Be encouraged crew!!!! You can do anything you allow God to be a part of! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love

It wasn't for you.

This morning i'm thinking about all the opportunities in life that i thought i had to have, but for some reason it didn't work out. Be it a job, friends, relationships, networks or whatever. It all comes down to what God allows. Obviously if it were for me then i'd have it right? I mean if you and i are Gods children striving to do the best we can everyday then He won't withhold any good thing from us right? So why do i stress about things i can't control? The same reason you do. It sucks!!! LMBO! Because from our vantage point the opportunity to get something is perfect. It's like you say to God,"Ummm i'm not sure if you're aware of this, but this is a good thing!" Hahaha! Anyway, your daddy doesn't always see it like that. As a matter of fact He hardly ever sees it like that! So what you and i have to do is take a chill pill and say ooook Pops! You obviously know better than I! And you know what? He really does. Think about how less stressed you and i would be if we really, i mean really just trusted the decisions that God makes concerning our future. Some stuff He says no to you should be glad He did! You have no clue what crazy stuff was waiting on you. Ohhh but your Daddy said naww! I don't want you in that mess! So chill!!!!I know right??? Can we just be ok with a No, a not now??? That is the question. Im learning gang. It's not all about what we want and when we want it. Daddy truly does know best. So with that, rest in His decisions. Hold up your end of the responsibility part and let Him do the rest. After all, all you can do is all you can do!
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!

Live your life unplugged.

You, a microphone and your life. Many of us have such a fantastic view of what our life should be like, but the reality is it may not quite be like we want it to be. Sometimes it's easier to project an image that says,"I have it all together", rather than, "I'm struggling." For me it seems like the older i get the more i could care less about trying to be someone other than Adolph. Maaaaan i like me! Silly sometimes, indecisive sometimes, crazy sometimes, unsure sometimes, wanna eat cookies all day sometimes...lol! But i really think i like me. I think we all have to get to the place where we just live our lives unplugged. Look! I like you but im not looking for an approval from you. I'm painting a picture on the canvas of my life everyday and singing songs in my own key without auto tune. I love running and love being free to be me. God is good and He keeps getting better as i learn how to just let go and be me. One thing i'm learning is that to truly be yourself requires strength! Ohhh My!! You didn't know?? Look at all the people you may offend by saying No to things you might ordinarily say Yes to. The point im making today is that true conviction says, "In spite of what you may think or believe i should be doing, God and i have a plan and i take my directives from Him." And don't get it twisted. I don't always listen to Him like i should. Because like any child i have a tendancy to go astray, but at the end of the day i realize i have to live my life unplugged and so do you!!! Do you want to experience real freedom?? Start doing what's in your heart to do. No synthesizer's, no falsetto and for goodness sakes kill that auto tune!!!! LOL!  Be you and do you!!!! Run, skip, jump and have fun!! Give God praise in everything and stay humble kids! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Pushing your limits.

Exploring who you are as a person is a life long process. When i look back over my life at the many missed opportunities to do things that i felt i couldn't do it's a little disheartening. I mean...how do your really know what you are capable of doing or not doing unless you try? I have determined in my own life that if i don't succeed? You won't be able to say that Adolph didn't try!!!! Ohh yeah ima die trying!!!! Hmmm..sometimes i look at people who have soo much gusto for life and their attitude towards trying new things that it rubs off on me! I guess that's part of the reason why i started running. Maaaaan i wanted to try something different and be different at the same time. I have a good friend of mine(Lisa) who pushed her limits this weekend by running a 50K!!! Yeah i know right?? Is she crazy? Border line insane?? LOL! Nope! She pushed the limits of what she had before hand saw as a limitation and jumped over it!!!! Wow!!! I am soo encouraged by people who ask "Why?" It's as if they say, "Why can't it be done?" And if so? "Why can't it be done by me?" See! You can push your own limits everyday if you look at your life from the outside in for just a moment. Sometimes we all can play it too safe and never dare to do what we are afraid of. I've done it and so have you. Because a comfortable life is just that. A comfortable life. Bethany Rose did 12 miles this weekend. Adrienne Hamlyn did 4 miles in just under an hour. Folks! You can do anything you want to do in life if you just set yourself to do it. It doesn't happen over night but neither does building a house. It takes a plan, time and ultimately action!! This weekend i set out to do my 2nd Half Marathon and im sooo excited!!!!!!! Maaaaan im looking for that bling! But im not stopping there! Cause next year im running in somebody's full Marathon! Preferrably Chicago!! Today, ask yourself what can i do differently that i haven't done before? Spice up your life and push your limits! No regrets! Just memories of how awesome you did in spite of being scared. Ohh yeah! Now that's real! It's not like we aren't a little scared to go. But baby we got to go anyway!!!!! Life is vapor so let's get it in!!!!!!! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!!!!

Changes!

Everybody at some point goes through changes. It's inevitable in life that we all will incur some sort of a change. Jobs, relationships, kids etc. etc. etc. The thing i'm finding is that whenever i take on the preparation for change it's a little less daunting. You know? It's like driving in northern Va...lol! Everbody there has to accept the fact that there WILL be traffic and at some point you WILL be caught in it! As long as you can accept that it still will suck, but at least you're not blind sided by the interruption in your commute. I believe life is like that in regard to change. I mean..think about it. How much stress could you diminish or maybe even get rid of if you could just expect that some things will change in time? I'm not saying that we have to take on a pessimistic outlook on life, but i think that 100% of what i deal with is the unexpected twists and turns of life. And so with that i know that i need to do a better job of embracing change. Dang! Who likes change? I really don't!! Especially if what I'm doing is working already! What the heck???!! Ever been on your job and what you've been doing has been working fine, and then all of a sudden the boss wants to change a method that has been working FOREVER??!!!!...LOL! We are creatures of habit, this is true. So the older i get the more i realise that things are always changing. And the best way to handle it is not to fuss and fight about it and get all bent out of shape. But to just go with it as long as it doesn't threaten your core values. Life is filled with change and so it makes sense to me to just suck it up, no matter how much it sucks and do your thing. Actually when i think about it. What the heck are you going to do anyway? If this is the way it is, then this is the way it is. Whatever the situation is, ADAPT! It will save you some headache,heartache and sleepless nights. Life changes like the seasons my friends. Let's embrace the change and make the best of what it is!! Keep it moving and kick that stress out the door!!!!!!!!!  Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

"Club 30" in full effect!!!!

Good morning crew!  Are you ready to get serious about dropping a few lb's?? No it's not an infomercial..lol!! I mean have you been thinking?? "It sure would be nice to drop about 30lbs!" Well if you feel like your ready to tackle it today, lets all make that committment to GET IT OFF!!! Personally i know there are some things i need to tweek to meet my goal too. But the deal is this. Whether or not you reach your 30 it doesn't matter. What matters is that you put in the work mentally and physically to be better off than you were before. Oh did i tell you i had a Bioscreen the other day and all of my blood work as far as cholesterol,blood sugar and blood pressure was all great??!! Maaaaan!! Im on cloud 9 and a half! Adolph?? Me?? Fried chicken eatin,snicker bar snackin Adolph??! Yeah that dude!! I aint where i wanna be, but thank G.O.D. im not where i used to be!!!!!! Some of us may walk,run,zumba etc. But the bottom line is we all strive to get 30lbs off our frame! Challenge yourself to do more than you have been doing and at least you can say you feel better and a bit more accomplished. Let me tell you something...you already have inside of you what it takes to get this done! You just have to start walking towards your goal. One day at a time. My friend Bethany Jones Rose always comes up with the catchiest phrases..lol! Haha! So i have to give her credit for this brilliant idea! "Club 30" in full effect! Eat a little less,move a little more and watch your pants get bigger! Can i tell you how awesome that is? Just think about how proud of yourself you'll be! No more excuses! We all have a million and 1 reasons why we can't But the real question is, Aren't you worth it??? Let's go team!! See ya at Club 30!!!!!!! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!!!!!

Turn your mind off!

Hey yo!! Let me ask you a question? Ever been in the bed trying to sleep and you can't turn your mind off? I mean...you know? You're trying to get some shut eye and your mind just won't seem to let you enjoy some quiet time? I have! So part of the reason i run is to turn my mind off. I like to have mindless time, or time where i think about nothing but the footsteps im taking and the joy i get from a good sweat. I want to encourage you today to do whatever it is you need to do to turn your mind off! See..your mind loves to imagine things that haven't even happened yet. It loves to fast forward in put you in positions or states of worry,frustration and confusion sometimes. AAAAhhhh but im reminded,(in my preachers voice) that God said..hah..don't take thought for the things of tomorrow hah..because they will take care of themselves..hah!..LOL! See you and i everyday, have to make a concious decision to turn off our mind and just go! Don't you know your mind is sooo powerful that if you excercise it you can tell it what your going to do. It takes practice, but it can be done. Today is Tuesday my friends, enjoy it!. Live like it's your last and try not to sweat anything! Not even the big stuff. Control what you can control and leave the rest to G.O.D!  Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

You are blessed!

Good morning all! Today is the day that the Lord has made and we all should rejoice and be glad in it. While it's not always easy to look at the bright side of bad things, today i think we should all focus on how blessed we are. We may not have everything lined up just so. We may have issues and circumstances that leave us puzzled. We may be struggling in soo many different areas in our lives. But in all of that i declare that we are all still very blessed. Just take a look around at others who are doing a lot worse and are still pushing through. We too must do the same thing! Yesterday at church i heard a message that reinforced this truth. "Whatever you focus on becomes bigger!" So with that lets all try to focus on how fortunate we are in spite of all that's going on in our lives. Today was a much needed rest day for me. I did some crunches and pushups at home after i slept in a little longer and it felt good!!! Sometimes you need to reflect and im glad i did. Have a great day all and remember that you are blessed no matter what it looks or feels like! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

I don't know!!!

Do you know people who know everything? Maybe you've had the pleasure of meeting people who have the answers to all of the questions you have. They seemingly offer up information on topics that you weren't even talking to them about! While i think it's good to employ the help of others who know more than you, a lot can be said about people who are humble in their own eyes, and those who flaunt what it is they "think" they know. SMH. The point i'd like to make today is that nobody knows everything. And when it comes to your life, health,spiritual well being and so forth, it is always good to find trustworthy reliable people who know more than you. Now the challenge here is to find someone who won't judge you because you don't know something, and at the same time be able to admit that you don't know something at the risk of  looking a little silly. You know we all have a certain amount of pride. But sometimes that barrier can give off  a vibe that pushes the help you really need away from you instead of to you. A good example of forgetting your pride and getting help is Coach Mike London(Head football coach at UVA). On his staff he's brought coach's who have all coached longer than himself and who have greater experiences within the coaching field than he does. Can you imagine the intimidation that can go along with that position? I mean you're the head coach and  you make the calls, but to bring people who know more than you is HUGE. But his pride took a back seat to help not only him but the team. I can remember when i first started working out i was in the gym doing some lifting and a guy comes in and tells me real politely that i can do a rep or set better if i did this. Im thinking, "who the heck is this dude?" "Man you don't know me!" LOL! But deep down i knew i didnt know what the heck i was doing! LMBO! I just had a desire to do better. Anyway, i took the guys advice and now im pretty sure i saved myself from hurting myself. Gang, it's alright if you don't know everything. Just be open to people who honestly and genuinely want to help you. God didn't say how the help would come. But He did promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Oh and let me add this. Sometimes the help comes from people you don't even like!!! Dang!! Yeah i know!! Even on your job. When you admit that you don't know something that's when i believe God steps in and says,"Now she or he is ready for my help." Be encouraged today! None of us knows everything. Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Work it!

Good morning everyone! In the shadows of a sometimes monotonous life there is satisfaction. What do i mean? Well, when you continue to grind it out everyday whether at the gym or at work, the fruit of your labor will eventually be seen. The hardest part of starting a thing is to continue a thing. I've said it before that it takes a while to form a habit. But if you keep at it, it just becomes a part of you. So with that i want to encourage everybody to just "Work it". Sometimes we all need a nudge, a push, a shove or smack to help us stay focused! Soo much stuff is trying to get you off your "A" game as my friend "Beenie" would say, but you HAVE to keep working it!! You gotta do it when you don't feel like it, you gotta do it when you have every reason not to. You have to do it because you're worth it. I'm in the gym the yesterday and a guy i've seen before comes in and says. "maaan are you in here like everyday?" I say, "well yeah man i love it here don't you?"..LOL! We laugh. He then says to me, "Man i can tell it's working for you, but im soo hit or miss with this. Hmmm..I empathise with him and say. "What if the doctor told you that you had to lose 100pds or you'd die in a year?" (Not that, that is what happened to me mind you). He looked at me and said, "I get it dude,that's wassup!" I told him like i tell most people who ask me how i do it?? "IT" is nothing special...im just like you and you and you and you. I just made a decision to "WORK IT". Everybody has to come to terms with that moment in time when you say, "I don't care who don't do this!! I am!" And so with that ladies and gentlemen keep at it, keep grinding and keep the faith. Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!

Maintain your joy!

Morning all! What a nice weekend! And now as we approach the start of another week, we are faced with unknown challenges and some we left on Friday but have to see again today. But thank God for the ability to control what we do, and who we are. Today i realize that maintaining my joy belongs to me. It's really nobody else's responsibility but mine. Maaaaaaan!!! It's crazy how we sometimes let other people dictate how we feel based on how they feel. Aint that crazy??? I mean...how much power are we giving others who don't live our life or operate the way we do? Let me ask you a question? Have you ever had people come in with an attitude at work and just change the whole atmosphere in an instant??!! Ohh yeah! You know these people. The complainers, the grumblers, the pessimists, the nothing is ever right people! They have nothing positive to say most days and if you've had a bad experience they always want to "one up you" with something far worse! Here's my take on it. GET THE HECK AWAY FROM ME!!!!! LMBO! In the immortal words of Ms. Sweet Brown, "Aint nobody got time for that!" This joy i have i am going to maintain! I'm sorry if you have decided to be a stick in the mud for your entire existence upon planet earth. But Adolph only has one life to live. There is no more living on this side after this life. Soooo!!! Back up sit down and shut up!!!! Let's all make a decision to maintain our joy! Stuff happens and stuff will keep happening. But that's a part of life. As i ran today i thought to myself how blessed i am. What an inspiration so many people have been to me and i'd like to just reciprocate that to others. You and i can do anything!!!!! And maintaining our joy is one of those things. Its a practice and process, but we can do it. I guess that's why i come in as early as i do. I like to collect myself before the day gets started, meditate and get in my space. Ladies and gentlemen!! Let your joy be full today!! Think on how bad its not and how good it is! This joy you have, the world didn't give it and the world can't take it away!!! Ohh no!!!! Keep your head up through your trials. I'm trying to and it's not easy, but it's needful. No pity parties, just praise!!!!! Sodas down! Waters up!! Peace and Love!!!

Step back.

Hey!!!!!! Goodmorning everyone! Today is a lesson in not taking yourself so serious all the time. There are times in my life when i have gotten soo upset about things that i cannot control. How many of you have been there? You know what im saying. Things that happen beyond your control have the tendancy to pull you in from your place of peace and get you all caught up in worry and frustration. Dang!!!! I hate that mess!!But heres the thing i am learning. Life throws punches its true, but you and i are in control of how we respond to stuff like that. I mean when you think about it...if you can't control a thing then why worry about it and turn it over, over and over again? Losing sleep, getting mad at your family, and taking stuff out on individuals who have nothing to do with what happened to you. So heres my answere. STEP BACK! I know it sucks when things don't go our way, but just think about all the things that could have happened!! Feel me? I mean sometimes we just don't understand why things happen to us when we are doing the best we can. But that is yet another opportunity to trust the God who made you and knows better than you what you need and when you need it. Im not saying its easy, but its needful. You see this is where trusting God is more than reading it in a book baby. Its walking it out in your own personal life and saying, "ok i don't understand all of this, but Lord i trust you." Ask Him to help you with your attitude. Because the truth is we all could use some adjustments. You know im right!!! Hahaha! I can get mad as hornet when stuff doesn't line up the way Adolph thinks it should. But then i remember that Daddy knows best! It's just that sometimes i feel like...What in the world are you doing God??? Get me out this mess!!
So today, take a minute and STEP BACK! Evaluate your life and get that spirit of thankfulness in you. You know? Like start thanking God for air to breathe,for your eyes, the fact that you didn't sleep outside last night. I mean any and everything you can think of. And watch God lift your burdens! Hold on gang!!!! Get out and move that body as an outlet! Theres nothing like a good sweat to help you feel good about yourself and accomplished!! Have a great one even in the face of Junk!
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace.much Peace and LOVE!!!!

Stop wishing!

Morning all! Deep breaths as we approach the end of another week. I must admit that when my feet hit the floor today i sat on the edge of the bed for like 3 minutes. Lol! I was thinking how good it would feel to just lay back down for a while. And you know what? Honestly i don't think i would have been a slacker had i done it, but i realize that nothing is ever accomplished by talking yourself out of your goal. I've come a long way from "wishing" i could be a better me to actually putting some things in motion. Soo with that i got up grabbed my stuff and jetted to the gym. You see...there are many people in this life who are "stuck" somewhere between "wishing" and "doing". I was there...some of you were there and the truth is sometimes we revisit there. But at the end of the day, nothing gets accomplished by simply wishing for it to happen. It takes our committment and focus each and every day to do what others won't do. Hmmph! You got people every day talking up a storm, but never do a dang thing! You know why i can say that? Because i was that guy. Ohh yeah! Wishing on a star! Man i wish i was in better shape. I wish i had a little more money(working on that). Man i wish, i wish, i wish!! Knock it off! Stop wishing and get busy! There are soo many people in this world with greater challenges in life than  many of us. So why wish when you can do??!! See! While you chill somebody is deciding to build. They made a decision to put excuses away and never chain themselves to them again. I know! It's tight but it's oooh soo right! Keep the faith and put into action a plan. But most of all stop wishing for things that you have the ability to do!
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!

Don't be skuuurd!

Morning all! It's another day that we haven't seen before and God is with us. Today as i hit the gym i couldn't help but think of all of the uncertainties in life that make me a little afraid. I think it's the "not knowing what the future holds" part that gets me sometimes. Yeah...i know you have to trust God and that He is with us through all of our struggles. BUT! Sometimes if i dwell on it too long it can be a little scary. You know about being scared right? It's that kinda scared you get when your in the house by yourself and you hear like every crack,creek and sound you've never heard before!..lol! It's that feeling you get sometimes when you're walking alone in the dark and you just feel like just over your  should Jason or Freddy Kruger is tracking you down! I think when i have those momentary lapses of bravery it's a sign to me that i need God!!! Ohh Lord do i need God! I mean i honestly don't know how i could do anything without Him. He's the reason why i get up and workout when i don't feel like it, along with my moms memory. I think some fear is healthy actually, because it serves to remind us that no man or woman is an island. Life throws us curve balls on a daily basis and we have to trust God. It aint easy but Maaaaaaan we gotta do it!! I mean what other choice do we have??? Especially if what you're scard of is out of your hands? He holds the future and our lives in the palm of His hands. Weeping may endure for a night ,but joy comes in the morning!! Hahaha! See! We're getting braver already!!..lol! When i read what He's said i get scronger and scronger!!..LMBO!!! God is good and doesn't matter what you and i think! He is in charge!!!!! Keep running,working out and Don't be skuuurd!!..well maybe a little is ok. But don't let fear take over your life!! It belongs to G.O.D.
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!!

The struggle is real, but keep doing you!

Good Monday morning everybody! Yes! Back to work, but thank God for work to go back to. This weekend i was given a refresher course in pushing through obstacles. Question?? Am i only 1 that is faced with more month than money at times? Hmm..Am i the only one who gets frustrated when you are doing the best you believe you can only to get hit with something else?? Well it's a retorical question because i know if everyone that reads this blog would be perfectly honest, we all do!! Friday morning i didnt run, and i basically used it as a rest day from that and just lifted weights. I actually contemplated not doing anything on Saturday, but i pushed myself anyway and ran my 10 miles. The day started off really nice! Mountain air..cool breeze and i was seriously feeling the music on my ipod as i took stride after! Nice start to the day. Then my Jeep breaks down and my son tells me his car is acting stupid!! Now if you've ever been in a position where you had more month than money you can feel me on this. I sure have! The point i simply want to make here is this. Before you start the day do some things for you. Pray,meditate, workout, whatever it is. Make some time for you. To energize your day, you need some reflection time. I truly believe my run helped me to not go off!! That and of course the power of God!!! The wheels on the bus go round and round once you get going. So make sure that you get what you need to fuel yourself for the day! Life isn't fair but it's our life none the less. The struggle is real, but keep doing you!! Sodas down, Waters up! Peace and Love!

Confession!

Caught!! Busted!! I've been outed! I'm done!! Ok! Ok! Yall know i like cookies and pancakes right??? And Ummm..yall know i be gettin it in with the running right? Well on the real i've been living foul...lol! Maaaaan i got a cookie addiction and so i feel the need to go to confessional. Seems like because i run like a mad man i have somehow justified eating more cookies and pancakes than i should!!! Dangit!!! Is it may fault that they're good??? Don't judge me!!! I've come a long way right?? Uggghh! Ok! Ok! So what if i bought 2 packs of cookie dough! And the Mommas pancake breakfast at Cracker Barrel is on deck at all times???!!! LMBO!!! HELP!!!!!!! I aint perfect, but i know i've gotta get this last 30 to 40 pounds OFF MY FRAME!!!!! Wheewww! Ok i feel a little better. But seriously i have to do better. There's a  reason why i can't shake the last few! Duuhhh! I gotta make some changes. So starting today i have decided to scale it back a LOT! Now im not gonna quit but i am making a concious decision to CHILL!!!!! I know i can do it with the help of God almighty, but He's not going to do it for me. Sooooo with that i confess! It's confessional wednesday people and God is listening. Can i encourage some of you who struggle with food you like? Take it from me. My wife taught me that you can't outwork a bad diet!!!! She was right!! It does not matter how much you work out if you take in more calories than you burn! Soo today is the day. Ima chill! I promise! Pray for me when you go down on your knees tonight and i will do the same for you!!!! You can do it! Whatever it is! Start the roll back today. Steadily withdraw the troops of food that mean you NO good today!!! I know its worth it! I've seen the results and i want IT!!!!! Let's go gang! I confess!!!! How about you??? Cookies down a little! Pancakes down a little! Sodas Down! Waters up!!!!! Peace and Love!!

Get back up.

This post is dedicated to the people who fell off the wagon, are pushing the wagon, thinking about getting off the wagon, and who fell off the wagon this weekend. LOL! Can i tell you that everybody falls off the wagon?? Oh yeah!I had more cookies than i probably should have. OH WELL! Mind Your Business!!! LOL! The wagon is synonomous with life itself. It is said that you don't learn much about yourself when you're flying high. It's in the times of your life when you fall down. When you're out of sorts. When you're at your wits end and don't know if you can make it one more round. Yeah..those are the times when your mental is tested and YOU have to decided whether or not you're worth it. Well! You are worth it! I'm worth it. It doesn't matter that you fell off the wagon. It matters that you get up. That you look the battle you lost squarely in the face and say," I know i messed up but by God i'm getting up!" I paid for those cookies in the gym today! Dang!!! I have more fight in me, i have a strong mind and im capable of over coming! As a matter of fact i am an over comer! So start fresh today gang. GET BACK UP! Oh you're still in the fight. You just need to stay at it! I need to stay at it! Rome wasn't built in a day and you know there had to be delays in building all that intricate art work. You are a canvas that is evolving day by day. We have ups, we have downs. Such is life, a friend told me. Sooo while your here on planet earth stay in the race and run your own race. Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!

You're not invincible!

Good morning folks! Well thank God for this gorgeous day and the life that we have and in spite of everything going on in and around us, i'm glad to be alive!! Yesterday i had the opportunity to talk to a friend who's child had gotten into some trouble. Through some bad decisions his son made he got a DUI, and now is faced with all kinds of embarrassment, legal fees and soo many other hurdles! As we talked he shared with me how that the things we do when we are young seem soo cool..That is until your cool factor gets broken down. You know the cool factor right???! I thought about how that is soo true when your young and uninformed!!! Maaaaaan! I can remember thinking as a young teenager,"its the other guy, im too cool to get caught up." That is of course until i got caught drinking in public as a young teenager in the hood. I'm not trying to give grown folks a teaching on drinking here. LOL! The point im trying to make is that none of us is invincible. Especially when it comes to life. Hmmmp! You can be flying high today and think you got it going on and then WHAM!!!!!!!!!!! Something comes along that you didn't even consider because of a bad decision that you made. Deciding to do what you know to do is not always the easiest thing. At least not for me. I'm just being honest. Because sometimes what you know to do, isn't always what you want to do! I told my buddy how i wish i had listened a little more to older folks when i was a kid. But when your young and dumb you just KNOW your invincible!! Shucks! Even when your older and in your 40's you can think that! Can i tell you it's a fake life when you think stuff can't happen to you. It's not enough to be armed with information. You have to move from that vantage point to execution! Soo when i look around at soo many people who had it all and lost it all, i think how blessed and fortunate i am. You may not have a million dollars but you have your life! And that's worth more than all the money in the entire world. What you do with it is up to you! I think at the point that you realise your not invincible, that's when the world starts to open up to you. You begin to see things in a different light. My approach is always, " there but for the grace of God go I". It could have been me in that wreck with now survivors, or me with an ailment that has no cure and the list goes on and on and on!!! Invincible???!!..Not hardly! Life is precious!! And soo as i exercise the body, my mind gets the message as well. Take care of the treasure you've been  given, STAY HUMBLE,and trust and believe that NONE of us is invincible!! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!!

Turn the light on!

Good morning crew! Today is a good day no matter what anyone says or even what you think or feel. Do you know why? Because in spite of every challenge, you WILL see your way through it. That's what i tell myself. Listen! There are people everyday across this country and the world who have faced far greater struggles and they keep on truckin! So who am i to complain or even you for that matter? I got to the gym today and saw the eeriest thing. Normally when i roll up im usually the first one there.  The lights in building are on, the fan is going and i know its ok. But!!This morning when i pulled up all the lights were off! Maaaaan it was completely dark in there! I wasn't scared(i don't think) cause ima hell of a man..lol! But uuh ruhh...im thinkin. This doesn't look good. This place is 24 hours! Who in the world would turn off the lights?? Anyway, i go inside turn on the lights and kinda check the place out and all is well. I get my workout in and i can't help but think how in life i've had times where if there was something i was unsure of i just avoided it. I'm not saying i don't ever do that now, but i'm getting a little bit better at pushing through uncertainties in life. Feel me? You know sometimes the things that we are unsure of yield the greatest blessings. It takes a great deal of strength and fortitude to do what other people won't do. Im learning that. And on that note! Don't get mad when other people don't see things the way that you do! It probably wasn't meant for them to see it your way anyway. And besides that. Who made you in charge of how people see life anyway Adolph!..hahaha! LOL! That's what ive had to tell myself. I mean don't get it twisted! There was a time when i didn't see the importance of trying to take care of my body and all that. But one day i turned the light on. And every since then i've been learning how to push through some things that i might otherwise strink way from. Now i'm not saying im going to ride roller coasters, or bungie jump off the Sears Tower in Chicago! Cause im not real fond of heights..lol! But what i am saying is this. Just because some things look challenging doesn't mean we shouldn't push against them and at least try! Oh yeah! I mean come on man, come on girl! You can at least try can't you?? I mean what harm is there in at least trying to do better? When i pulled up at the gym my mind started racing a little, just a little. I'm thinking...hmmm. I betcha theres a dude in there naked, and wrapped up in duct tape in the bathroom!..LOL! And im going to be the one to find this guy! Hahahaaaa! See! Sometimes things aren't as serious or as hard as we make them out to be and sometimes they are. But for real for real. All you have to do is turn on the light and get busy! Keep doing you yall! It's all good! And God is definitely good!! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Be quiet and kill that noise!!!

Goodmorning! How are you? It seems that the days can be filled with soo much noise. Not just the noise from traffic, crying kids, loud machines and people, but the noise that can sometimes be inside of us. Let me ask you? Have you ever been at a place in your life where your mind just can't focus on one task at a time? I mean seriously!! It's like you lay down or you sit down and all you can think about is the next thing! I know that God has the ability to help us relax and focus when we make time to meditate and quiet the noise from the day. As i hit the gym this morning though i thought about how often i don't make time to just be quiet. You know? Sometimes you have to turn your brain off and just breathe in deeply and exhale the day out, the kids out, finances out, your problems out and trust the Master of the universe. Quieting your mind, i learned last weekend from a friend requires practice. It's something that you and i can't hold as just an option. It must be done on a daily basis. Yeah i know! You got responsibilities..and so do i. These bills,situations and circumstances won't get taken care of just by meditating Adolph! hahaha!!LMBO! That's what i tell myself. But the reality is, you and i need to be quiet to get the next move from God. See! When you're running around and never taking time to refuel your brain, eventually you run out of gas. I mean even vehicles can't run forever without some type of maintanence. What makes us think that we are any different??? Maaaaaaan kill that noise from the day and steal away for some you time. Hmmmph! You need to tell your people to leave you alone for bout 30 minutes and i'll get back to you! Right now i need to get centered because if im no good to me then i can't be good to you. As a matter of fact, do what i call a David Banner on 'em! You remember him right. He's the dude that you saw right before he became the Incredible Hulk. Tell'em "Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when i'm angry!" LOL! So with that make some time for you, get quiet and kill that noise! You and i have work to do! We don't wan to to just be busy. We want to be effective! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Doing your part.

A wonderful vacation comes to and end for me. But I am grateful for the much needed time off and I am fortunate to have a job to go back to. Last night as I watched with America concerning the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case I was soo upset that I had to turn off the tv. Shock, disappointment and utter disbelief filled my mind and spirit. Regardless of how you feel about the case, the fact remains that an unarmed teenage boy is dead and the justice system in Florida has allowed the killer to go free! Free!...Free! or is he? At best he will live with the consequences of his actions everyday. And while I am hurt concerning the verdict, I feel a sense of overcoming that accompanies my many emotions. I think deep down inside I have found another "why" in my life to continue my journey to a better me. Without question my mother is #1 but now a young man by the name of Trayvon Martin inspires me to push the more to do what I have to do be a better me. Doing my part is embodied in the belief that even though man may kill the body...they can NEVER kill my spirit. There is a level of freedom that comes with being unafraid to die for what you believe. And as long as I hold fast to God and His promises I will never die. As I rise each day I am grateful for the life that I have been given, the opportunities before me and the obstacles i have been able to hurdle and put behind me. Life is precious, fragile and short. And so i run. To keep me focused, to help me get stronger mentally and physically. To Shut the naysayers up! To tap into the God given potential and ability that was given to me before i was formed in the womb of my mother. The bottom line is, we are all extremely powerful beings that must learn to not sell ourselves short with what God gave us. So what? If nobody supports you! So what? If i'ts never been done that way before! So what? If you don't have the resources! So what? If you're not as strong, smart, or as fast as others! They can't do what you do. Ohhh no! You got you on lock baby! And it doesn't matter what the opinions of others is. Doing your part to make this world a better place begins with you. Oh yeah! Taking a deep look within, clearing out all the voices of negativity and doubt, and pushing forward towards your dreams and goals like never before. Nothing ever gets done in our lives by just talking(ive learned that the hard way), after we talk we have to DO! Listen to those that are where you want to be, and speak after you have listened to all the information, before you form an opinion. I have learned the best way to reach people is to be honest with people about your story. Select what avenue would best suit your abilities to help this world be a better place and pursue it like God would have you to. As i run i learn more about myself and what i can do to contribute to this world being a better place. I hope you all do the same.
Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love!

Live,love and laugh!

What a wonderful weekend to enjoy family and friends! I hope that everyone had a great time and enjoyed themselves to the fullest. I had a great time catching up with family and friends as well. It's a trip how you can stumble on nuggets of truth when you're not even looking for any. This weekend I had the opportunity to speak with a man who was for all practical purposes a "dead man." His heart was in such bad shape that he needed a transplant! But not even a year after the surgery he was at a cookout sharing his miraculous story with me!!! Wow!! He shared how he had God to thank for being alive and as I sat and listened to his wife chime in to correct him on dates like many women do...lol! I couldn't help but think how fortunate and abundantly blessed they were that both could experience such a testimony that would pull at the "heart" of most people. She watched him like a hawk with food selections and so forth. Why? Because when you're given another chance at life  you don't squander it!! It's crazy how the choices we make in life often don't change until something crazy happens to force us to change. Not that this gentlemen lived a foul life at all. But it made me think about my own life. With the death of my parents I feel like I too have another chance at life. Mom had diabetes and dad had a stroke. So in my mind, to give myself a fighting chance at living a long productive life I needed to change as well, before I was MADE to change. The reality though is this. Just because you work out and eat right doesn't necessarily mean you won't have health issues. But at least i'd like to give myself a fighting chance at avoiding health risks. While in Hampton this weekend I ran and I always get a little nostalgic when I go home. Everything there reminds me of my mom and dad, family and friends. But off I went this morning! Hot and humid is always the case in the summer time down there, but I had a blast. I started thinking as I ran how blessed I am to be alive, how loved I am by God, family and friends and how everyday i'm learning to not take myself so seriously and laugh at myself! LOL! Especially the fact that Adolph is running and nothing is chasing him!..LOL! To say that life is short is an understatement!! None of us knows when the end will be for us. The people on that plane in San Francisco didn't know! So until then let's live, love and laugh! Thank God often and stay humble. None of what we have belongs to us. We're just charged with being the best stewards of it while it's in our possession. Embrace each day and try not to think so far ahead! Yeah I know! But what about this and what about that???  Tomorrow hasn't even gotten here yet man!! The scriptures tell us it's filled with it's own set of challenges(tomorrow that is). So live in the present! LIVE, LOVE and LAUGH!!! Sodas down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!!

Use whatcha got!

Thank God it's the day before the 4th of July! A much needed vacay is in order i am sooooo glad about it!!!I finally realised i'm addicted to the gym and the first step is admission..lol!! Well today my thoughts are on how very blessed we are to have what we have. I'm thinking about a number from 1 to 10. Can you guess what it is??...7!!! Yes! At the top of the list is a 7. See 7 is God's number not a lucky number, but the sign of perfection that lives in you. In other words, you are perfect! Oh yeah! Perfect for the assignment that God has given you. You didn't know??? You better ask somebody!..lol! See! Nobody can do what you do quite like you do what you do. Stop worrying about what you don't have! Stop wishing for what somebody else has! And for goodness sake stop being jealous and coveting what other people have! All im saying is we as a people have got to learn to USE WHAT WE HAVE! You've been given ability, you've been given strength, you've been given air to breath, and so on so forth. It's up to you how you divy up your time to accomplish what you're lifes work is. Try some new things. Stretch youreself in areas that you did'nt think possible and watch doors open up for you. Soo many times i've looked at my own life and said, "well yeah, i could do what they did if i just had wealthy people in my family". Or,"I guess i could do that too if i had all the time they have." Please! Talk to the hand! All that stuff i was talking was just a bunch of excuses! Soo! I tell myself to stop wishing and start doing! Ima use what i got and so should you! Maaaan i've met some of the most gifted and talented people ive ever seen in my life! I know a guy who can fix your car, and play every musical instrument!! I know some people who can sing till Heaven comes down! I know people who can close a deal quicker than Donald Trump! But we all have something that is unique to us and we should just USE IT! So today!
Don't complain! Don't Whine! Cause aint nobody listeing and nobody really cares! Hahaha! LOL! Just do the dang thang Adolph!!! Use what you got boy and go get it! It'll work if you work it!!!! Don't settle!!! You are a force to be reconned with! USE WHATCHA GOT BABYYYY!!!
Sodas Down! Waters Up! Peace and Love!!

It's your season!

Good morning all! And yet another day we have been blessed to see. Some with victories and some filled with disappointment's, but nevertheless it's our season. You know? I was thinking today how that many times we as people equate "your season" with a bunch of good things. Feel me? Like you got a great job,money in the bank, your relationships are all just stellar and basically all the planets align with you and your family, and all is well....lol!! But what about those times when it's really not like that? I mean does that mean it's not your season? Does it mean that somehow God is playing a joke on you and your enemies now have the opportunity to triumph over you? Hmmm....i don't think so. To me i think that your season is based solely on how you perceive it to be. I learned a while back that you can't change some situations, but you can change in some situations. In other words, just because things may not be going your way and you face all kinds of oposition, doesn't mean that your season has not come. It just means that you and i need to understand this particular season and gleen what we can from it and keep it moving. Oh yeah! I know about cars breaking down, having to make job changes, relationships on the rocks, more month than you got money. The struggle is real!! But in spite of all of that we press on towards the mark for the prize of the higher calling. See. I think when we have troubles here on planet earth it helps to remind us that all this stuff down here is temporary! I mean check it out. Even good times don't last always..smh! You didn't know?? Ha! But by the same token neither do troubles. They come in waves like water to the shores of life, BUT OHH MYYY!!! Thank God they recede like the tide! So embrace your season whatever it is. I know it's tough! God knows i do. But look for the nuggets that are in your season and the teaching tools that have been carefully laid out for you and i to learn from. 5 miles at the gym on the hamster wheel(treadmill), felt soo good this morning!! Don't mean that my struggles weren't there when i got off! But i ran through them and i know better is available!!! Sodas down! Waters up! Peace and Love fam!