JM Publishing

Movement is medicine.

If exercise could be put in pill form, it would be the most popular drug of all time.

- Action changes your attitude.
- Motion changes your emotion.
- Movement changes your moods.

Feeling like you’re stuck or in a rut? Feeling depressed, anxious, struggling with your mental health, or addiction? Try starting with the cheapest medicine with zero negative side effects.

We don’t change by waiting. Get up, get moving, and go after what you want.

We got this!

I sometimes forget this, because to me, “can’t” isn’t a viable option.

We CAN do anything. Given the correct strategy, systems and time, we can do literally whatever we want. I’m a firm believer that if someone else has done it, so can I.

We all have similar ability. It’s the mindset and drive that differentiates us. If you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you can, you’re right too.

When you want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen.

We got this!

Why don’t you get anything and everything you want? Because you’re stuck in the mindset of “I don’t feel like it.”

What’s the solution?

Act differently than you feel.

You don’t always have to listen to your feelings. Do what you know you need to do, to get the results you want.

C > F = R

When your commitment is greater than your feelings, then you’ll get the results you want.

Try this next time you don’t “feel” like doing something; do it anyway, for 15 minutes. You don’t want to workout? Do it for 15 minutes. You don’t want to read? Do it for 15 minutes. Whatever it is you don’t “want” to do, give it 15 minutes and I am fairly confident your attitude toward the situation will change. Motivation typically comes after movement.

We got this!!

You can’t get to 100, if you don’t start with 1.

Turns out, life is a lot easier without hangovers, arrests, drama, and wasted money.

If something in your life is causing more negative than positive results…eliminate it!! 💪🏽💪🏽

Grateful for 100 days sober, looking forward to the next 100.

If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with substance abuse please reach out.

We got this!!

I had a pretty uncertain future 90 days ago…

I walked into the ER in the morning, because I knew something wasn’t right and was fairly certain I had a seizure in my sleep based on how my body felt. The fact is, it’s a feeling I have unfortunately had too many times over the last few years. I was detoxing hard from a 17 day drinking bender.

I was given the usual treatment, an IV, some anti-anxiety meds and was released a couple hours later. After being back at my buddy’s house for a couple hours without the DT’s subsiding, I knew there was something severely wrong this time and I returned to the ER…where my Doctor reluctantly admitted me to the hospital within a couple hours.

Walking into an urgent care center or an emergency room for alcohol withdrawal is an incredibly defeating, embarrassing and demoralizing experience. Like I said, I’ve done it far too many times, and the associated shame has kept me from going many times as well, where I thankfully survived the detox on my own. I am grateful I did go twice this day, especially considering my heart stopped beating at one point 2 days later, but I was in good hands.

90 days later without even a sip of alcohol has shown me the blueprint to success and provided a foundation for a sober future. The best cure for alcoholism is to never start again.

While very cliche, the term “one day at a time” is truly empowering for recovery. We do not need to have the entire journey mapped out, just need to focus on getting through each day sober.

My go-to statement when I am struggling with cravings is “just not today.” As long as we keep fighting the urge to ever begin, we never have to experience the devastating effects of intoxication and the associated detox. And as the back of the shirt I’m wearing today says, “Don’t let the bad days win,” as long as we keep moving forward we cannot lose.

If you, or anyone you know, is struggling please do not hesitate to reach out. I do not have all the answers, I just know what has worked for me and I am happy to help. Success leaves clues and I have a handful of those to give.

We got this!

The inspiration and message behind my newest podcast:

“You go, I go.”

IYKYK

A simple phrase, but the meaning behind it is truly the difference between a successful or failed mission. Whether in a tactical environment, or in day to day life, the trust built in relationships is the foundational element that everything else is built upon.

Basically stated, “I trust you, I care about your well-being, and I will not leave your back unprotected by refusing to follow you. Wherever you go, I will follow.”

I was first introduced to this phrase in SWAT school about 18 years ago. In a tactical environment, positions and assignments in the stack up for a maneuver are previously defined and well-rehearsed. And in a static environment, these assignments are typically carried out as planned. When the rehearsed mission is carried out in real life, positions can become fluid, where each member must assume different assignments on the fly. Where one person first took lead, they may end up following their cover after the lead position has changed.

If the foundational mantra of “you go, I go” is not understood and bought into by everyone, lives can be lost.

Are there times when the lead may make an incorrect decision? Of course. But if your cover isn’t following you and you don’t follow them, the initial mistake can quickly turn into an outcome with everlasting impact.

I would suggest it behooves us to apply this same principle to our personal relationships. Friends, family, intimate relationships, and work environments all need to be assessed to determine if all party’s involved are equally contributing to the mission…and if all can be trusted. If you can not trust someone to follow you, or you question if you would follow them…it’s probably time to abort the mission.

While completing your assessment, make sure you are leading in a way someone would follow you into battle. Get better every day…we have 1,440 minutes per day…what can you spend 15 minutes doing today to further your growth and mission in life?

We got this!

I walked into a hotel room for the first time since spending a week in one during an 11 day bender over 2 months ago.

The flashbacks and emotions caught me off guard. I remembered feeling so incredibly defeated when I was there…and was completely content drinking myself to death. Which I almost accomplished.

The craziest part of addiction, is it loves the feeling of destruction associated with its presence. There’s an eerily disturbing sense of comfort felt when we get our fix and have succumb to the temptations…knowing full well the path we are going down leads to devastation. Once we make the decision to use or drink, the voices in our head remind us how we failed sobriety and encourage us to throw our hands in the air and go all in. And once there, we can just continue to spiral…prove all of our doubters right and allow the negative influences take over.

It’s easy to give up sobriety. To throw in the towel and tell ourselves “we’ll get back to sober again soon enough, it’s ok to stumble.”

Walking into the hotel room, I had all of these thoughts. Processed how easy it would be to stumble and get my head right within a couple days. The feelings and emotions associated gave me anxiety and the pit in my stomach reminded me of the hurt and pain caused the last time. For a moment, guilt and shame almost took over and convinced me it was time to stumble.

I took each thought captive, allowed myself the moment to have the them, then spoke aloud in a room alone, “just not tonight, we got this.”

Simple. Easy. Effective. 65 days alcohol free today and a lifetime to go.

If you struggle with addiction/alcoholism, I am positive you can relate to this post. I am proud of myself and anyone who can maintain sobriety. We are worth it.

If you need help, or know anyone who does, shoot me a message and let’s come up with a plan.

We got this!

After much deliberation, procrastination and preparation…I finally launched the Me vs Me Podcast.

Please follow, rate and share!!

The core purpose behind everything I do with Me vs Me is to let others know they are not alone in their struggles. We are all in this together and the best way through a variety of situations/obstacles is as a team.

Shoot me a message to inquire about our Mental Performance Coaching program.

Please give me some feedback and any suggestions for future episodes.

We got this!! 💪🏽💪🏽

“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” ~ Earl Nightingale

In less that 60 days I have gone from a hospital bed to my own house, a new truck and seen tremendous success earning money. I have been able to start to mend some relationships and continue to work on myself intensely, so I can continue to show up in the capacity I need to.

While I deal with clinical depression, suicidal ideations daily, PTSD and anxiety, the biggest struggle I ignored was my alcoholism.

I am a fixer…I am a problem solver and I make things happen.

Unless I’m drunk.

I was blind to the fact that I was destroying everyone and everything around me because my selfishness was in control…the perceived need I had to consume alcohol in a failing attempt to quiet the demons inside took priority and precedence in my life.

Not anymore…I choose life for myself, and by doing so, I know I can pour life into others.

I have no secret or strategy that others have not already followed. First, I decided I don’t deserve what I was putting myself through, nor did anyone else around me who (at least at one point) believed in me. Secondly, I get through each day as it comes. “Not today” is my go-to any time I feel an urge or have a thought to have a drink. And that gets me through…I just focus on not doing it today and worry about tomorrow when it comes.

Simple, right? But effective. The urges and impulses happen less and less, and the proof of the absolute success encountered from making better, life-building, decisions fuels my continued motivation and progress.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling please reach out. We are all in this together.

We got this!!

Protect your energy.

Any relationship (personal or professional) or encounter that is not mutually beneficial will never work.

If it is not an environment that is not mutual, it cannot exist. If it is a relationship where both sides are not putting forth equal effort, one side will always feel slighted.

Make sure you are showing up for those you have committed to and don’t let others who are content being selfish drain you of your energy.

Life is too short to keep trying to open doors that are repeatedly closed.

We got this!!

BRICKS

Think of all of your past hang ups, mistakes, struggles and shortcomings as mental bricks.

Carrying the weight of these “bricks” becomes such a daunting and exhausting task after time.

Think of how much mental bandwidth you would free up if you got rid of the bricks. Your ability to perform at a higher level mentally and grow is directly proportional to the amount of weight holding us back.

Get rid of the bricks. Throw them down and use them to build your path to success.

We got this! 💪🏽💪🏽