#DirtyThirty

In honor of my 30th birthday, I've decided to compile a list of 30 things that has helped me along the way and hopefully helps you at whatever stage of life you're currently at :) 

1. Love God- I'm currently on a train ride for Mothers Day enjoying all God created. Nature is beautiful and I love how God created things in such vast detail. Amazing!

2. Don't be afraid to try new things- Y.O.L.O ( you only live once) can't believe I just wrote that. But it's true :)  you should experience things at least once. Never be afraid of what you haven't tried. If you've tried it and are now afraid, then there you go. At least you braved it one time!

3. Don't take things too serious- life is too BIG and WONDERFUL to take serious. Enjoy it while you have it. So many times, people get angry over something so little and it ruins the rest of their day. Learn to adapt and use it to your benefit. 

4. Do You- many times people want to please other people for all the wrong reasons. It's best to just be yourself and the right people will come along and create life with you. Those are the lifelong pals you want around, not the ones that are only around you to benefit off you. 

5. Marry young-ish :) - If that opportunity arises, take action! Most think marrying young is a mistake but if you have solid ground and are both rooted in each other there is no shame in starting early. Life is best experienced with someone by your side to weather the storm as well as enjoy the sunshine.  If it's time, listen to Beyoncé and put a ring on it :)

6. Finish College- I never did get the chance to go back. I was so close to finishing my AA in elementary Ed when I realized it's not what I wanted to do. Then life hit and wasn't able to return. I would go back and finish it now but at this point it's kinda hard to make that commitment. If you can, finish early and enjoy the benefits of that piece of paper :)

7. Make time for family- when growing up, family can almost be a burden. We always want to hang out with friends. As you get older you begin to realize that family is important. Parents get older and you begin to think that they can go at anytime. So cherish those moments with loved ones because when they're gone, you'd wish you'd have been there to hug them one last time. 

8. Pick your battles- some arguments can be avoided if you suck up your pride and know it's not worth the breath. This goes for spouses and other outside conversations. People like to be right and will push you to be right. Bottom line, avoid the drama. You'll thank me later!

9. Acquaintances don't matter, friends do- throughout high school you'll have a lot of people you associate with and talk to on a daily basis. Then you have your friends that kick it with you everyday and know you better than your parents do. Those are the relationships you want to invest in. Later on in life it's much more about whose by your side  versus who likes your fb status :) 

10. Don't burn bridges- there are so many times we feel like we can burn a bridge and it won't matter. Later on in life we'll find out that burnt bridges aren't the way to go. Always end on a good note or at least cordial. You never know if you might need that relationship later. Definitely cut off negative relationships! However, while crossing new bridges, don't be quick to burn the bridge that got you to your next path. 

11. Live to Inspire- everyone wants to be inspired to start something or reach a goal. Inspiration is best when we admire the person that it comes from. The impact is long lasting and fulfilling to say the most. When you inspire the next generation, you create a world of endless possibilities for them to explore. Spark the change that you want to see. Lead by example :)

12. Be a role model- there is always someone who wants to be just like you. Whether it's your kids or your next door neighbor. Someone is watching your every move wanting to be your mini me. Be positive and encouraging. Listen and love who they are. Being a role model is tough work but we need great individuals to build up even greater ones :)

13. Drink a little- after a long week of working or inspiring individuals, it's nice to have a drink or 2 with some friends or even sipping something while unwinding in your living room ( juice or something non alcoholic for you tweeners lol) . Getting drunk is overrated. Casual drinking and having fun with a group of friends is way better. Plus you remember everything and aren't too hammered to hold an intelligent conversation. 

14. There's always room for dancing- I was reminded last night that there's always room for movement. Doesn't have to be perfect, just be free! Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try. Let yourself experience the joy of dance. Just move :)

15. Exercise- sounds like a lot of work while you're young but you're body will thank you by the time you're thirty! Love it! Stretch everyday and allow yourself to sweat more and more each day. Releasing those endorphins are great and get your day going on the right foot! Plus, it does a body good

16. Smile- need I say more? Studies show that the more you smile, the harder it is to have a bad day. Go figure!

17. Do at least one good deed a month- why not make it 2!!!! If you believe in karma, well, you'll have good things coming your way! Also, it just makes you feel good about doing something that's worth feeling good about! Sure going to the gym makes you feel good and eating that piece of cake. BUT nothing satisfies the soul than to watch someone light up with joy from something positive from you :)

18.Date with intention- I had a hard time with this one until I met my wife. Everyone was a cute face until I got my first real rejection from my wife. Dating with intention means that it's going somewhere other than to Dairy Queen for date night. You actually want to pursue this person for more than their body and your immature hormones. Marriage is a thought as well as a future with this person. When I figured that out, it was an uphill battle but I was ready for the climb! 

19. Read books- or at least listen to audio books. Knowledge is power and your mind is a very powerful tool in this life. Enhance your thinking, enhance your life :)

20. Save money- learn to save even if it's for a rainy day. I learned the hard way from various times of over-drafting in my bank account. Don't spend money if you don't have to. No one wants to wait for anything anymore. Everyone needs to have the latest thing. I promise, it's not worth the hype. Plus, a newer version is going to come out in the next 6 months and now your stuck with old news :(     save,save,save!!!

21. Run 5ks or 10ks- it's good for you! And they're fun to do. Sign up with friends and have the time of your life doing something fun and healthy! 

22. Have a hobby- nothing is more important than having something that your into other than your daily grind. Something that lets you release yourself and is freeing. Something you enjoy doing either by yourself or in a group. For me, it's bowling :)

23. Pamper yourself- we all need that massage or mani/pedi sometimes. Maybe even a lil shopping spree. It's always good to give yourself some type of pampering because let's face it. YOU deserve it!!!! 

24. Learn to cook- we live in a fast food world! People get super lazy and don't want to cook so they rather eat fast food. Here's 2 reasons why you should cook. It's healthier for you! (That's a big reason) and 2, it's quality time in the kitchen and with family if you cook together. It's more enjoyable that way too! Instead of standing in line thinking of what to order, you're trying to decide whether or not you should steam the broccoli or sauté it... Yeah I thought so.... Sauté it :)

25. Be patient- having kids has taught me a great deal of patience. I still lose it once in a while but boy do you have to have a lot of it. Teaching dance has also taught me patience. It's definitely something that we all need to work on but when you have a lot of it, getting through something that's super frustrating can turn out to be the ultimate reward when your patient and diligent. Practice makes improvement! 

26. Longevity is key- don't work multiple jobs for short periods of time. Work 1 or 2 jobs over a long period of time. It looks better in the long run plus it shows consistency as well as dependability. 

27. Don't go in debt- going in debt is inevitable. You have to go in debt to have good credit. If you can lower your debt and stay within 0-10% of your overall balance, you're good to go. Creditors say over 30% is too much. If you can pay in cash, DO IT!!!! If you have to go in debt over something like a credit card, chances are, whatever you put on it wasn't worth it! Pay cash!

28. Be proud of your culture- I'm proud to be Filipino! Be proud of where you come from. Learn your roots and who paved the way before you. You can learn a lot about yourself if you take a look at your past and the path that was blazed for you to be where you're at right now. 

29. Go on hikes- or just sight seeing in general. Living in Washington I've gone on my share of hikes. I wish I can go on more and soon I'll be able to :) the scenery out here is beautiful as we get the evergreen forest along with the luscious mountains that surround us. Enjoy nature. There is nothing quite like the vast picture the world paints everyday.

30. Love yourself- it speaks for itself. This should be number one on your list but sometimes you need to be reminded of this. You give yourself too little credit and should be walking away with your head high and heart full! Everything starts and ends with you. The beginning of your day until the end of it. It's all you! So love yourself throughout the whole process of life because chances are, while creating yourself, you'll find out more of who you want to become versus who you want to be like. It didn't take me 30 years to grasp this concept and hopefully it won't for you either :)

Peace love and blessings! Here's to my #DirtyThirty and everyone who is in my life to help me celebrate it! Love you all!

Reality Check

Do you ever sit and wonder what life would be like if you had made certain choices to change the outcome of your current situation? I sometimes get lost in these thoughts and quickly get a reality check. 

My reality starts at 330am mostly every morning and ends roughly around 9pm and some times 11pm most nights. I've always been a dreamer. A dreamer that will one day make his dream a reality. The truth is, it's a hard task to conquer. The war will always be passion versus commission. Until one day they see eye to eye and agree to coincide with one another. Until then, it's all about that American dream right? The hardest thing is to find something that you are so passionate about and make a living from doing it. For most people, it turns into a financial responsibility to care for themselves and members of their family. For others, it's what makes them happy. Can't you have your cake and eat it too? 

Let me be real with you for a second. For the longest time I've been a dance instructor while always holding a second job. When I was single it was a piece of cake being that I took care of myself and did what I love doing. When i got married, same situation. When Kingston was born my vision slightly shifted from Amy and myself to him. Now that Kensley is here, My vision has completely changed as I look into what our future as a family will be. From 2009-2011 I started and owned Expressive Dance Studio. My vision was to inspire the next generation through the culture of hip-hop, not necessarily owning a dance studio.  At that time I had no choice but to pave my own way. I sold Expressive to a company in 2011 with whom I still work for directing their hip-hop program and I'm also employed with Starbucks. 2 jobs with 60+ hours a week and a family of 4, the struggle is real.

While a good full time job will take care of both jobs financially, the question is, "will it make ME happy?" Ultimately, life is best enjoyed when the things we do make us happy. We all know how fast downhill that can go on a bad day. It sounds selfish to say I should do things to make myself happy instead of the family. But in reality, I'd be happier with the family if I love what I do day after day. Who wants to come home miserable to a family that misses you?!? On the flip side, how can you be happy when there's no money to pay for bills?!? My goal is to financially take care of the family while not missing out on my kids growing up. My goal has always been to be a business owner. What that looks like, I have no idea. What I do know is that I'm going to give myself one year to make this goal happen. To actually implement the process and find people on board to help out for this first year. I'm excited about this venture as I've never been one to do something like this. I won't say what it is but you'll know in due time.  

See, once in a while we need a reality check. Mine came from always missing out on family. Coming home tired and exhausted from working at Starbucks from 4am and getting done with dance around 830pm to going home and having to prep for dance the next day and hopefully getting 4 hours of sleep only to do it again. My body is exhausted. I've been working too hard while being too young  and just "getting by." Something needs to change. I'm not the type that works for a weekend to have with my family. Family has always been my 1st priority and that hasn't been the case lately and I need to make something happen. My dance kids mean the world to me. I can't give up dance just yet. 

When you get a reality check, you either daydream of what could happen or you start to plan out what happens next.

So here's to the rest of 2015 and the beginning of a journey that's going to be really exhausting and time consuming. Only difference is that I get to do it while my wife and kids are right next to me :)

What speaks to you?

Reflection

As the season changes, so does the view around us. We can say the same thing about life as well. When life changes, so does the view around us. Or, so does our view of life. You see, for some people, the view can be the same, day in and day out. For others, the view is so far ahead that their current view doesn't do it any justice. There's a saying, "there's a reason why the windshield is bigger than the rear view mirror. Where you're going is far bigger than where you've been."

It's true! The plans God has are far more superior than what I think I have planned out for my life. So, we just moved from a house back to an apartment to save in stress and just to be a family. This will be the first time in 6 years that Amy and I will have been just us instead of having people live with us. Now we're just a family of 4 in this nice 3 bedroom apartment. So much stress went into the move which I'm pretty sure God is up there smiling at our pain :) 

His timing is perfect. He makes things happen because he's that dope! I worked a shift at Starbucks yesterday but was sick through the whole shift so I got sent home early. THANK YOU Kevan for getting me out of there!!! I had some stuff to do for the house and my biggest concern was finding a house for Kalua because we can't keep him at our apartment. My boy Pete lives in Seattle and has a huge backyard and says that he can house him until my brother ( if he still wants kalua) can take him after he gets married. HUGE BLESSING as we took kalua over and he made himself right at home. It's hard to say goodbye but I see myself making some weekend trips in the future to visit my pup :) 

Kingston came with me on the roadtrip and he makes for a good partner in crime. He's a pretty fun kid to be around.

I've never taken King on such a long journey by myself but he did pretty awesome. It's funny, your dreams in life after having kids start to become based on their future instead of yours not because they have to but because you love them so much and want to give them the world! As I drove up to seattle last night, I had a lot of time to think about their future and what I'm doing to prepare both Kingston and Kensley and ultimately how I'm setting Amy up for success to be  a Momtrepreneur :)

The sad reality is that I'm not. I've been thinking for myself these past couple years. My dreams have to change from a single bachelor mentality to that of a husband and father of 2. They don't have to, but when you grow up, your mentality stops looking in the rear view and starts looking through the windshield. See my dreams are for my kids to have a better life and for my wife to live a more fulfilling one. These past couple years I've been doing it all wrong. Everything had to be fulfilling for me. When in reality, what fulfills me is to take care of my family because that's where my heart is at. Pastor Chris Harold once said" the object of your vision will determine your hearts condition." This is so true! My heart is with my family. It's always been there. I've just been looking at the rear view  for so long that my I couldn't see the bigger picture of my life.

We all need that time to reflect and just be still (psalms 46:10)

My reflection began looking through the windshield and noticing all God had made. My rear view mirror had a car in it :) 

It all starts with a picture, and that picture changes when you add life to it. Don't be afraid of the unknown. You don't know what you can handle until it's in front of you. If you fail, great! There's different ways to skin a cat (maybe that's the wrong analogy to make)

I say that to say this. Your future is very valuable. Your current view is everything in your windshield. In time, if you're moving forward, that view changes. It changes a lot. Embrace it and conquer it. Be selfless! It's time to see life through the windshield and wonder what next  instead of living in the rear view and wonder what happened. 

Love Life!

Learning from children

 I learned a valuable life lesson today that forever will change my outlook on life. 

I woke up this morning and put on my director/coach hat that I wear all the time (figuratively speaking)

I had to be at a highschool dance competition at 930am to help tech a group I choreographed for as well as my group who were exhibitioning 3 pieces. This is nothing new for me as I've lived this life for almost 10 years now. But the difference this year came when we were just sitting down in the black box (theater room) and one of my little girls asked to sit on my shoulders as I sat and watched the friendships begin to flourish within our group. "That looks funny, Marc is like you're dad!" Exclaimed another girl to the girl on my shoulders. Which her reply was "yeah I have a dad but Marc is like my 2nd dad!"

My world paused for what seemed like eternity but in reality was only 3 secs. Every negative thought I had about my career and why I do what I do went out the window today. I get it! I finally understand and can comprehend why I continue to do this line of work. I LOVE KIDS! I love mentoring and nurturing those pure souls! My method may be through teaching dance but I love that I get to teach them my own way and not conform to someone else's way. 

I watched these kids perform and the excitement on their faces when they hit the floor. I genuinely love my kids. Each one of them holds a special place in my heart. I mostly have all girls but I do have 1 boy who holds his own amongst the ladies :) 

After all of the performances, I sat in the empty black box thinking to myself how much I love what I do. How much I love the children that I get to invest in weekly and how much happier I am after watching them perform. Though this life is not for everyone, I find joy investing in this younger generation. I find happiness in their faces after a performance. I find beauty in the way they carry themselves on and off the floor. I love the feeling of independence when the kids can work out their transitions without you. 

After the performance, Kingston (my son) and I went to Starbucks for a daddy/son date and he ordered his birthday cake pop as usual :)

As we go to sit down, I realize that I don't have to help him up the chair. So I sit and watch him as he pulls himself up and begins to neatly place the pink bag on his lap and enjoy the ball of dough. I say to him "King, you are pretty awesome!" He replies "You're pretty awesome too daddy!" I begin to tell him how he teaches me everyday what it means to be a dad and that I'm glad that he's my son. He smiles and finishes his cake pop. 

I say all of that to say this. I see a lot of directors/choreographers miss the big picture. When part of a studio or dance team, carrying the title comes with a whole lot of stress that takes a very special person to overcome and turn it into a positive experience. Not a lot of parents will understand the relationship between a dancer and their coach but will understand the commitment necessary when their dancer is excelling in it. As a coach, our job is to train for success both on and off the stage. I feel the same way as a parent. Which leads me to say that I feel like I'm a dad to all these kids and my kids deserve the best. Not just 90% of me a week. But I'm dedicated to them 100% in class. Just as  I am dedicated to Kingston when we are together. 

Being a director/coach isn't easy at all. In fact it's more than that. I feel it's more like a life coach. It is you're job to prepare them for the future. Whether that is through dance or helping them through a problem. They look up to you. You have a lot of power in your words and actions. Don't screw that up! Be the light in their dark world. To some, you may be the only light they see in their week. Shine bright and shine often! 

I feel as if I changed dramatically during the last 3 months as I've been longing for something I thought that was missing. To be honest I just had to let go of those feelings and make room for a more positive outlook on things. People come and go in your life but the people that stick around and make an effort deserve to be there. Once the effort isn't reciprocated, close that door. It's all about the give than the take. Once all the junk is out of your life, you have more room for treasure. My current treasure rests in being a faithful servant. With God at the forefront of everything I do, I feel blessed everyday with the people currently in my life and the kids I get to inspire. God is awesome! I asked him what he wants me to do cuz I'm so lost and don't know which direction I'm headed in this crazy career life of mine. I love how he responded this weekend and assuring my heart how full it was after today. Thanks God :) 

Crossroads

As I sit in my hotel room ready for a weekend full of dance I begin to reminisce about how I got to the place I'm at. How I'm able to teach hip-hop, and how I've come to be able to choreograph. I begin to ask myself why I wanted to be in this field in the first place. Did I think of all the pros and cons that came with this position? Did this passion of mine fall into place because it was a fun idea? God must have had this planned all along; to have me teaching kids and be able to do what I love doing. 

I never knew I would be dancing let alone teaching it. I wanted to be in the marines before anything. I've always had this adventurous and edgy side about me. At the same time I was thinking marines, I was enrolled in the education program at Clark college wanting to get my degree teaching elementary kids. 5th grade to be exact. Well, long story short, I had a friend going through the education program at CWU and she would come home and tell me all the stuff she was doing and I got uninterested really quick. I have no idea why but the thought of teaching kids that stuff felt meaningless to me. I wanted to influence them and teach them something that mattered. Something they can actually use, something that meant more in life. Dance came along and I loved dancing. I've always liked challenges and trying new things. I was already in love with the hip-hop culture. I grew up in it so I've always had a special place dedicated to the art. I've spent the last 8 years dedicating myself to the culture and I literally changed my lifestyle from wanting to become an educator of academics to an educator of life. I've realized that life nowadays is so much more advanced and we learn way differently compared to back then. The way we teach and view life is way different from 10 years ago. We are much more technologically advanced than we ever were and for that reason the way we teach has to be that much more profound. I feel that sometimes choreographers don't understand themselves or even the logistics behind choreography enough but want to make money in the field. There is no university that will give us a degree in hip-hop education. The only way to acquire said knowledge is from taking class and paving your own way. Hanging out with the people that are making it. Showing up to class/rehearsal with intention to learn and not socialize. Being that person that wants to become better and not allowing excuses to hinder you from being the best version of yourself. Having people kick your ass in class because you wanted to be part of something that challenged you. All these things can make you a better person in whatever field you choose. It doesn't have to be dance. What I've learned is that you have to have the right people to make all of that possible. In the end the only person stopping you from achieving anything in life is yourself. Not your parents and certainly not your friends. Only you. 

I think a lot about my career choice and if it still makes me happy. There are times where I want to quit. There are times where I love what i do. There are even times where I think that another career path is where I should be headed. I wonder sometimes why I love teaching. Why I like seeing people succeed and why I feel so much emotion during times of happiness in someone else's life whether I know them or not.

It all comes down to my relationship with Jesus. Hands down I'm a Christian and I love it!!!! High on my list of spiritual gifts is the gift of faith. Everything makes sense now! This is what it's defined as:

'Those with the gift of faith trust God in difficult, even impossible situations when others are ready to give up. These people are often visionaries who dream big dreams, pray big prayers, and attempt big things for Jesus. These people tend to be optimistic, hopeful, persevering, change-oriented, and future-focused. These people also tend to be very convincing about the truth of Scripture because they themselves are so convinced of the truth and power of God and his Word.'

This is exactly ME :)

In my moments of questioning whether I'm doing a good job of being a servant or being a mentor, I rest in the fact that God has my back in everything. These last 3 months have been rough for me and I don't really like to let people into my life when there's trouble. You can say I'm stubborn and I will admit it but I feel no need to bring my personal issues to work and vice versa. Sometimes it slips and my worlds collide. These last 3 months have been quite tough for me in regards of continuing to teach kids as a career. Is this something I really want to continue to do, or do i look into other outlets for inspiring and reaching the next generation? Everyday I feel like I wear so many hats and at the end of the day I'm so worn out that I just don't want to wear any hat at all and I just want to rest my head without any thought running through it. 

There are some big changes brewing for the future. Changes that will impact a lot of lives and some changes that will have a minimal effect. I've been in the game long enough to know whether it's worth it or worthless. The current status of pros versus cons at this point is about even. I live life with no excuses and only excepting results. Whether bad or good results, I live with it. I'm excited for a new chapter to unfold and very excited to start writing my book. In the meantime, teaching is my passion and I will continue to inspire and change lives the best way I know how. I've gotten to this point through a lot of hardship. A lot of mistakes and more so trial and error. I've been through the ringer more than enough to learn from previous mistakes to see what works and what doesn't. I'm an open book with chapters not yet read and lessons not yet learned. But that doesn't stop me from continuing to write and teach from failure. The best lessons ever learned weren't from a class room, they were learned from experience. You can't teach life from history, you have to live it!

Here's to living, but most importantly, here's to the journey and the things you learn along the way :)

I sit back and analyze life at a distance. What will it be like 5 and 10 years from now if nothing changed and it was the same scene every single day? I also ask myself, what if it was an adventure every single day? Thoughts like these randomly cross my mind when things in life seem out of place. What do I want to do the rest of my life? What do I want to be? It all boils down to how to survive in the end!

I hate that money rules every decision we make, but why does it have to? For me, I've always struggled with money and being able to get a job that paid well and allowed me to have a comfortable schedule with dance. Unless I teach a billion classes at several different places then I can potentially go "full-time" in the dance industry. I would get burnt out eventually. I asked myself, how do I do something I love and get paid for it? Then it wouldn't feel like work! I would love what i do every single day and it would be an adventure. Don't we all think and feel like this? Are you tired of your daily grind with the same scene every single day? There is only one real solution to this feeling. In whatever walk of life you are in whether wealthy or living in poverty, your mindset has to be the same. This is what I mean:

Living the dream:

Everyone has that perfect picture that only happens in movies. We dream of that day where our life will eventually get to that perfect scene in the movie where the family is now wealthy after living a life full of poverty. Take for instance The pursuit of happiness. Will smith busted his ass to get to the very end of the movie where he finally got that big break. Us on the other hand, we want that big break but we tend to forget the journey to get there. We want the fame and fortune and for some of us, just the fortune BUT we fail to realize the most critical thing. THE JOURNEY!!!!!! It's perfectly fine to dream big. I say dream bigger than that. Dream HUGE!!!! I'd rather spend life chasing a dream and getting as close as possible than to spend a life not chasing anything and feeling stuck! See, people GIVE UP too easily because dreams make us forget about reality for the time being and once reality kicks in we talk ourselves out of that very thing because of all the hard work we have to do and lack of knowledge we have doing it. There's a quote that I love, " you dont have to be great to start, but you have to start to become great!" You know why I love that quote? You don't have to be a millionaire to become a millionaire. You don't have to be the best to become the best. YOU don't have TO BE...But YOU have TO DO!
( Just do it-Nike )
There is inspiration everywhere but we never take full advantage of the resources around us. We as Americans find so many excuses to not do things it's embarrassing. Living for a dream is hard work. What's even harder is trying to live making that dream a reality. You know what's even harder? Keeping that dream a reality! The satisfaction in knowing that you've done what most people are too afraid to do is priceless! What is one of your dreams? Have you ever written them down? Do you reflect on your goals daily? Weekly? Monthly? Ever? It's always good to set goals. Once you reach them, set harder goals and so forth! I'm basically preaching to the choir but this is a great lesson for me as well :) in life, you really have to take that risk in order to receive a bigger reward!

Living for a dream:

The other end of the spectrum is basically finding that job that pays the bills and some. The job that pays for you to do the things you would like to do maybe once a year or every other year. The job that provides security because you know how much you make every single month. This is the job that allows you to daydream and look at all the places that you want to go but can't afford to go due to your financial situation. You probably would have to save for 5 years to go on that dream vacation and to accrue 2 whole weeks of paid vacation! Only to go back to work another 5 years for another dream vacation. You live for those moments but then again it's back to the grind. The job becomes frustrating because its the same work everyday, nothing exciting happens and your co-workers complain all the time. Does this sound like your work environment? Does this sound like palace where you would want t work at all? Does this sound like something you want to do for the rest of your life?

I thought so! Living the dream versus living for a dream has one distinct quality that separates the both of them which is HARD WORK!!!!! You have to be able to possess that skill. Otherwise nothing will get you over the hump when everything seems to be falling apart. They say live for the moment! I say live for the future! Dave Ramsey said it best. " you have to Live like No One else so later you can live like no one else!" I want to live that life of hard work and dedication to my passion so that way later on I can enjoy my passion and family without having to worry about working another 5 years to enjoy another vacation. But that's the daily grind and that's what most of us live for. We want that steady paycheck. We want the security of getting paid. But we are super hesitant when we have to invest our time and money to a job or business that is our passion but afraid to start it due to failure. If your biggest fear is failure, then you can also say that you are a PRO at failing because every single time you don't try you FAIL!

All in all, don't let money dictate how you spend living your life. If you have a passion, find a way to make an income from doing that. It won't feel like work if you're having fun! If you are stuck in that job where it feels like its going no where, QUIT and live the dream instead of living for the dream. If you are not ready to quit its totally understandable. Make the money to fund your passion and then take it to the next level! Then QUIT... FIRE YOUR BOSS!!!! Work for yourself!!!! Don't let life pass you by because you get stressed out by the lil things and forget the whole journey. The important part is everything in the middle. The important part is YOU!

If anything, you deserve the very best! Live the dream! NOT for the dream! Be your own person and remember to always love yourself. Remember, Change has to happen from within. When it happens from the outside its just fake :)

and above all, remember this! You can't spell changed without that G... For without that, all you have is chaned (chained) don't be chained to your circumstances!
God is in the center of everything. Put him first in everything you do and he'll show you the kingdom :) my riches aren't on this earth. It's waiting for me in heaven!

Hard work pays off :)

On feb of this year I decided to be a beachbody coach. Before then I just taught dance and occasionally worked out at the gym. I was still overweight, getting gassed out every time I would perform. I decided to make a change for myself because I wanted to be able to have fun with my kids as they got older. I started Insanity in February and one month later my life changed.

I've never really saw myself shirtless in a picture before cuz I never really take pics of my self shirtless ha ha. I made sure to take my before pic and document my journey. It was at my 30 day point where I took another picture just to see my progress and I saw a good change. It wasn't until my 60 day transformation that I was blown away. I had lost 31 lbs in 2 months! That's crazy!!!! The side by side picture had me feeling great and excited about my fitness goals and where I wanted to get to. I would see all these people go from obese to 6 pack abs in their before and after pics and I WANTED THAT!!! More so, If I can do it in 2 months, change my eating and want to live a healthier life and be MOTIVATED to do it, then I want to help other people do the same and watch them reach their goals.

One thing about me is I love watching people that I help,motivate,inspire,teach or just share thoughts with succeed in life. It drives my passion for dance and fitness. Which leads me to why I'm a beachbody coach :) I don't want to work a 9-5 every single day of my life. I want to be home a lot more raising Kingston to be a great man of God. I want to spend more time with Amy and go on dates and not worry about having to wake up early the next day for work. I want to be financially comfortable and not have a cap on how much I can earn in one week of working. I want to be my own boss and FIRE my current boss!!!!! - not dance tho cuz I love dance :)

Why:

the statistics for obesity in America made me think a lot about my family and my life. 154.7 million adults (age 20 and older) are overweight/obese in America alone. If I have to be a statistic, I don't want to be part of that number. If I can help change people's lives for the better and prolong their life expectancy then I'm going to make it happen whether i get paid to do it or not. But how awesome is it to get paid to help people get excited about being healthy and proud of their body. I started out just wanting to help myself reach a goal. Then it became about helping others reach their goals in fitness. Now it's about helping others help others and paying it forward. The financial part is great. I've made more in one week with beachbody then I have in one month working my day job. It's unbelievable to me and I just started this business in march. It's not rocket science but it is a lot of hard work.

Dave Ramsey said it best! "The worst thing you can do in this economy is get a second job, the best thing you can do is start a home based business!"
The reason why is that small businesses drive the economy. It's not the big wigs that create financial peace in our lives. It's US wanting to create work for ourselves and drive this economy to be a country that works hard!

I work hard for my family. I work hard because of my upbringing. I work hard because no one will work hard for me! To me, working hard is natural. I'm a natural born hustler :)
With beachbody, it changed the way I thought about myself as a person and has given me confidence in a lot of what I do. I want to be the dad that is able to do things with my kids and not be that couch potato that's super tired. I want to grow old and see my grandkids and not die from heart failure due to obesity. Living healthier is something that has become really important to me and my family and beachbody has made this all possible by supplying me with shakeology and giving me workouts that produce great results.

My body has become my business. The better it looks, the more my business grows. The saying goes, treat your body like a temple. It is very true! I now treat my body like a business because the more I invest in it, the better it becomes. The more I upgrade different areas, the better the production, the speed, the feel, and overall quality of my life. I love how I get to help people improve the quality of their life! I can only do so much as a coach, YOU have to want it bad enough that YOU work hard to get there. I can get you there!

If you've ever doubted yourself. Holla at me! If you want to be financially comfortable. Holla at me! If you have "no time" to work out, holla at me! If you want to lose weight. Holla at me! If you want to quit your day job and work from home. Holla at me! If you want to be the best version of yourself.... Holla at ya boy!!!!!

Don't be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try! ----> love this quote!