Hey Empowered Fam! :) I was just in a call with @Arthur Maddocks-Brown in his group, where we talked about creating a Bucket List and I was inspired to share this with the group! He is running a Bucket List Challenge in his group (100 goals in 5 years)!! QUESTION: What are some of the things on YOUR bucket list? I would LOVE to hear about some of these! :) Aaaaaaaand...Because this is a group about inspiring and being inspired, empowering and being empowered, and living to our fullest potential (whatever that may look like) this is a great way to support/encourage each other along the way! Some additional info about bucket list, if you'd like it! :) ------------------------------- A bucket list is an intentional inventory of experiences, goals, and growth edges you want to tend to during your life. Since we never know when our time is up, it's helpful to start now. **Think of it less like a checklist and more like a map of who you want to become.Think about the values that you hold and how the items within the bucket list serve towards those values**** Most meaningful bucket lists have a few different “buckets” inside them: 1. Experiences (the classic stuff) These are the do the thing items. The things that expand your point of reference. -Travel to places that change your perspective -Try something that scares you a little (or a lot) -Attend or participate in something you once thought was “not for people like me” 2. Growth & Becoming This is where it gets deeper--identify your values; explore past hurts; who are you becoming? These items usually feel uncomfortable to write down because they require change, not just effort. -Learn a skill you’ve always avoided -Confront a pattern you keep repeating -Develop a trait you admire in others (patience, courage, empathy, integrity) . 3. Relationship & Connection A lot of people realize late that who they shared life with mattered more than what they did. i posted a short video a while back (I'll try to find it again) about how love/relationships is what matters most to people in the end of their life. :)

This post was inspired by @Georgiana D 's post here. Go check that out if you haven’t already! Really cool reading through y’alls reflections. Soooooooooo sorry for the length lol, but I wanted to synthesize all the thoughts and this community is a great place to do that 😀 Last year in 2025, I felt like I made some forward momentum. But it was REALLY tough to go back and reflect on the specifics because I wasn't tracking anything. So this year I decided to write more things down. The concept is simple. I started a google doc listing the days in January. Each day, I would add bullet points under that day. I was inspired by my family, podcasts, growing my business, etc. Every time I had a thought that felt relevant to my personal growth, I wrote it down…the good, the bad and the ugly. It wasn’t really journaling or a gratitude thing. I never forced myself to ‘make an entry’ for the day (some of the days were blank). It was just when I felt like ‘this thought COULD be helpful later’. Now that I got the explainer out of the way, here are my top 5 takeaways (some are quite personal 🫣) 1. The Jump I am going to quit my 9-5 job this year. Looking back at the last 15+ years of having a job, it’s disappointing to see how comfortable I got with trying to level up my life. Sure, I climbed the corporate ladder, that’s the path that was instilled in me since I was young. Do well in school, go to college, get a good job and keep getting promoted. I’ve done that, but I am on a real mission to find my true potential, as many of you are too. So over the last couple months, I’ve been trying to reverse engineer what would be required financially to make this jump happen. Factoring in the requirements to continue supporting my wife and kids, mortgage, etc. One day I mapped it all out and shared it with my wife as a projection to leave the job by the end of March. And while she has been super supportive, I could sense that she had the same ‘scared of risky thing’ mindset I’ve been working on overcoming myself for years. It was at that moment I was like ohhhh while my mindset has been getting more comfortable to adding positive risk, my wife hadn’t started her journey for that yet. So the plan is to continue pulling that thread

In the past few days we spoke about the first 8 principles of success as described in "The Rhythm of Life" by Matthew Kelly (more here : day-1-purpose; day-2-priorities; day-3-balance; day-4-discipline; day-5-growth;-day-6-faith; -day-7-relationships; day-8-generosity)Today we delve into the ninth principle: Generosity (Just a small but important note, the term success here can be applied to many areas of life, and ultimately, it's really just about intentionally becoming the best version of yourself.) PRINCIPLE 9: INTEGRITY “Integrity is the alignment of values and behavior.” Integrity is when our inner values, outer actions, and private choices move in the same direction-it contributes to a sense of wholeness ratherr than disintegration. When we live divided it creates an inner tension/conflict and we use A LOT of energy managing tension, justification, and shame. The war inside. Research on cognitive dissonance shows that inconsistency erodes clarity and self-trust. And, interestingly enough, over time, small compromises don’t just change behavior, they reshape identity. When stress increases, integrity is often one of the things we negotiate away. But success that requires us to abandon our values eventually costs more than it gives. That inner erosion costs our peace.

Hey!! I would LOVE to hear some of the insights and reflections that you've had this past month. Something that you've learned about yourself. Or some of the wins or challenges or anything that stood out for you this past month! Feel free to drop some GIFs or pictures or some words of wisdom! here are a few things that stood out -birthday celebrations (being reminded that people care) -letters of Hope -sledding, iceskating, gym, walks at the park -skool calls/interactions -books (Podvig; The Power of Now, People of the Lie, The Rhythm of Life, The Art of Communication) -work, creative outlets, working on digitizing poetry -good conversations with newer friends and good conversations in general

Sharing in a little poem beeeecaaaaause I was contemplating fear and the ill effects of it (fear is the mindkiller)... I wrote it about a year ago and it was inspired by the movie WALL-E (haha) and also by some conversations that I was having at that time surrounding the world... Some questions for reflection and action steps at the end!! vulnerable moment for me here. Restore What’s been created has been met with destruction Annihilate the world, the effect of seduction Desolate world, ready to be tilled anew Fertile ground, truth ready to break through Worn down body, hopeful eyes Disguised compromise led to demise Timid first steps, courage is building Fear is present, atonement is thrilling Volte-face in the interest of progress No longer depressed by the excess we possess A collective sigh of relief ready to be heard Synergy of a few spirits are changing the world Ripple effect, we get to choose Will we restore or make another excuse? The rumbling of the quiet, contending voices Flourishing souls, the earth rejoicing Step back to move forward, the caged bird is free What is to come we cannot foresee A resting place, we’re here for now We live the effects of what we allow --Georgiana POLL: After reading Restore, which statement resonates most with where you are right now? REFLECTIONS AND ACTIONS BASED ON THE POLL: 1. “Fear is present, but courage is quietly building.” Reflection: Where am I acting bravely despite still feeling afraid? Action: Name one small step you’ve taken recently that required courage-honor it instead of minimizing it. 2. “We live the effects of what we allow.” Reflection: What have I been tolerating that’s shaping my inner or outer world? Action: Identify one boundary (internal or external) you could gently but firmly reinforce this week. 3. “Step back to move forward.” Reflection: What excess (noise, expectations, roles) am I being invited to let go of? Action: Choose one intentional “step back” (less scrolling, fewer commitments, more silence).