Like most people, I’ve been trying to answer all of life’s biggest questions And with more than 1 billion people living with a mental health condition worldwide, I’m not the only one going through it… 332 million people suffer from depression, which is about 4% of the global population About 740, 000 people end their lives each year (which is one life lost every 44 seconds) Anxiety and depression are projected to affect over 980 million people combined by 2040 if things like this continue. Clearly something’s wrong… Make sure you’re taking care of yourself and check in on the people you truly care about Get some sunlight, drink more water, detox your mind from the internet as much as you can. Pursue a life of fulfilled purpose and make the best use of your time without burning out Because what’s the point of being here if you’re not trying to make things better for you and others. Peace, love and support to you all, take care of yourself.

Today, my anger has taught me a few things: Whenever I face a wonderful challenge and feel frustrated, I attempt to remember my training. Right now, I’m feeling like I did when I first started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (and it’s killing me that I haven’t gone for so long. More on this another time.) “When life knocks you down, get back up. Get up. Shake it off. Keep going. Work. Rest. Give it your all. Think. Do. Train. Breathe.” You’ve grown so much! When tears come, allow them to fall — it’s your physical form’s way of allowing you to process your emotions. Crying doesn’t make you weak. Let your body feel the pain, acknowledge it, process it, learn from it. Choose a better way to do things and realize you have the option to change for the better. If you’re frustrated of your current reality like I am, ask for help. It takes strength to realize you need it. Surpass your own self-imposed limitations.

Just now, I was stuck on the bus with an older Black gentleman that was yelling at Asian folks. Now, at first, I wanted to mind my business. Then after a while I started to feel my body tense up, my heart rate began rising, and I couldn’t focus on the guided meditation I was trying to listen to. The guy was talking a lot of stuff—half nonsense and half sensible argument. I had a sense of what he was really trying to say, the guy wasn’t really crazy… So at some point, all up in people’s faces, he said “but y’all don’t wanna hear me though” To which I took off my earphones and said with my eyebrows raised “cause you’re yelling too loud, OG!” He then smiled, lowered his voice, and turned away from me saying “my bad young buck, I ain’t mean to be too loud, people just need to hear the truth. I ain’t mean to ruin or make your day tough on your way to work…” So I smiled back, and heard all the things he had to say. Turns out he was 61 years old, eats clean, and had died before… Told me “And I ain’t want to come back here. I cried when I woke up!” The guy had an interesting story. This moment meant a lot to both of us. I remembered how important me being a Concierge is. He got to share his thoughts, ideas, philosophy, and beliefs. “God is Love,” he told me. I was also able to stand up for myself, since I didn’t want the negativity around. And I had no choice but to speak up, respectfully. We’re not that different from each other.