Accountability today creates a legacy tomorrow. Having a backup plan helps ensure the execution takes place regardless of any setbacks that may pop up in life. Remember though, actions speak louder than words. If you want to truly teach others, you have to do it that way for yourself first to prove success is possible for all. Make a plan you can execute on and stick to it. Or, know that if the day isn't rigid, it's okay to relax and give yourself grace in order to enjoy that much needed rest. 

Don't cast your unrealistic expectations onto others without having an intentional plan in place to ensure its success. Know that achievements aren't made without consistent effort and execution behind it. Live your life with solutions, erase the excuses, give grace to humanity, and lead by example. Be part of a community that doesn't just expect to be magically saved from all of life's problems, but willing to support each other with reciprocation when needed. We are all going through something, remember that before you so quickly cast judgment or blame. Show forgiveness when accidents happen and make a positive impact on other people you encounter. Feeding the hate mill is easy, take accountability and be the example of integrity you wish to see in other people, especially those little people who look up to you to teach them how to live life.

Many times we think we are the ultimate teachers of those younger than ourselves, only to realize we are also learning simultaneously from them just as much. We avoid accepting certain lessons until we are forced to under drastic circumstances, forced to realize how much we took for granted before the lesson hit us so hard we have no other choice but to be grateful with hindsight. 

We doubt our faith and challenge our beliefs in order to make sense of what we know to be a natural order of life, questioning God's goodness and timing of darkened heartbreak, rather than fully submerging ourselves in the restorative waters of His divine power and light when we most need hope. We have to shift our perspective from staying focused on the spiral of night and remember the joy day brings, knowing there is a natural balance that must occur, yet is never absolute in one way or the other. 

Too often we see opportunity as some negative burden because we have allowed our perception to skew the positive reality right before our very eyes into something it truly is not. How selfish are we to sabotage our own thoughts and happiness when things happen differently than we were expecting? How often do we end up letting our "bad day" try to consume other people's good nature only so we can feel "right"? Is it better to be right or righteous? 

Seize the opportunities that sit in front of you today because you may not have the chance again tomorrow. Provide the profound experiences and make a positive impact on others you come in contact with in life. Comprehend the rippling effects you have on others when you act and communicate, especially to your children. Let them be free to be little, let them play with joyous hearts, let them remain innocent without your judgmental barking. Do the adult things you want to do and do it now, without constantly involving the children in the mess that is adulthood you have created and allowed for yourself. Better yet, go tell yourself how to grow up before you force them to do so and miss out on their own time to shine as kids.

How do you decide to live your day to your maximum potential based on the freedoms and rights you are still privileged to as a great American citizen? How many of those rights are constantly under attack by other people that may or may not still exist by Memorial Day next year? You have to stand for the values you believe in if you still want to live with them in the same place they always have been. Standing means sacrificing, day in and day out. Celebrating means honoring the sacrifices it took to still stand free today, able to even celebrate. 

We take it all for granted in our fast-paced society, the true meaning behind traditions. We forget what Memorial Day represents, not just as one individual who served and sacrificed like Veteran's Day is meant for, but to remember those who have given all in order to protect our rights here and now after they have gone in the name of the cause. It's a day to exercise the freedoms we still hold value in and maximize our lives by living freely yet remembering to move with purpose. 

Opportunities can present themselves as inconveniences to the ungrateful heart. You cannot let a spoiled moment ruin the lifestyle you have worked hard to maintain, unless you realize your lifestyle needs a change, in which case should not turn spoiled just because of the neighbors when you still have the freedom to fucking move away from the rot. Choose to move because you want to feel the liberty in it, not because someone told you to move. What are you willing to do in order to protect your beliefs? 

Become aware of the sacrifice that is needed in order to make freedom possible, and remember to honor it when you get to celebrate and complain about how unfair your life is. There's always somebody somewhere else that has it worse than you, so appreciate what you do have and fight for those things to remain untouched when they are challenged. Stand with maximum effort while you still have your rights or they will knock you down and take your freedoms from you. Better to sacrifice yourself for the sake of your children's rights so that they may know the freedoms you take for granted daily and carry on significance of sacrifice through your actions than to just roll over and let others have them because you were too soft to put up a fight when the time came for one.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Smaller achievements being fulfilled over and over is the more realistic way of breaking down how to accomplish your goals. The small wins are what keep you optimistic and goal-oriented, fueling you through the tedious "how-to" stages in a way that truly allows you to arrive at your goal completed without giving up mid-way up the mountain. You can do anything you want in life, but you can't magically arrive at the end result without putting in the effort to get there, little by little, one day at a time.

Are there specifics you can hone in on to help you visualize the actuality of the goal being accomplished? Set the date you'll go do the action you've been putting off, including a timeframe you can be there. Where will you see this aspiration become your reality? Set a location you know you will visit. These smaller goals serve as checkpoints along your greater pathway, in conjunction with your accountability that continues to fuel you to the next point, and the next, until the next point is the end point of the entire goal being finished. 

Prepare yourself to meet each checkpoint rather than focusing on how to see the bigger picture completed. Make your goals trackable and measurable so you can analyze the successes and failures that follow your actions, then you know which actions to repeat that create the success you desire and which ones to avoid that caused you to fall short. You have to take it one step at a time if you truly want to reach the top of the mountain.

If someone shares a goal, aspiration, want, need, or dream with you, there has to be a reason behind it. By holding people accountable, you elevate others around you because they are no longer anchored to their old behaviors. Holding accountability with each other allows you to grow beyond the point that has been holding you back; a true friend will do that for you without malicious intent, and you need to hold value in that person over frustration with your own ego. There is a great deal of bravery in being able to speak up to your friends for their own sake of growth, and if they cannot accept that, all you can do is pray one day they will once they have grown enough to accept it, and know that your integrity still matters, for it is YOURS.

You do not have to announce your progress to the world as it is happening, you can also surprise everyone once your goal has been accomplished and are ready to celebrate your feat with others. Moving in silence can be a good thing when it is in a positive direction.

Let this podcast sink in. Listen, relisten, slow it down. Allow your mind to find the profound message within that unlocks that mental space you need to think more deeply. Free your mind from the unproductive habits you have conditioned it to endure and operate from. Let it create a reality you are proud to live in because you are disciplined enough to hold accountability and build what it is you set out to achieve. 

The things we do on a day-to-day basis have an impact; create an impression of yourself that others can rely on for stability and motivation. Stop wasting your time doing average shit for the people you truly care about and provide that great experience you know you want to have and share with them in life. Hold the people accountable for the things that they want to achieve because they deserve the accountability and you deserve to see them win. 1% better every day, that's what MY listeners deserve.

In this hyper responsive society we currently live in, with our children expecting instant gratification constantly, they now are silently breeding this subconscious sense of anxiety if patience is being executed in its place. Nowadays, we can get almost anything we want delivered to us in a matter of days. Even better, if we are blessed to live in a large city, 2 hours from now for most stuff you probably don't even need. 

We have created these digital dependencies with our phones, staring at our screens all day, forgetting about connecting with the world going on all around us. So how can we find a way to reconnect with what matters most, the things going on outside of our phones? Go in your phone right now, check your daily screen time, and set a goal you are willing to work towards to make sure you are still present while you are awake. Become more intentional with your time alive and aware of how much you have to be grateful for, and be grateful. Fill your moments with positivity and embrace an abundance mentality rather than sabotaging your own happiness with a negative mindset, or worse, pushing your shitty mood onto your kids. 

Analyze your own movements and really take accountability for how much effort you are really putting in to the things you do. How quickly do you correct your (re)actions? How long do you allow something to gnaw at you before you address it? 

How could you better prepare so the situation doesn't duplicate itself in the future so that the way you feel now you don't have to feel again?

Our more experienced generations walking this Earth did not grow up in a society of constant and instant gratification, like the newer generations now have with the rising conveniences technology has brought about for us. Even our ability to connect with anyone in the world is instant and seemingly without any instant consequence (unlike those old long-distance phone call charges we were taught to avoid). What else has changed for us now that we live in this "instant society"? Cooking, exercise, workload--we now expect to have the results NOW with the expectation that the quality will remain the same. Is it truly gratifying energy we should be giving to cutting corners, or is there a newfound necessity for patience we should be practicing and giving to the world, now more than ever? The instant gratification mindset is a luxury based on our environment and how "advanced" it is in giving us the comforts we have grown accustomed to expecting.

The ways you choose to communicate, especially with our children, reflects your values and expectations. You have to adjust how you talk about certain things in a way the other person will actually be able to comprehend what it is you are trying to convey more clearly. If you want someone to understand what you are saying, you have to be able to communicate in a way THEY will receive, not just the way YOU want to talk. Relevancy doesn't happen just because you are speaking, it happens when what you say is being HEARD. How you perceive a message is more likely based on how YOU feel reading it rather than the feelings of the original sender. 

We need to learn how to be better communicators for the sake of our children's necessities rather than their fleeting desires. We cannot force our opinions to be appreciated by screaming them louder. We must adapt how we speak so that our words remain relevant in a way the other individual will truly capture our meaning, and that's by doing it their way, but with your message. Then you will be matched with true gratification for your words.

In this episode of the AJ Nashville Podcast, I break down my raw, unfiltered experience with Achilles Heel Tactical, from their online coursework to Zoom training, all the way to the in-person class that forced me to rethink everything I thought I knew.

This isn’t hype. This isn’t fluff. And it’s definitely not just another “review.”

If you’re serious about getting better not just at the range, but in real-life situations you need to hear this.

Because what you don’t know… will show up when it matters most.

This episode isn’t just worth your time it might be the difference in your performance when there are no second chances.

Sometimes, we have to evaluate how to balance our needs in order to thrive. If you want one thing, yet need another, and you can't completely eliminate one task, maybe the key is to split your time to see both things accomplished, even if it takes a little longer. Getting done late what needs to be done is better than avoiding it and not getting it done at all. The task doesn't evaporate just because you don't give it attention, it simply waits for you until it HAS to demand your attention. 

We have to prioritize our time in a way that works best to get everything accomplished, especially when it's a need over a desire. That may start with analyzing which tasks are mandatory needs that have to be fulfilled and which are desires we would like to have accomplished. There has to be a balance, and you are the one who sets that scale. Why not choose to set it in a way that favors your time and effort spent intentionally, even if it involves a sacrifice you have to make today for your success tomorrow? Instant gratification might win the battle, but doesn't guarantee the victory in war.

Remember, as you make an impact in this world, you are one memory away from being forgotten. You face two deaths in life, the first being your physical separation, the second is when somebody says your name for the last time. Spend your time intentionally to make the impact you want in your lifetime.

What is it that you are holding on to today that prevents you from growing tomorrow? Are there any shortcuts you can take to help elevate you to the next level quicker? Are any of those shortcuts going against what has created your success in the first place that could cause your success to diminish if you aren't fulfilling it, directly or indirectly? When you scale up and free up more of your own time, do you spend it on activities that continue to grow and flourish with your business, or do you spend that free time doing nothing that actually fuels you to the next level?

Balance. Figuring out how to make things even out after they have been askew is something you have to remember to evaluate, especially after massive changes take place. Your old habits may not bring you enough success to carry on, so you have to be willing to take on new routines that can increase your likelihood of achievement without undermining all your previous efforts that got you to HERE in the first place. 

The main thing is to not lose sight of who you are and what it is that people genuinely like about you. You can stand for something and not be obnoxious to others about your opinions. You can remain dedicated to your passions and know that not everyone else will share your enthusiasm, and that is normal and okay. You can focus on all that you have in common with someone and talk about those positive subjects together, or you can choose strife by always trying to find the differences and projecting negativity. You have to choose your battles wisely; know when silence can grant you more peace than fighting for the last word to wield.

You have to train your reflexes and habits to respond anew, be willing to correct yourself through awareness of your errors. You have to present yourself physically as someone not to be messed with, and know how to back up the claim in a safe yet effective manner if the need ever arises. Identify your weaknesses in order to strengthen those areas most in need of your time and attention to become better. If it is a challenge you face, maybe that is the thing you need to overcome the most TODAY. Be honest when you look at your life and evaluate areas that need growth most importantly based on your real priorities.

Are there habits you can improve in ways that don't impact the people around you so strongly? If you are in a position you don't like and it is because of you, YOU have to be the one to fix it! Nobody cares about your happiness the way you do, so you have to make decisions based on your level of desire and need to accomplish something. It starts with honesty to yourself and dedication to those who look up to you by committing to your own word to do better. Hold yourself accountable when you catch yourself slipping, and remember to stay focused on why you are doing something, because that answer tells you everything you need to know to do the actual thing. 

Accidents can happen to any one at any time. Isn't it better to be as prepared as possible beforehand so you can still operate in the face of fear in order to stay alive? Communication could go down in a real life disaster; how will you navigate and connect with the people you care about the most? You can fill your mind with endless possibilities of "What if...?", but there should always be some solid base plan for everyone in the house to follow in most instances of a catastrophic event. We have technology now that we should be utilizing in order to keep ourselves safe in instances where tragedy is possible, but minimized with prior communication of your plans to others that can be on alert if you don't reach a particular milestone on time.

Are we passing on vital survival skills to our children and younger generations to ensure their own means of safety and self-reliance? Do they know how to read a map or light a fire already, or do you think you will just teach them under the pressure and dangers of a real threat in front of them? What if you can't teach them then in the future during the heat of the moment? It is our responsibility to lead our family and teach our children how to survive with a plan whether we are capable of being physically present or not. Remove elements of anxiety and possibilities of fear by preparing before the problem is on your doorstep. 

Identify the crisis, communicate when possible, react as planned. This time it may only be a drill... or is it real this time? Don't wait to find out when it's all too late.

People willing to give, even when they are tired, are able to acknowledge that they possess tools that many others don't, and are capable of reinvesting in the next generation of people that they care about. That is what an excellent leader is about, confident in their skills and a genuine disposition of generosity and gratitude in life. Who do they surround themselves with, not for salvation from their problems they'll never actually get, but guidance that helps them truly obtain their goals and achieve the next level of what was once only their dreams? Why go in to a situation alone if there is help available to reach the desired destination?

Find your rhythm in giving hand ups, not hand outs, to others that were once like you and are willing to grow themselves. Be willing to take the hand ups from others you look up to when they gift them to you. Trap yourself in the success you want to embody by choosing who you surround yourself with to learn and grow from. Get rid of the excuses you hold on to that are holding you back from achieving your dreams. Get your shit together and free yourself from the chains you bind yourself within.

As adults, we should be more impressed by those who act with respect and take responsibility for the future generations to learn from by example. As parents, we should be taking action in appropriate ways that allows us to remain in possession of our freedoms to govern our children however we so choose, rather than passing on those expectations to the government to create those laws and boundaries over our youth however THEY so see fit and then we all have to abide by their processes. We should want to rise up and take the responsibility to teach our children strong core values, such as the seriousness of human safety, especially within young bodies and minds that haven't fully developed into the ability to make those critical decisions for themselves yet in life. WE HAVE TO DECIDE FOR THEM. 

Does their safety concern you enough that you are moved to teach them the right thing to do, regardless of what others are lacking teaching their children? You need to be the one governing how you want your children to act based on your own actions and decisions. You have to lay down the right boundaries so that they will grow up knowing that healthy boundaries carry so much significance in how others will decide to treat them as well. You have to be the change and the sensibility when the rest of the world is operating from a place of either sheer laziness or panicked chaos. Be the rock they know will provide them the lessons they need to learn in life BEFORE the hard way teaches them, and possibly risks their lives in the process. Shift your mindset away from the masses and focus on what matters most for the future of your family's growth.

Some of our habits we have created for ourselves are no longer providing fruitful, and we need to cut them the fuck out of our lives for our own sake and health. We've allowed the excuses to overpower our true desire to hold on to the bad habits out of fear of making changes that can provide the real improvement we need. Each day though, we have a choice to take the action that makes the change happen for us that we need in our lives in order to grow. 

If you always put off doing something about it until tomorrow, it is never going to fucking happen until the day you choose for it to happen. Why not start today, just a little bit? Committing that little 1% effort daily to be a better human being than yesterday. Be the best example of yourself the day you leave this Earth, proud of your accomplishments and knowing you made them yours by your level of commitment each and every day you were alive and capable of taking action that made it really happen in your life.

Remember that you have to be the greatest example and authority to your children first over being their best friend and giving in to their every whim. You should want to raise them to become a better person than you ever will be by being their best provider and teacher in their world. Rather than being their buddy, you have to be their role model they look up to, because they will be looking to you regardless of if you are setting good or bad examples of how they should act and react. Give them the gift of good habits, lessons, and attitudes they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Lead them by example by being the person you want them to become.

We have to be the ones to teach our children the lessons we want them to learn and carry throughout their lives and pass on to people they encounter and eventually their families they build. We must set the examples of what character pillars of excellence means through our own actions as a role model for our children. As the head of our house, we as men are in control of how we need to guide our family through life and navigate situations with integrity that build quality experiences for our youth to rely on. If all they are ever taught is to do what everyone else is doing because we're too afraid to confront an issue directly or do the right thing even when nobody is watching, we will remain a country in fear and disrespect will only continue to grow. 

The actions we choose to take take today as parents to our young children will forever shape their character and form them into the human beings they will inevitably becoming in just 1 or 2 short decades at most. So many kids in sports need to be taught there is so much more to winning the game than having the best score: discipline, character, responsibility, teamwork. The lessons learned while playing the sport are far greater achievements than winning a game by whatever means necessary. There should be a sense of pride in what we represent and are capable of when we do the hard and difficult things. We have to take care of what is happening within our home before we worry about anything else happening outside of it. Be present and spend time with the people we love. Teach them to be good human beings by stepping up and reviving the traditions like integrity, honor, respect, and chivalry in everyday actions and situations.

Our leaders have to be stronger and break through the noise of the masses, as they are the examples for which we , the masses, are going to follow. We need to choose these people with great attention to their actions and reactions, rather than just their words and promises of the future. We have to present our narrative with logic and facts, not disputing with emotionally charged opinions in order to "always be right". Our voice needs to carry with loudness when it is educated and engaging in a healthy way, not just to rile up a crowd with controversy. We should share our opinions in a manner to attract like people we can enjoy sharing with rather than always seeking out division amongst common people. 

A mindset shift is all it takes to turn a bad situation into a fruitful or interesting conversation. We still have to be the responsible adult in any situation and act with integrity and honesty, especially when it involves our children too young and undeveloped to make their own choices safely and accordingly in society. We have to mentor them and show them how they should respond, showcasing we are capable of accountability and they should uphold that sense of good character as well. Nowadays though, too many people rely on blaming others in order to avoid accountability for their own humiliating actions. They panic and react in a way that makes the situation even more complicated because they do not continue educating and building experience in a consistent manner often enough to rely on performing by default of the body. 

Perception is different from each person's point of view based on their own experiences and abilities to process what is going on in their environment. Maturity is granted to us in levels as we continue to grow from our experiences and learn lessons from previous mistakes. Use your tools and skills acquired in life and keep staying informed so that you can teach others what matters most with true facts and rational decisions. Leadership should have a hierarchy based on age and experience in the household, yet man and wife should not be a means of division via power. There should be a healthy balance with a natural ebb and flow between partners that keeps them both active and engaging, yet accountable to contribute and teach the children their roles and responsibilities to the family as individuals as well as a parenting pair. Always remember: if you can't stand for something, you'll kneel for anything.

Communicate accordingly with appropriate questions and give wide opportunities for them to tell their side in their answer rather than agreeing with your direct assumptions. Sometimes it is THE words chosen to be said, other times it is HOW the words are said that can cause a negative response. Sometimes it's a person's reaction that becomes the source of anger or negativity more than the original comment. This confusion creates poor articulation, becomes ingenuine in nature, and their feelings aren't authentic because their reaction isn't the actual problem needing addressed most.

When you lead with emotion, you will automatically find failure. You cannot stoop to someone else's level and expect to come out on top. You have to lead with logic and remain calm above the emotional noise going on. Staying true to the facts will allow you to navigate to the win without falling into the reactive trap emotions pull us in to. Let factual information determine how you talk to people rationally rather than combat them in hopes of winning the "argument". You do not need to try to overcome stupidity with emotion, you conquer conversations by presenting them with facts they can't deny. 

Make sure the ground you stand on is firm and you are willing to die on it if need be, without engaging with irrational people who do not desire to see the clarity in the situation. Align with your beliefs and know your non-negotiables that you want to teach others. Allow the constructive criticism of others to be the opportunity for you to grow and become the best version of yourself yet.

How willing are you to do the right actions rather than the silent thing? Do you stand up for what you believe in, or do you roll over under someone else's influence easily, abandoning your own principles for the sake of their acceptance? That doesn't mean you have to go involving yourself in things you have no business being a part of just to appear a hero, but choose your battles wisely for the sake of human life. Nobody is entitled to commit violent crime against people in the pursuit of life and happiness.

Mental illness is a sickness amongst the weak that should not be excused or tolerated. It should be addressed with accountability towards the person who is capable of doing the wrong regardless of the why. We can make change happen through non-violent actions. It's called TALKING ABOUT IT. Taking responsibility needs to be part of the majority, not the minority. This country needs to overcome the sickness, not succumb to it just because it is too difficult to process. 

Don't fall into the category that is the problem just because you are too lazy to be held accountable. Now is the time that you have to fight for the things you believe in, even if it is hard to be the black sheep. You will find YOUR people and THRIVE more than ever when you rid your life of the people weighing you down. Fly your flag high if 

How often do we fall short on the people who truly matter to us on a personal level in our lives? When's the last time you reached out to your old  best friend, or favorite aunt? Could you make it a priority to actually send them a little text when you think of them next time to let them know they are still important to you, even if they aren't a part of your high priority list currently? Life is always in session, but don't let that be an excuse for you to feel guilty for doing life the way you have needed to that may have caused a distance, in a relationship or an action you used to pour more in to once upon a time.

Send that message out to the friend you have been meaning to catch up with. Answer the phone next time grandma calls, even though you've told yourself you're too busy for the last 30 calls she made. Don't let the distance be the driving force that separates you from each other even longer. If you have the time to make a lunch date with clients, maybe realize that you have the time to take your spouse out on a date instead. Pull the trigger and play some text roulette.

Start taking those steps today to do what you promised yourself, your kids, your family, your friends. Make your words mean something by committing to what you said you wanted to do. Have fun with the kids while their imagination is still capable of infinite wonder. You can do and be anyone within reason. A day will come when your dreams are unobtainable, so seize today before the time flies away. Possibilities degrade with time, so stop wasting your numbered minutes, days, years, and do it while you still can!

Put your shoes on and run! You never get better or stronger if you never even begin. So much talent and skill goes to waste because we allow ourselves to make excuses that make us lazy. Remember all the opportunities you still have available to you as long as you allow yourself to see them and take them! Time ticks on ruthlessly without any regard to people. Don't let it all pass you by and leave you bitter with nothing but regret of what "you could do". YOU CAN DO. NOW!!!

Sometimes we have to recalibrate our goals as we meet these sub-targets along our journey to be more realistic with our own position and capabilities within life at that moment. We have to lower our own failure points as much as we can to ensure the success of our very own dreams we are setting out to make our realities while still pushing ourselves enough to grow beyond our current level of commitment. We have to be mindful of the adjustments that are necessary to make in order to fulfill the short-term as well as the long-term goal, especially when it comes to overcoming your own excuses and lies you tell yourself to feel better about your lack of completion as anticipated.

You have to take action in order to see a desired change take place. Once you start doing the right things, you will see success seep into other goals and aspects of your life beyond the original intention you set out to accomplish through changed habits. Do you have any goals that you are keeping hidden away in the dark? Ask yourself why you have to keep your future success a secret. How about your friends and their aspirations--have you asked how you can help them meet their goals? Have you patted yourself on the back for the little wins you've made in order to keep yourself pumped and focused on still accomplishing your bigger goals?

Crime happens wherever opportunity is available. 

Do you have an escape plan for your family if your house were to ever catch fire? Do you think of an exit strategy when you are out at largely populated areas and events that you inform your family of and expect them to adhere to if the need happens to arise? Emergencies unfortunately happen, usually without any notice. While there is the option to take it to the extreme, most of us could do with at least some sort of contingency plan in place that everyone in the house or family is on the same page and awareness about. Having a rehearsed plan allows people to know how to respond, especially under stress in a moment when things can get muddy fast.

What is the purpose of owning tools if we don't know how to use them? Educating yourself is the first step in knowing how best to react in uncommon yet possible scenarios that could cost someone their life, particularly if they choose to remain untrained in the use of said tools. The goal should be to improve the situations that we are involved in, not escalate them out of ignorant fear. Create plans that ensure a higher likelihood of safety for you and your family that you discuss with each and all members of your tribe. Create calm and comfort through a chaotic moment by having and exit plan in place and sticking to it when it matters most.

You need to do what is best for you--your personality, your morals, your ethics, your internal feelings about yourself. You don't owe anybody, anything, ever!!! You also have to be okay with accepting the repercussions for whatever it is that your actions require. You have to be comfortable within your own skin and actions if you want others to be okay with it, too. You have to be the one to set and claim your worth, know when value is being reciprocated in a relationship, and be able to leave when it is not being shared accordingly. 

Create your goals based on your desired worth and remove doubt by no longer lying to yourself and treating yourself as a prisoner of your own design. You have to be willing to act with a level of integrity, honesty, and accountability you can live your life with. Are there some actions that you can change today because you are able to have the free will and freedom to make changes that you can supremely benefit from? Be able to evaluate your life and how free you really are to celebrate life and all it has to offer you if you are only willing to reach out and take a bite.

You have to choose to be the positive mind behind the positive life you want to live. It's an inside job to elect and choose how you feel and how you decide to react. You have to put out to the world what you want to attract back the same into your life. Yes, you do have a voice. Yes, you do have an impact. So you have to be mindful of the environment that you provide to yourself based on what you input. You have to be the one to execute consistently to create your life the way you want to live it.

The difference between time and money, is you know how much money you always have, you don't know how much time you have. Tomorrow is never promised, so live your life the best you can today without worrying about promises and fears of tomorrow. Now is the time for you to shift to a positive mindset. You choose the fuel you feed your body, soul, and mind. Let it be premium fuel.

Take a breath before you respond to give your mind a brief moment to think before reacting first. You don't owe anybody an instant response, no matter how uncomfortable your delayed silence might make them feel during the conversation. If you choose to forgive somebody, make sure it's for you and not because of any outside factors at play. Have they also demonstrated the need to be forgiven when they are asking for redemption? There are moments you can live with knowing you've committed to forgiving someone so much you may never see them again and that is okay. But the time to forgive is a time you alone will have to choose. There are things in this world that you may not be able to give pardon to.

Nobody wants to feel broken just because they aren't doing the same things as others around them are doing, especially if it is an unhealthy habit in the first place. Just because you once bonded over trauma or addiction, does not mean you cannot break free and still remain friends with certain people through sobriety. You owe nobody an explanation why you make changes in your life, yet you feel obligated to respond, like "I don't want to" isn't reason enough. IT IS, simply and unrefutably.

We associate success in life too often to an amount of money we can produce. What about the things money can't buy though? The quality of life spent with the time we are given each moment of every day. We are blessed with every breath we take on this Earth, and we take it all for granted that it will all be taken away just as quickly in one short breath. We have to make each breath, each action, something we feel satisfaction from that we did our very best in that moment to contribute to our own success and happiness. Whatever we are aiming for, we can do it when we are ready to give it all we've got. Our goals change, our roles evolve, seasons come and they go in our lives. All we can do is claim our time as our own by doing what we promised ourselves we would do and create a life we love to live in. Every breath is a chance for you to be your very best version of you.

What if you could approach the situation with an air of professionalism and calm sincerity in order to gain the level of service you were expecting in the first place? Without place the person in a defensive stance, you will find yourself and your desired outcome much more agreeable. You have to remind yourself to only hold a business to the standard they have represented overall as a brand though. You cannot demand what a company doesn't already promise though.

The same should hold true to you if you are a service provider. Give yourself the cushion of time you need in order to deliver your goods on time or sooner, but never late. That is a recipe for disappointment in the client and, ultimately, dishonesty in your brand. Even within your personal life you have to set realistic expectations with your family and friends that they can trust and rely on you.

Memorial Day stands as a reminder of all the privileges you have and the gratitude you should show towards those who have not only served, but sacrificed their time and lives for yours. It is a day you should be educating your children and the next generation of its significance and meaning for all who are blessed to live on American soil. Their sacrifices have paid for your life and freedom to do as you please at any given moment, and that deserves a day of honor in their memory and dedication to their country. 

Freedom is not free, and the humble will not allow the rest of us to forget it. Are we living a life worth their sacrifices to protect and preserve our freedoms over their own? Reminding and passing on traditions is imperative to preserving their honor, mentally erasing the division that the country has weighed against each other. We can travel between state lines freely because of their sacrifices, we can go out any time of day or night without fear of curfew.

Always remember: it is your sole responsibility to provide a comfortable lifestyle for you and your family. Other people's responsibilities, no matter how much they try to push off onto you, are not your problems to resolve. Respect your own time by creating a sense of structure to your day and don't be afraid to tell people you are busy doing something of higher priority to YOU. Recognizing how you choose to fulfill your commitments will build integrity within your priorities and your willingness to say "no" when you need to.

The sooner you get used to saying "no", the sooner everyone else will come to respect your decision to choose "you".

The crave for attention comes at a cost. The things you do for the acknowledgement of others can say a lot about what matters most to you. Shouldn't YOU matter most to you, though? Live knowing the decisions you make and the actions you take today won't cause feelings of regret later in your life just because of the influence other people have over your life. Take pride in your own steadfastness to your core principles, yet celebrate your ability to think creatively when the spark comes to you. How important is it to you to pursue the person that you want to become rather than fitting in for the moment for others?

Life goes and grows without you, the world clock forever ticking. Time doesn't know you, time doesn't care about you. Become the best version of you, FOR YOU. We are all sculpted based on our experiences in life, developing habits from those interactions. Have a perspective of gratitude that reminds you of the fortune you are already surrounded with. Being authentically YOU is what people truly love most about YOU.

We find ourselves channeling less conventional methods to deal with past experiences and maintaining our sense of determination for a purpose. We may not always know in the moment why we do what we do, sometimes it may take years to shed light on the reasons why we chose to act a particular way. That is what maturity and wisdom are born from: experiences through growth you decided to make happen, knowing your purpose changes throughout seasons of your life. 

The human body and mind is incredibly resilient when the purpose is survival, capable of doing things we normally consider ourselves incapable of. Our coping mechanisms should evolve as our situations change around us, serving us in the most necessary of ways to help us process what is really going on. Learning the lessons that will later help us navigate life isn't something that happens easily or without effort, many times pain is involved today so that we may spare ourselves the sufferings of tomorrow. 

You get to decide what impact life has on you. You choose what is good for you and what is not. You have to have the determination to remove certain things from your life that no longer serve you well. Always be willing to adapt and analyze to improve your own process and who you are as a human being. Remove the childhood trauma that doesn't have a purpose for your betterment and overcome what you have long outgrown. Create your presence today to build the future you want to live tomorrow and trust your own drive to get there.

Taking extreme ownership is the act of understanding that most things that impact you are within your control and you have to find the things that were within your control and adjust and adapt based on those things. Maturity is knowing you have experienced something specific in the past and gaining wisdom is choosing not to do it again if it failed before. Taking lessons from your "failures" is how you are able to declare ownership and freedom with your deliberate actions and get on the path of paving the road to your future however you see fit.

Many people live their entire lives never taking full accountability for their actions. Humans cannot be devoid of flaws, no matter how perfect we may like to think we are. How we choose to handle life with our deficiencies and how we let other people around us influence who we truly want to be is the person we have to lay our head down with at the end of the day. 

Become the person you want to be, one day at a time, one claimed mistake to learn from at a time, one opportunity to grow into that person you see in your mind. Be grateful you can take the blame when you know changes need to be made. Time is a blessing for each of us, make the most of yours by claiming all that is yours to own, especially when it's a lesson you need to learn from in order to grow.

Winning an election takes a conscious effort to always do the right thing. To put yourself in a position where people have enough faith in your ability to perform and execute a task in a way that they agree is fit. Willing to take the accountability and the ownership to learn a new task. There is no user's manual to being in an elected position.

God-given leaders are the people who will show you how you will be a leader in your own reality. The people you look to the most are the people who mold you into what you will become. Surrounding yourself with the success you want for yourself is how you find the ways you need to grow yourself up.

But why surrender control over your own life in ways that you still can, like choosing to grow and move further in your life even through the inevitable growing pains? Wouldn't it be so much more beneficial and rewarding for you to know that your pain has served you to the better future you envision for yourself? Pain is inevitable, so when you must feel it, use it to endure than much more in life. Use your pain to strengthen you for the storms to come and know that your desire is so much greater than anything that might stand in your way of happiness. 

That doesn't mean pain is instantly over with just because we choose how or when to experience it and overcome it. Maybe it's laziness that we've replaced with the excuse of convenience because it allows our conscience to feel right about the decisions that we make. How about we feel right about having proper accountability for our actions--or more likely, our lack of actions? We need to be accountable for allowing things to transpire and take back control of our actions to better serve our lives and head in the direction of life we truly want to go towards.

"Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere." Be motivated to think outside the box and create your future to your design by choosing for YOU. The storms will come, the storms will go, it's how you choose to face them that changes how you'll handle this season of your life. Make the decisions that will compound and create the life you desire to live.

Reality is only a perception that each of us are all experiencing simultaneously yet uniquely in our very own way based on every choice we have ever made on our path of life. It is not duplicable, your life. But the days of it can be through the consistent actions of true dedication and make itself predictable in a way that builds yourself security in your own success with control over your bigger emotions. 

Are you still allowing other people the capability to have control over you like they once did in the past, always triggering you negatively? Do you think you have to keep other people's problems for yourself to solve? YOU DON'T! You can always contribute your effort to help them solve it if you want to, but you are never obligated to carry that shit with you if they cannot resolve their problem! 

That doesn't mean you have to process everything alone, either. You can confide in those close to you to tell them things that matters to you on a much more complex and deeper level. Sharpen your intuition from the lessons you have learned in your past to avoid similar pain in your future. You are capable of overcoming your past trauma through your commitment to always give your best going forward. Give most to your people who love and support you through the darkest days of all, the most devoted fans of all that you are on a deeper level.

Reclaiming your time back is reclaiming your life back. Once you get to that point in your life, you should be proud of getting there doing whatever needed to be done. Be more conscious of the intention of ripples you cause in life and your ability to create ripples in other people's lives. Remember to have gratitude for where you are in your life, regardless of a good or bad position. Perception of position is critical in maintaining a positive experience. Knowing you have overcome many things in life to be where you are today should be a great source for motivation when facing battles in your "unknown" future. 

Take inventory so that you know what you deserve to be proud of. Remain humble by always being thankful for both your blessings and your problems in life. 

Too often in life, we approach situations with a pre-determined energy that doesn't match reality or what the moment needs. We need to be bringing a different set of expectations as ourselves willingly authentic and accountable for our own faults. If we want positivity and agreeability with others, we have to first present the positivity and agreeability for ourselves in any given situation. 

A heart of gratitude is the best place to start in massively shifting your energy and everything that surrounds you. When you think of the legacy you are leaving for your children, do you feel proud of what you have accomplished so far in your time alive? Do you find yourself knowing how sweet honey can get you more bees than mean shit can? Do you approach the situation with the outcome you truly desire in mind and the energy you wish to receive back for yourself first? 

Be kind to yourself first and then go and be kind to others as you encounter them. You never know what someone else is going through, so be the one to bring the smile and not over complicate their life with your own problems. That doesn't mean your problems should disappear, just that they should be resolved properly and not made into someone else's problems because you didn't want to handle your own shit. Bring the light and positive energy to the moment that others need and you rely on as your own inner source of happiness. Form your own greatness by shifting your mindset and creating the energy you thrive on  and just have to share with your tribe.

Just because that is who they are, does not mean you should waver from your own self. Though self-awareness is important to maintain, because sometimes you find yourself falling under the spell of other people's expectations and have to realize you can't always be right, either. The people you surround yourself with is a direct reflection of who you are and what it is you are trying to attract in your life. You need to protect the people closest to you that truly value your time and move on from the people who seem to only waste your time or not value your voice when you speak it. 

Building community doesn't mean every body has to agree on every thing, just that we agree on the right things and will stand up for them together when necessary. Believe in yourself first and know that you belong with your people. Awareness is knowledge based on your experiences and your very existence is your power.

If you're going to make excuses for yourself, why not make excuses that better yourself more in life. Time moves on whether you are going to take advantage of every second it has to offer you or not. Just do what needs to be done first in the day and you'd be surprised at how much time you still have left to do the things you want to do without the weight of worry. Let yourself prioritize what you need to accomplish to truly grant yourself the freedom to do what you really want to do one task at a time and just set out to see it done.

When you no longer see failure as option, you will infinitely grow in knowing there is always a lesson to be learned, whether it was easy or hard to experience. You get to choose how to carry your mindset in life and if you will allow things to interrupt your success. Just do what you set yourself out to do and know that if your plans change, it's not because you are weak and gave up on your dreams, but because your goals have evolved and transformed as time has progressed while you took action towards the future you desire. It may take you longer than you expected, or maybe you will find yourself standing where you used to only dream of that much faster when you just do the damn thing you know you have to do to get there that much faster, too. 

If you must, move your mountain, one rock, each waking morning, until it is done. As long as you remain vigilant, the rewards you could claim along the way are as good as gold every day.

You are capable of choosing your path for yourself, take advantage of your sense of individuality and capitalize on YOU. Protect your perception by maintaining boundaries you set with others. All too often, others unknowingly unload their shit onto you and then expect you to carry it around for them. You have to be the one to change that and let it stop at you, rather than you unknowingly carrying it home to your family. 

Forcing your opinions on others will certainly earn you disdain. Sharing it freely though will attract your people back to you organically. Like people like people. Everybody has a just as equal of a right as you to believe what they want. Every morning is a new opportunity to do what you want with your time for the day. Be thankful for your freedom to choose positivity for yourself by simply making the decision to cast out the negativity in your life.

Maybe you make an excuse to bend your discipline and make the day a cheat day before your "set cheat day". Now you've made it okay to skip and set the unconscious precedence in your head that making excuses for not arriving is okay as long as your excuse supersedes your reason. Now you've only made your desires negotiable with yourself. Now your word is as good as nothing. Stop lying to yourself for the sake of others, because nobody gives a fuck about what only you know.

Do it for yourself. Set the habits that serve you in your future. In order to build your future, you have to take action TODAY. You can lay just 1 brick, or you can lay 20. Hell, you can lay 3 million. ANYTHING. BUT. NOTHING. It has to be consistent and compounding, you have to stay committed every day in order to make your goal your reality. Every day you cheat, you can see it as a day to fall behind on getting to your future that much faster, or you can see it as an opportunity for you to continue growing ever further into your future. BY YOUR CHOICE. 

Replace your bad habit with something good for you. Know when you feel yourself in need of recalibration and embrace the change as good for you. You only have so many days left so make them count in the ways that truly matter the most to you.

1. The stimulus package that is being released

2. Mortgage forbearance or defferment

3. The temperature and current state of todays business

Be sure to tune in for some insightful information covering the above mentioned topics. 

Our guest is Peter Hartzell, founder and president of Tree House Media www.TreeHouseMediaCo.com

Peter took the risk, left his job in the trucking industry, and began offering content marketing and consulting service nationwide. Peter's affinity for networking and sharing stories has landed him the opportunity to produce podcasts and create video content some high profile clients and top producers in the area.

You can connect with Peter at peter@treehousemediaco.com

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Thanks for listening to the AJ Nashville Podcast, serving you valuable and inspiring content to help you level up. Thanks for remembering to subscribe and share! Learn more about us at www.AJNashville.com

There are flag companies popping up everyday. Some of the owners are veterans, some are people just trying to make an extra buck. Veteran Carvings is 2 combat veterans that were both wounded in action. Each flag they make is unique to itself. It is made with care and most of all, with pride. As Scott says in this episode, he gets chills when he sees their flags displayed. These are not just a few pieces of wood slapped together with a coat a paint, this is the way that they have discovered to carry on their mission. 

Join us to hear the story behind Veteran Carvings. 

In this episode we talk about getting back into the habits again. Getting into the habit of working out. Not making excuses and focusing on the end result. 

Episode 129

Continuation of last weeks podcast with Brad Stinson and Luis Aguero. We talk about Luis transitioning from the Army to the civilian lifestyle, from being a solider to becoming a business owner, and now to entering the mortgage profession. Nothing about leaving the Army comes easy. Join us while we welcome (haze) Luis in his new mission. 

EPISODE 128

Join us as Stinson and I haze the new production partner, Luis. 10 year Army Veteran that decided to take the route of becoming and engineer and then some how managed to make his way into the mortgage industry. This was by no mistake though, the cards fell in place at the right time to have him join part of our team. 

As Americans I think we take a lot for granted. Speaker included obviously. It wasn't until I had the opportunity this past weekend to question a friend who was here from China, that I realized how good we have it. A lot of simple things that we never even thing of or that are part of our normal life that is to other people a luxury and privilege. Join me in this episode as I go over some highlights from this weekends conversation with our friend.