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Together, we’ll dive deep and find the strength to never give up because Great Things Take Time.

Great Things are everywhere, Great Things are happening to me, Great Things are possible. ← Say this at least 3xs to yourself today.

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• Great Things Are Everywhere

• Moments with Maurice

• What's Got Me Smilin'

Great Things Are Everywhere

It’s no secret that things have been a bit chaotic for me this week, and if it feels like a secret, let me give you the quick cliff notes:

Last week, as I was on the Cross Bronx Parkway heading home from a friend’s house, when I was involved in a hit and run with a semi truck. My car was rendered undrivable and we sat on the Parkway for several hours waiting for assistance and praying we wouldn’t be hit a second time. Finally, we were able to move it from the lanes and then later get it towed, ending the day at 5 am the next morning.

But from all the stress, the fear, the rage, and exhaustion came little bright beams of light that shone through all the dark clouds. Some of those beams were people: the FDNY who showed up on the Parkway, the NYPD officer who sensed my frustration, and the people around me who showed up for me in various ways.

Others were more tangible: there were no injuries, everything can be repaired, and in the grand scheme of things, in a year, there won’t be any lasting tangible impact; only the memories will remain. 

It was a reminder that good things, no, GREAT THINGS surround us at every moment.

But hold on, I’m not about to tell you that I support happy-washing or toxic positivity. You know, where you just forget that there are challenging things out there. It’s just a reminder that you can’t have the bad without the good. 

I’m a jaded New Yorker at times, which means, while I prefer to be an optimist, I’m more likely to look at the worst case scenario. It just prepares me for the worst, gets me ready for the tough emotions. Naturally, I expect everything to go wrong in a downward spiral of destruction and for people to be at their worst. 

I can easily find myself sitting in the bad. It can be hard to lose sight of what’s going on in your life, especially in what is the ping pong nature of social media- one second it’s someone’s best moment, the next is someone’s worst moment, the next is something that makes you raging mad, and the one after that is an ad. What am I even feeling myself? Unsure after the doomscroll whiplash, but they aren’t good feelings. 

The way I feel isn’t always a good feeling, so instead of jumping into the deep end with nothing but exuberant enthusiasm, I’m trying to make small changes.

Now, before going to bed, I mentally rifle through my day and recap all the Great Things that stood out to me. It’s things that have happened to me or things I’ve witnessed. A story from a friend, a moment shared between strangers, meaningful progress towards a goal. 

The next morning, I feel different. It’s a small shift that is like a continuous water drops on a rock, slowly over time, it’s going to make a change.

It got me thinking about what my mental state would look like if I put everything in a note, or sent myself emails or texts during the day with the wonderful things. As I clear out messages from the day, I’m hit with small reminders of the wonderful things in my life and the wonderful people in the world. If I review the note, I’ll see the number of Great Things start to grow.

My eight-year-old self would be floored when I told him I was in a car accident. Not because of the accident, but because of the fact that I was in MY car. I doubt I’d even check on my older self to see if I was okay; I’d want to know all the details about the car and what it was like to drive it. 

You have your own car?!?! That’s so cool!!!!! 

The bad is inevitable, but what makes it bad is that we know the good is possible. We know what the good feels like. Don’t forget to spend time enjoying those bright little beams of light that burst through the clouds when you least expect them. They too have so much beauty.

Moments with Maurice

If you only pause to reflect on your life for one moment today, do it now.

Building Strength

Building physical strength is focusing on a low rep count with a heavy weight, and lots of rest in between sets. The same can be true for building mental strength: careful planning to target exact needs with a steady progress.

There are sacrifices you have to make on your journey to build both kinds of strength. You can’t give in to what is easy or convenient, because it might not be what you need to become stronger.

But when you do build that mental or physical strength, you should be proud of yourself. Think of how much you’ve overcome!

Because no matter what, there is always something to smile about.

This week was a mixture of disconnecting from what was going on and finding joy in the little in-between moments. My car was in the shop, but it was in a shop run by people I respect and admire. It’s the same feeling of gratitude as when I’m filming content with talented individuals (Elvis, top right). An Aperol Spritz doesn’t fix everything, but it gives me a moment of peace and reminds me to breathe…. just like what I got to do at Rufus du Sol- breathe so I could keep moving.

And then there’s Frankie… who can’t help but smile at his unconditional love?

Remember:

-Adrian