The Modern Man Podcast

"Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them." John Wooden Quick question... Why are you not where you want to be in life right now? (If you are where you want to be... Why did you stop?) I ask this question because, if you're like me, the first thing that comes to mind is a list of excuses. So many answers will cover time constraints, kids, bad bosses, and mi...

"I grew up thinking that corporate America was my destination. Then I got there, and I was making the money I wanted to make, but I just wasn't happy." Lauren Gibbs What if the way out was by going deeper? This is not an episode about how bad corporate America is. In fact, it's the exact opposite. Corporate America can offer countless lessons, opportunities, and experiences. The true challenge is...

"There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't." John Green There is so much that can happen in the space between our ears. A lot of it can be great, exciting, and enjoyable at times... But sadly it can also be a scary, dark, and unbearable experience.  That's when we need to reach out and ask for help. Unfortunately, so few do. There has been a stigma surrounding mental health that of...

"Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost." Erol Ozan In a world littered with imitation, the unique stand out. You've seen them. You know, the ones who decide each day to do things a little differently and lean, ever so slightly, against the grain. We observe these people with a combination of respect and envy. Admiring their confidence while wishing we had more of it ourselv...

"WE ARE LIVING A LIMITLESS LIFE… KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE AND YOU ARE FREE." Bert McCoy As kids, we were limitless… Remember the imagination, dreams, and aspirations we used to have? We would look up at the sky and act as if the stars were within arms reach. Our world was filled with nothing but possibilities. Somewhere along the road, we lost that spark. Whether it's school, work, or the demands at h...

"IF YOU GET TIRED, LEARN TO REST, NOT TO QUIT." Banksy We live in highly demanding times.  Whether it's your job, relationships, kids, or friends, we're always "On." The small amazing gadgets in our pocket make us accessible 24/7 to the people we have carelessly given our credentials to. Notification goes off, and we respond. If it's not the phone, it's something else. Maybe it's work deadlines, p...

"EVERY MOMENT IS A FRESH BEGINNING." T.S. Eliot As we come into the final hours of 2020, it's normal for a lot of us to look back and reflect. It's that one last glance around the room before turning off the light, closing the door and moving on to your next chapter. What does that room look like? If we're talking about 2020, I'm willing to bet it looks like a tornado went through it. It's safe to...

"CHRISTMAS IS THE DAY THAT HOLDS ALL TIME TOGETHER." Alexander Smith Christmas is an interesting time… Many would say it's the most wonderful time of the year. Others may think of it differently. Whichever your view, it's safe to say Christmas 2020 brings in a whole new meaning. How does the happiest time of the year look when the year has set the bar extremely low for so many? While we all try ou...

"WATER FLOWS BECAUSE IT'S WILLING." Marty Rubin How many things in your life right now are forced? A lot of us fall into a trap of chasing a dream that isn't really our own. Maybe we saw a glimpse of what we thought was a good life and committed it to memory. We chase these dreams so hard, not realizing we're swimming against the current. What if, instead, we listened to the feedback around us and...

"IN THIS WORLD, THERE IS ALWAYS DANGER FOR THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID OF IT." George Bernard Shaw Have you ever stopped and took the time to analyze why you want the things you want? Sure, it would be nice to get that nice car and the house on the hill. But is that something you really want, or is it something you think will provide a particular outcome? I know that's a bit deep, but just walk with me f...

"GRATITUDE IS THE HEALTHIEST OF ALL HUMAN EMOTIONS. THE MORE YOU EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE, THE MORE LIKELY YOU WILL HAVE EVEN MORE TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR." Zig Ziglar What are you grateful for? It's a question that some people have a hard time finding the answer to. Others, can't help but rattle off the list of things they're grateful for. So what's the difference? Perspective. The wa...

IF YOU DON'T HEAL WHAT HURT YOU, YOU'LL BLEED ON PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T CUT YOU. -Unknown Sometimes all we need is someone willing to listen to the things that are happening in our lives… I feel like there has been more attention given to mental health lately. The year 2020 has definitely pushed the conversation forward and made it visible on more peoples radar. I myself have been aware and concerned a...

"I HATED EVERY MINUTE OF TRAINING, BUT I SAID, 'DON'T QUIT. SUFFER NOW AND LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AS A CHAMPION'." Muhammad Ali There are countless metaphors for life in boxing. I'm willing to bet you can think of a few right now. But why is that? Maybe it's because boxing, like many sports, has so many parallels to the struggles and obstacles of life. Putting on the gloves and stepping into t...

"LIFE IS INHERENTLY RISKY. THERE IS ONLY ONE BIG RISK YOU SHOULD AVOID AT ALL COSTS, AND THAT IS THE RISK OF DOING NOTHING." Denis Waitley It's amazing the lessons we can learn in life if we're smart enough to just listen to those who have lived before us. If we could only let the wealth of knowledge pour over us and soak us with lessons and tips on how to navigate this thing called life. Just ima...

"TAKE CHANCES, MAKE MISTAKES. THAT'S HOW YOU GROW. PAIN NOURISHES YOUR COURAGE. YOU HAVE TO FAIL IN ORDER TO PRACTICE BEING BRAVE." Mary Tyler Moore We talk a lot about taking chances, starting that company, and going for the dream on this podcast. Whether it's a business owner, a single mother, someone overcoming addiction in their lives, or simply someone who found something they love and do it...

BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO LIVE THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS ACCORDING TO YOUR VISION AND PURPOSE INSTEAD OF THE EXPECTATIONS AND OPINIONS OF OTHERS." Roy T. Bennett Do me a favor and imagine what your ideal life would look like. What are you doing for a living? What do your mornings look like? How are you spending your time? Who are you spending that time with? Now go one step further and compare that vision...

"STOP ALLOWING YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE TO BE CLOUDED BY BUSY NOTHINGNESS." Steve Maraboli Where we are in life is a result of the decisions we've made over the course of time. In a year when so many intangibles and obstacles have been thrown our way, it's easy to throw our hands up and relinquish any responsibility or control. I get it… This year is not your fault. But what happens now is your respon...

"IN ORDER TO BE IRREPLACEABLE ONE MUST ALWAYS BE DIFFERENT." Coco Chanel We all have a natural desire to fit in. At our very core, it's almost instinctual. When you think about our ancestors, rejection from the herd most likely meant death. Unfortunately, the repercussion of such a sentence is still felt today in our innate desire to be part of the crowd. Ironically, we don't only want to fit in,...

IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU ARE… FROM THIS VERY MOMENT ON YOU CHOOSE THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE." Toni Sorenson A lot of us know what it feels like to be lost in life. We either try a whole bunch of things that have nothing to do with each other or we get paralyzed by the number of options in front of us. What's worse is once we find something we think we want to pursue, we land in a community of...

"A DREAM DOES NOT BECOME REALITY THROUGH MAGIC; IT TAKES SWEAT, DETERMINATION, AND HARD WORK." Colin Powell I know you've heard it before. The life you want to live will take more work than you think. But it'll be worth it. Unfortunately, most people don't take this advice seriously and get discouraged when reality sets in. What was the last thing you tried that turned out to be a lot harder than...

"POETRY … IS THE REVELATION OF A FEELING THAT THE POET BELIEVES TO BE INTERIOR AND PERSONAL WHICH THE READER RECOGNIZES AS HIS OWN." Salvatore Quasimodo Many of us have experienced the beauty of art. It could be a book, song, poem, or even a painting. For some reason we can't explain, it just speaks to us. That's what happens when the emotion within us is articulated through art. We get an instant...

"THERE IS HOPE, EVEN WHEN YOUR BRAIN TELLS YOU THERE ISN'T." John Green Sometimes our minds can be the biggest obstacle to our success. There are so many limiting beliefs, voices of self-doubt, and false fears to get over. Sometimes the noise is just too much. Though it may feel like a prison at times, your head is not the problem. You simply haven't unlocked the hidden potential within it yet. On...

"LET YOURSELF BE DRAWN BY THE STRONGER PULL OF THAT WHICH YOU TRULY LOVE." Rumi Have you ever felt like one of those clowns at the circus? You know, the ones juggling a bunch of bowling pins as the crowd eggs on the ringmaster to throw more and more pins at them. I can see it now. The clown is frantically trying to keep up with the pins being thrown at him while I sit there enjoying the entertainm...

"TRUE HAPPINESS… IS NOT ATTAINED THROUGH SELF-GRATIFICATION, BUT THROUGH FIDELITY TO A WORTHY PURPOSE." Helen Keller I had just finished up some new training on a program I never used before. The law firm was making some changes and as the new billing clerk, I had to learn how to input the attorneys billable hours. It was a long tedious and repetitive process that taught me how to type "preparatio...

"LIVE AS IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW. LEARN AS IF YOU WERE TO LIVE FOREVER." Mahatma Gandhi There's something that happens to us after we accept our diploma, certificate of approval, or certification in a specific field. We all get just a little bit taller, that confidence gets a tiny bit bigger, and that ego gets stroked just enough to make us feel fulfilled. We've made it. We've completed your s...