Musings: Quote Wednesdays…
Just a little mid-week inspiration. The strength of willpower isn’t static, or fixed, but can change or develop with time or experiences…how it does so, is up to you.Look out for this week’s “For The Weekenders” tomorrow.
It’s good to be back.
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Rego’s Life.™
Tag Archives: Regos Life
Musings Episode 73: Come Back Stronger…
Well…it’s been a while.
The kind of “I’m just going out for cigarettes” while, where you bump into the person 3 years later and have that awkward reunion.
Except, in this situation there’s no child.
Or woman.
Just the fans.
Alright – maybe this won’t be *that* awkward.
So why the long break – well, I needed a break – as in, I needed to rethink the meaning of everything I was doing. These past few years I’ve been reflecting on what’s *missing* from Rego’s Life.
I covered a lot of life subjects before, but somehow, something always felt like it was missing. So I stepped away.
Sometimes when you’re too close to something, you can’t see the answer that’s right in front of you.
I stepped away…to come back stronger. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Musings Episode 73: Come Back Stronger…
Things will be a bit different.
A bit new.
Sometimes gritty.
The old favorites will still be around – no worries there.
But like anything that matures with age they’ll be better, more seasoned.
Speaking of coming back stronger, that’s actually the topic of this episodic musing.
Most people at some point have some sort of setbacks or hardships they go through in life – in any aspect of life. It could be financial, business, academic, family (or any other type of relationship), but a hardship or challenge nonetheless.
The type that can knock a person off their feet – a K.O. so to speak.
The question when that happens though is “what now?”
What are you going to do about it?
Are you going to lay there on the mat, stuck in between conscious and unconscious, hearing the world go on around you and give up the will to get back up?
Or are you going to come back stronger?
Sometimes people don’t always recover instantly.
Sometimes it takes additional training and a few more fights to come back stronger.
I remember watching the movie “Rocky Balboa” a while back, the 2006 version, where Stallone says (while in character) something to his on-screen son:
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!”
The one line that really stuck out in my mind was this:
This is probably the best line I’ve heard in a long time, and it really resonated with me after not having watched the film in a while.
No matter how many times life knocks you down, you’ve gotta keep moving forward.
A lot of people get this confused – it’s not about moving up – as I mentioned in one of my previous episodic musings what goes up must come down – but what moves forward, well that’s an entirely different beast all together.
And like in rugby, or American football, life can dish out a lot of hits at you…but you’ve gotta look at them as lessons.
This can be a hard concept to wrap your head around, especially when you’re in the thick of it, but by lessons I mean opportunities to fortify yourself for next time, or the next obstacle you might meet.
The same way a rugby player trains so he becomes harder and harder to knock down, is the same way a person can train for the game called life.
And another thing – don’t look for “alright.”
I’m usually not one to talk politics a lot but ever since the whole Brexit and Trump ordeal it seems like xenophobia has exploded in some parts of the world, and I hear some people saying “everything’s gonna be alright” to others.
Well, I’ve got one think to say to that.
Screw that saying.
It’s a crappy way to cope with a situation.
You think during the World Wars that soldiers settled for “alright” every time they laid out a battle plan? You think that “everything’s gonna be alright” speech really settled their hearts and eliminated their fear, when they were out there, being shot at?
During the WW’s they fought for more than “alright” – they fought with the thought of getting back home to a better life – despite the fact politicians were pulling their strings.
They fought because they had hopes for a future that contained more than just “alright.”
They fought in hopes that their offspring wouldn’t have to fight wars if they didn’t choose to, but come back stronger, and better – not go soft and become indifferent to what was happening around them.
And most of all, I’m pretty damn sure they thought that their sacrifices made would be a reminder to future generations to grow wise, and not accept life, or another human being for that matter, to just walk all over them.
They fought for an “everything’s gonna be awesome future”.
Not an “alright” one.
A lot of what makes up this thing called life involves other lives in it…and with the way things have been going, it seems that sadly, those lives seem to think they can intrude on other lives.
But in the words of Epictetus, and to paraphrase him slightly, to attempt to control the will of another person takes tremendous effort, or sacrifice. It goes against he law of nature, dictating someone’s future to them.
So don’t just roll over and let someone dictate your free will.
There’s another great line from Rocky Balboa (2006) I think I should leave you guys with:
Don’t settle for “everything’s going to be alright” – go after how you want things to be – go after “everything’s going to be GREAT. FANTASTIC. AWESOME. AMAZING. SPECTACULAR….or insert any other more than satisfactory adjective here.
When you get hit hard in life, don’t just lay there and accept that everything will be alright.
Get off that mat and keep moving forward in the direction YOU want, how YOU want things to go.
A diamond blade cuts through rock only after being forged under pressure.
Come back stronger.
And as always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
Musings Episode 73: Come Back Stronger… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life
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Just a little mid-week inspiration. 😉
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Rego’s Life.™
Musings Episode 72: Grow up…
Grow up.
…is something I heard once a few years back when getting into a fight. I’m not talking a verbal fight – no, I’m talking hand-to-hand, fist-to-fist fight.
Ironically, this was from the instigator.
I was hitting the heavy bag pretty hard the other day, when this thought came to mind. You know how it is, you’re going and going in your workout, and sometimes, whether you like it or not, you shift focus and your mind wanders.
It’s interesting how people “define” what growing up really is.
In that case, it was because of my attempt to avoid the fight entirely, that had made them say it.
Ever seen someone dance around a ring to avoid exchanging blows? That was me.
To be quite honest – that’s always been me. Wanna know what I mean? Read on…
Musings Episode 72: Grow up…
I’m not a very confrontational person – frankly, I deem it too draining. If I can solve something with words, I will as much as possible. It seems much better than to duke it out like so many guys seem to want to do.
And really that’s the number one rule in any combat sport – dissipating a confrontational situation as quickly as possible without any physical action unless absolutely required.
To me, that’s maturity. That’s growing up. That’s being “grown up.”
Anyone can force an opinion, or a situation on someone through violence, with enough of said violence…it’s called fascism.
But to connect with someone and get them to see your opinion, or engage with you in something through use of simple words (from the heart), logic, and reasoning? That’s skill. That’s talent. That’s confidence in your own ability.
Brute force, in my opinion, is somewhat of a special reserve. Your rarely use it, if ever.
Like a bottle whiskey you set aside for only certain occasions. Sweet wines, or “aperitifs” are something you have often with dessert after dinner. 30 year old Macallan? Save that for another day.
Not openin’ this shit up for another 50 years.
But brute force, can be really, really, immature and neanderthal-ish.
Growing up is about using your head – and often, your heart. The last one is a bit tricky though, as sometimes people can exploit your vulnerabilities, thus taking advantage of your trust.
Yet ironically, as people get older they forget that’s the mold that keeps “humanity” a real word to begin with.
Generally looking at society, you may think that most kids, when they grow up, grow out of imagination and boldness – true, from an artistic point of view.
But if you take that a step further, I’d say many people don’t really grow up as quickly as they grow old…
…and in growing old, if not careful you can grow out of the basics that you came into this world with.
Compassion.
Empathy.
Understanding.
Love – love for mankind – not romantic love.
Anyone remember the golden rule? Do unto your brother as you’d want done unto you? Basic, loose translation of what I remember.
If everyone, and I do mean everyone, kept that at the forefront of their mind everyday, societies would be far more than just “polite” or “nice” – but downright genuine.
Because really, that’s where maturity is at.
People grow older, but childish tendencies remain – the textbook bully, the over-competitive spirit, the innocent fabler.
Those are all easy things to never grow out of.
But that’s not what growing up is about.
It’s about preserving what’s constructive and eliminating what’s not.
It’s about remembering the type of person you want to be and the kind of mark you want to leave on the world.
This kind of thinking doesn’t make you a hippie, or a peace activist – it just keeps in focus for you what’s important – the golden rule…
…whether you realize it or not, that golden rule holds the literal weight it figuratively exemplifies.
It’s one of the most mature things to ever be said, while at the same time can be understood by what so many adults classify as the simplest, most “immature” people – children.
Because in a child’s mind, this is all that it says:
Don’t hurt people if you don’t want to get hurt.
Be kind if you want to be treated kindly.
Trust if you want to be trusted.
Love if you want to be loved.
Maintain your positive qualities, if you want positivity to come your way.
That’s growing up.
That’s being mature.
It’s easy to grow old – it’s a testament to strength to grow up.
Hope everyone had an awesome weekend.
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
Musings Episode 72: Grow Up… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life
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Musings: Quote Wednesdays…
Just a little mid-week inspiration. 😉
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
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Musings Episode 71: Fearless…
First off – really hope you guys have been doing alright – thanks for the emails asking where I’ve been – makes me feel appreciated just as much as I appreciate you. 😉
I must admit, lately, there have been some inner demons I’ve been wrestling with.
Sorry about that.
Well, not really – if I hadn’t, I’d probably have stopped writing altogether – now that would be something to apologize for.
Right, back to demons – it’s a bit of an interesting discovery…ready? Start.
Musings Episode 71: Fearless…
So demons – we all have them. This month has been a trying one – been having to take my own advice on a handful of things, and I’ve gotta say, it’s been a delicate balancing act.
There’s a time you reach in various stages of your life when sometimes you just feel overwhelmed – not from the amount of things you’ve got going on, but just a collective series of events that have happened.
There was a time when I used to think that “nothing just happens” – frankly, these days I’d say that’s a load of shit – at least the way I used to think of it.
Things happen, but there’s always a root from where those things originate.
It’s not about things “just” happening, but why they happened and how they got the momentum to happen in the first place – how they got the chance.
Zoom in on that last word – chance.
You take chances, and give chances. Give something a “chance” to happen, and you can help or hinder yourself – all depending on the circumstances.
Let me be straight with you – there will be times, no matter how perfectly you plan, that you’ll run into obstacles.
The question is how you handle those “obstacles” or more accurately, situations.
This is where the essence of life lies –
10% of life consists of what’s happening.
90% consists of how you handle it.
It’s such a simple formula every once in a while you’ve gotta bring it back to memory again and again.
You’ve gotta develop a sort of fearlessness within yourself to take whatever’s thrown at you with a cool head.
Mind you, it’s no easy feat.
Christ, it’s no easy feat no matter how much you study the social sciences, psychology, train yourself on optimism, or any of that jazz.
But once you get it – once you understand how to acquire your own version of fearlessness, where you can take whatever life throws at you – guess what?
Suddenly the things that are thrown at you, stop being thrown.
Or don’t feel like they’re being thrown at you at all.
Suddenly, they’re no longer crises, or headaches…no longer are they challenges or obstacles.
You no longer look at them as road blocks.
You develop a sort of filtration system, where after a while you just understand it’s something you must find a solution to – and start equating these “crises” to simple math problems. Or is it chemistry? Let’s say, both.
It’s just about finding the right formula.
Keeping a cool head.
That’s the fearlessness you can eventually build.
It can’t be taught directly – it’s just something you’ve gotta keep in mind while taking in all the important components.
Not even I can teach it to you – but I can give you some pretty damn good tools to use during your journey.
The key thing to understand is this – fearlessness, starts from within. Just like happiness.
If you look for it externally, you will never find it.
The basis of these two things is peace of mind. Somehow, they all seem to fall into place at different times, sometimes lose their way, but overall find their place back with each other.
Don’t sweat it. You are your biggest critic – so just take the spotlight off your faults for a bit, and remember – life isn’t meant to be lived worrying.
Life’s meant to be lived enjoying.
Look out for Make it Mondays today over on the Official Site. Until then…
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
Musings Episode 71: Fearless… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life.
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For The Weekenders: The Last Days of Summer…
With summer coming to a close and September right around the corner, I wanted to make this week’s For The Weekenders special.
I remember when I was a kid growing up in a four season climate, one of the best things about the beginning of fall/autumn was having summer go out with a bang.
So here’s some ideas for those of your that love summer just as much as you do fall, and wanna make sure 2014’s is one to remember. Enjoy.
For The Weekenders: The Last Days of Summer…
I don’t know about you guys, but nothing brings back awesome memories like a crackling fire, crashing waves, s’mores, and football on the beach like a nice bonfire does.
There really is something special about a good bonfire. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re surrounded by good friends…or maybe it’s the fact that you know it’s the end of something good but the beginning of something better – but bottom line is the warmth – both literally and figuratively – that such an activity brings to the table is beyond compare.
So grab a few beers, maybe a cooler full of some fine items for grilling, don’t forget the marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate (or, get some delicious pre-made ones to really make it special), and sit down with a few close friends, while you all burn the night away with awesome stories and swap some of your favorite memories of this years summer.
If you don’t live by the beach or just aren’t too talented at creating a controlled fire, no worries, there’s always alternatives.
Next one up on the list is for those of you that are huge car enthusiasts.
What’s better than driving down endless miles of road into the sunset with the warm hum of the engine and cool summer breeze in your hair?
Doing it with your S.O. or maybe one or two of your best friends.
We’ve all at some point wanted an endless summer. Make it feel like one by planning an unforgettable road trip with that special someone of yours or a few close buddies. If you’ve got a ride you’re happy enough to call your pride and joy take it out on the open road and really open up that engine – or if you don’t feel like abusing your car with that many miles rent a classic and REALLY make it that road trip you’ll never forget.
The main thing here is to get out there and explore. Have a bucket list to check off – or no bucket list at all. Get creative. Get caught up in the moment. Stop off at a drive in movie. Get lost…only to find yourself again.
Wherever you go, make sure it’s somewhere that’s special to YOU. Grab a few refreshments, crank up the tunes, wear your favorite t-shirt/polo like it’s going out of style, make good use of those aviators….
and like I once read off of a piece of clothing by Volcom (I kid you not) – Leave only footprints. Take only photos.
Speaking of dying sunsets, if you want an epic adventure and *really* want to get the most out of this summer, don’t limit yourself to keeping it local. This one’s more tailored for those of you that live on the west coast. You know what I’m talking about – and no, it isn’t Cabo.
Go all out and check out bits of Central or South America – two countries that have the most gorgeous scenery around, endless sunsets, insane local food, with more tequila and Latin dance culture than you can shake a stick at.
If I had to pick, I highly suggest you check out Brazil. The culture is awesome….the food is awesome…and the music? Perfect.
This idea’s flexible enough to experience with friends, your S.O., or even by yourself.
Feel free to refer back to some of the older For The Weekenders posts I’ve written if you need some inspiration.
I hope everyone’s had a great summer, and that autumn is just as memorable.
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
For The Weekenders: The Last Days of Summer… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life
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Just a little mid-week food for thought. 😉As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
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Musings Episode 70: Balance…
It’s been a pretty unproductive weekend for me…not saying that time spent was wasted – it was indeed not.
…and somehow, I kind of needed this unproductivity. Or at least I think I did.
In saying that – yes, I do realize I blew off writing last week’s “For The Weekenders” – but don’t sweat it – this week’s is going to be a very special one, largely having to do with squeezing out the last bits of this awesome August weather we’ve been having.
For now though I wanna talk about balance. *shrugs* Let’s start.
Musings Episode 70: Balance….
This is more of a follow up really from last week’s post regarding slowing down, enjoying life, all that jazz – it’s parallel to it, but not right in line with it.
The kind of balance I’m talking about is the type where there are times in a person’s life where, whether they like it or not, they’ve gotta keep themselves balanced – especially if they’re going through stressful situations.
You’ve gotta take the time, energy, and mental strength, to try and steer yourself back on course – to remember what it is you’re doing, where it is your life is going, then assess and rearrange if things aren’t to your liking.
It can be hard as shit, if you’re not ready for it – or it can be insanely easy, if you know how to let go.
But letting go is the trickiest part. It’s a delicate distribution or, well, balance of saying “fuck it” while still making sure you’re headed in the right direction.
So many things in life can leave us distracted – forgetting that when it gets down to the nitty gritty, the bare bones, the core of it all – no matter how many things happen in life, you’ve still gotta remember that this is YOUR life, and that you have to care about WHERE it’s going and WHAT is happening to, or in it.
This is the kind of balance I’m talking about.
You can’t beat yourself up about when you get off course either.
I mean, you can, to kind of give yourself a kick in the ass, get that motivation going again – but you’ve gotta be careful not to do it too much.
There are days when you can pull the covers over your head, pretty much sending the message to everything and everyone to “fuck off,” but you only wanna do that sparingly, just enough to give yourself a chance to exercise some introspection – time to pause and reflect.
You can go out there and hit the sauce, but don’t do it to the point where those demons you’ve had locked away deep inside of you get a chance to come out and fuck with you – that’s not the way to get rid of them…that shit’s like a pressure pot, you’ve gotta let it off slow.
You can even do the opposite of all the “bad” habits to knock you back onto your feet, like becoming a gym rat or going pro-health when it comes to food.
But everything in moderation – moderation is key.
Perhaps it seems like I’m rambling, maybe I am – just think of this as one of those sit down sessions you have with someone and you both just kind of get shit off your chest.
I’ve never really been a cynic – but then I wouldn’t say I’m 100% optimist either.
I just believe there are certain steps a person takes in order to carve out that ideal life they want.
Human kindness is big. Focus is big. Having goals to reach is huge. Compassion is huge. Remembering where you came from and giving yourself little self-assessments at least once a month is massive.
You’ve gotta think of your life like a canvas – you can paint whatever you want with it, with an array of colors, brushes, oils, and styles. If you’re not getting the gist of that – simply put, you can do whatever you want, because you’ve always got OPTIONS. Options, are what really allow balance.
When you realize this, though it may be challenging at first, in certain situations you’ll come to understand that it’s not the situation that defines you – but how you handle the situation.
Handle the situation with the right amount of balance, and you’ll weather the storm.
Focus too much on the situation though, as if it’s something that’s molded and created your life – and you’ll only end up fucking yourself over.
Introspection is key.
Understanding is key.
Mental discipline it critical.
And sometimes, just sometimes…not giving a fuck is the best path to enlightenment.
Hope everyone has a great week…
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
Musings Episode 70: Balance is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life
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Musings Episode 69: Slow Down…
I was out and about at the park last week, and while waiting for someone to arrive I was meeting, took the chance to have a seat and look up at the sky.
Man, what a sight. Blue skies, white clouds, perfect amount of sunshine.
The whole thing prompted me to gear this week’s episodic musing towards one thing: slowing down and really recognizing life.
Musings Episode 69: Slow Down…
Often times so many people have their heads down looking at their smartphones, or looking straight ahead, rarely does anyone look up anymore.
But really, when you take the time to look up – that’s when time really stops.
So often day to day life feels like such a rush, yet so often it’s merely just an illusion held together by habitual tendencies and societal norms of the “rat race.”
Rarely do people realize life goes at a leisurely pace – but like the finishing line in Ferris Bueller, if we don’t stop and look around once in a while – we could easily miss it, as at the same time, it doesn’t wait for us.
I remember there was a time when I used to work crazy hours.
I mean, 12-14 hour days. It was insane.
Then I realized I wasn’t living at all – just existing.
I wasn’t living, because I wasn’t getting a chance to actually do anything with my days. It was so bad it was interfering with my social and family life.
This was a very short period in my life where for a moment, just for a moment, somehow I let myself lose sight of the vision and get into a “rut.”
Hey – I’m not perfect – even I lose sight sometimes – but it’s all a part of keeping yourself on course.
Fortunately I woke up and realised it – in ample enough time to get back to what matters most – friends, family, and actually enjoying your life.
Aside from the instance of waiting on my friend I managed to stumble across an old movie in my collection as well (don’t judge me), “The Devil Wears Prada.”
I’d not watched it in years but decided to give it a look and by the end of it realized just how much that movie drove home the exact point I’m making in this post now.
Slowing down and not rushing gives you a chance to actually assess your life moment by moment, while enjoying it day to day.
Keep in mind, slowing down doesn’t mean becoming lazy – but instead just taking the time to notice the world around you, compared to getting so caught up in the daily routine of making/creating money and any other repetitive task.
It’s all about working to live, not the other way around…and frankly, if anyone told you we’re in this life the just waste it away 8-9 hours a day at a desk, that person deserves a slap.
Humans are so individual and are given so much free will, it’s a wonder why so few stop to take the time to enjoy that power they have.
I’d say the “rush” of daily life starts with the mind though – that gnawing feeling of always being busy with something or having something you’ve gotta do before a certain time, the nervousness of wondering if there’s anything you’ve forgotten, left out, didn’t think about.
The moment you give yourself a chance to STOP thinking – is the moment you BEGIN thinking about everything that actually matters.
Then you realize…life isn’t as busy as it seems.
It’s not as hectic as you think it is.
…and it doesn’t have to be as crazy as everyone believes it should be.
Life is about slowing down, understanding your priorities, acting on what matters most to you, cooperating with other people who have your best interest, exercising human kindness, and ENJOYING all this world has to offer.
Once your start appreciating the simpler things in life, the rest comes easy.
I guarantee it.
Hope everyone’s had a great weekend…
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Improve Your Lifestyle. Improve Yourself. This is Life. This is Rego’s Life.™
Musings Episode 69: Slow Down… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life
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