Remember when life felt effortless, when we simply lived in the moment? No mental distractions, no worries—just pure presence. We fully embraced our experiences and all that mattered was the moment itself.
Life was simple back when the mind wasn’t involved in everything. During childhood when there was no need to overthink—everything was intuitive, unfolding moment by moment. We experienced life fully without the background noise of the mind pulling us away from the gratitude in every bite of food, every sip of water, and every morning we awakened. Every moment seem to come alive as we live in the now. Its a sense of empowerment, shaping our realities with intention, and revealing the extraordinary world within us that makes us intriguing. Even more, that makes us human.
When I was eight, during recess while my friends and I played basketball, I was scouted by a neighborhood basketball team called 3-D. I was the tallest kid in school, so I had the height for organized basketball, but I wasn’t sure about my skill. Or maybe I was just scared. My friend came up to me and said, “There’s a man watching you play, and he wants to talk to you.” All I could think was, “Mom said never talk to strangers,” and there I was, speaking to someone who claimed to be a coach, asking me to join his team.
But something in me made the decision to approach him. Maybe he saw something in me that I couldn’t—because isn’t that how it usually goes? People see potential in you that you can’t see in yourself. Maybe I didn’t have the skills yet, but the potential was there. And where there’s potential, there’s a path to mastery.
When Life Presents us with Challenges, We Become Students of the Lessons it Holds
Its easy to underestimate the power of staying in that student mindset. Yet it’s this very mindset that allows us to continuously learn and grow, expanding our wisdom through experience until we achieve mastery over ourselves. The mastery of a student who becomes the teacher. The mastery of a follower who becomes the leader. The mastery of Self, transforming into spirit, rising from the ashes of the self-serving ego.
By the time I was twelve or thirteen, I was receiving accolades as one of Philly’s top ball players and was ranked twenty-ninth in the country. Division I coaches from around the world were sending care packages, expressing their interest in having me join their programs. Frankly, I couldn’t understand how it all seem to unfold the way it did. After all, I was just a kid playing basketball at recess— no pressure, no doubt—just playing the game I loved.
There were no expectations, no need to prove anything—just freedom. I wasn’t expecting much from myself other than to enjoy the moments. Who would’ve thought that letting go of control would create a path of its own, one filled with adventure and discovery.
When A Passion is Discovered, We Naturally Pursue it with Discipline and Consistency
Its the satisfaction it brings that drives us to keep improving, to be the best we can be. This journey requires intangibles like faith, confidence, work ethic, and focus—not to compete with others, but to be the best version of ourselves.That’s one of life’s greatest lessons: everything and everyone we meet serves as a mirror, reflecting who we are.
It was these very intangibles that fast-tracked my development into a nationally recognized player. I wasn’t aiming for a scholarship, and I wasn’t thinking about the NBA. My love for the game was pure, with no expectations attached. Because of that, I never pondered over my purpose. And in return, this approach to life carved out a reality of its own.
So often, we try to control the narratives and outcomes of our lives, only to be led off course by the logical mind. One thing I’ve learned is that when you do something for reasons of substance, it takes you much further than when it’s done for ego. Performing with the intent to provide for your family yields better results than doing it for personal gain. The intention to inspire others to believe anything is possible leads to greater outcomes than simply proving something. When your intention is pure, you create no resistance—only flow.
Mindset is Everything
For me, basketball was more than just a game—it brought balance to my life where there wasn’t any. Raised by a strong, inspirational woman, I was missing the other part of me… the masculine aspect that drives, achieves, and overcomes. Basketball allowed me to tap into this aspect of myself. It surrounded me with coaches who became father figures, filling a void I had felt as a child. From this place, I blossomed, and my passion for the sport became a powerful, guiding force in my life.
Mindset is everything. While it’s the key to many successes in life, too much thinking can create imbalance as the mind is naturally unstable. One minute, you might feel confident in your craft, and the next, you’re questioning your competence. But mindset shapes our belief systems, our perceptions of the world, and our approach to life. It’s formed in childhood and becomes hardwired into our thoughts and behaviors as we grow.
Our minds have a way of pulling us out of the present, distracting us from precious moments that deserve our full attention, moments rich with memorable happiness and hidden lessons waiting to be uncovered. We become one with our experiences as we shift into a flow state of mind. It becomes effortless, intuitive—poetry in motion. It’s in this space that our abilities are amplified, allowing us to perform at our highest potential. Here, growth and progress come rapidly. There’s no overthinking or forcing outcomes, just a release of everything that doesn’t serve us, letting the universe guide us to where we truly belong.
In the End, All We Have Are Memories
Reflect back on a time you might have been distracted, perhaps by a phone or a worry, missing out on the full richness of an experience. Don’t you wish you could rewind time and relive that moment all over again? In the end, all we have are memories, and these are the moments you can never live again. Each one is a reminder of the importance of being fully engaged in the here and now, cherishing every experience as it unfolds.
As our experiences awaken us to a higher power orchestrating everything around us, we realize this power also resides within us. It is then we learn to let go and truly enjoy the adventures life.
