COLD. WATER.

[COLD COLD WATER🎶, Beiber voice]

Damn! Been a while huh? Guess I’ll get right to it.

So a little under a month ago, I went to a Tony Robbins seminar with my family in Miami courtesy of my sister Trina (yes she’s got it like that, also yes; she’s married 😂). I went into the event with a healthy amount of skepticism cause I mean who doesn’t? lol. She called me after her first seminar this summer and explained as much as she could regurgitate about the life improvement tools and techniques dispersed to her in Dallas. Then she asked me if I wanted to go to one, of course I said yes, a trip to Miami where I had been but never explored. Honestly, I still didn’t get to during seminar days, so much information and so many jewels have to be presented in 16+ hour days so you’re actually too tired to go out.

I won’t get too much into the seminar in this post(maybe another one if anyone really wants to know) however they are worth checking out, but of course, you get out what you put in! I let go of my skepticism and vowed to play all out. We all got pumped up and soon as Tony Robbins’ big goofy looking ass hit the stage I felt the energy and hopes for change of the 13,000+ people jumping and screaming to EDM like a rave in the 55 degree American Airlines Arena envelop me.

I went into the event with the intention to find some tools to help me with my discipline and… if you know me, my procrastination lol. So it was fitting that he mentioned at some point during that first day that we’d be walking on fire, “Bet!” I thought, a nice jumping point for playing all out and a reference to look back on and show myself what I/my mind could do. Looking back that firewalk wasn’t shit, there were real on fire ass coals though and of course, they had me waiting while they put fresh ones out for me. (Lol and honestly it probably shouldn’t/can't be too crazy with thousands of people walking for safety. Great experience to have done though)

I’m sure you’re thinking; how can he say walking on Fire isn’t shit? Well, that brings me to my subject: Cold Water! I left the Miami airport on a mission to bring more discipline into my life and accept more challenges. First Challenge: Cold Showers. I specifically took a cold shower in between these last two paragraphs just to get that full shock in and confirm a 1200 degree firewalk was nowhere near the discomfort of that shower. And yea, I know! Black people don’t do cold let alone cold showers in the middle of a cold ass 38 degree Atlanta fall/winter season in an apartment where we barely and rarely turn the heat on lol.

However, I’m sure everybody has probably taken a cold shower or two in their life probably involuntary as was for me more than a few times on Memorial Dr. If not, you’ve probably been swimming. Either way, before your ass gets into that water you might remember what happens; a flinch! It’s what happens to us before we do anything we anticipate as potentially uncomfortable. We talk ourselves out of going through that experience as smooth as Obama makes points in a debate with old people. This was a concept explained more in-depth here.

I had tried taking cold showers years and years ago mostly for the supposed health benefits, and I only lasted a few days. This time however was and is different. This was a challenge to my discipline at just the right time. I still don’t remember how I stumbled back upon cold showers but I’m super grateful for it now. The past two weeks of cold showers have given me a chance to embrace being uncomfortable and even more, build up discipline while doing it. Two weeks in I don’t really flinch anymore and I look forward to conquering my discomfort.

This is what it’s all about, I don’t think anyone reading this is going to go and take a cold shower at any point this winter, but you can do something uncomfortable every day that contributes to your growth. And just to tie the Major Lazer/Justin Bieber lyrics in from the song Cold Water, it goes something like “I would jump right over into cold cold water for youuuu”. The “YOU” in the song just happens to be ME. I jump into cold water for me, for my new mindset, for my discipline, for my growth, hell even for my health. I’m sure that’s obviously not how they meant it but now that I think about it like that I like the poppy ass EDM sounding song.

I’ve leveled up my discipline muscle and also I am not shying away from discomfort in other areas of my life. What would make you jump into cold water? Find your version of a cold shower that makes you feel like you are able to conquer the day and what not! I am a super advocate of meditation and a lot of people aren’t comfortable in their own mind so I would start here if that’s you.

If you need an accountability buddy or whatever, hit me on whatever platform you found this on and I’m just about up for anything that helps me grow and helps you.

I am also working on another form of discipline that also involves cold water which may be equally as uncomfortable depending on the person. I plan to write on this in 5 days when I’ve completed the mission. 😌😏