Lessons from Life's Challenges and Triumphs

Hey there,

I've been thinking a lot about what makes us special. You know, what makes us "us."

This week, I imagined and remembered some pretty cool stuff about my own life that I want to share with you:

Did you know that before I was even born, I won a super tough race? Yep, as a tiny little sperm, I made it first to become me.

• When I was a baby, I fell down a lot. But I kept trying and finally got the hang of this walking gig – talk about consistent persistence!

• I used to have a lisp when I spoke, which made it hard to say words clearly. But I worked hard and got past it. I hated going to speaking classes.

• I've had my share of tough times – from battling addictions, to being hurt, to owing money, to feeling heartbroken. But I didn't let them stop me. I got clean, learned, grew, and found love again.

• My family and friends, and most importantly my wife, Enkhi, they all chose to be part of my life because of who I am.

And guess what? People chose YOU for being you, too!

So, let me remind you today: You're the only "YOU" out there.

No matter what you're facing, you can get through it.

Take charge of your day – don't let it control you.

And remember, you're a human, with all the awesomeness that comes with it, not just an animal going through the motions of life.

Want to know why I said that? Check out the rest of my thoughts:

I'm fascinated by birds. I even think of the eagle or the owl as my spirit animal sometimes.

But here's a cool thing about us humans – we have a ton of time to learn and grow. Animals, like birds, are almost ready to go right from the start. Baby birds like eagles pretty quickly leave their nests and learn to fly, which they need to do to survive.

Humans, though? We have so much time to learn not just how to live, but how to live well with others, to understand our feelings, and to figure out really tricky things. We spend years soaking up all sorts of knowledge – about our world, about each other, and about how to do all kinds of amazing stuff.

This isn't just about making it through each day. It's about being great at being you in a big, ever-changing world. It's about getting to be creative, learning how to talk about really complicated ideas, and solving puzzles no one's cracked before.

While a bird's growth might stop at being a pro flyer, humans can keep getting better and better their whole lives. That's what makes us awesome.

- Coach Carlos

Keep growing!

Your friend and coach.

Carlos