Rich Dad Poor Dad is one of the most popular self help books on the market. It was extraordinarily popular when it was first published and it remains that way today. I’m not sure I’d even call it a “self help” book though – it’s more of an educational treasure. How many people use its lessons to better their lives? I have no idea. Probably not many. How many people read it and realize that they’re currently doing it wrong? Probably everyone. The book is an eye opener, that’s for sure. It discusses how the average person lives compared to how the wealthy person lives. I read the book and wrote a summary of it in this post. Please click through to learn a little something you may not already know about money, taxes, and business. Continue reading…
17 Blog Post Ideas That Will Keep Readers Coming Back For More
If you hand a true writer something to write about, they’ll likely write all day long about it. If you ask a writer to think of writing ideas with no input from anyone else, that writer might run into trouble. Especially after writing for a lifetime. Oftentimes, it’s not the writing that gets in the way of success, it’s the ideas that are necessary for that writing to be captivating and interesting that don’t flow nearly as easily as they should. In this post, I discuss blogging as well as 17 ideas that bloggers can take advantage of to get their minds rolling. We all need help every so often – when it comes to a creative field such as writing and blogging, we need all the help we can get. Continue reading…
Jiu-Jitsu Enlightenment
Since I began training all those years ago, I’ve had my share of demoralizing nights pondering what I did wrong. Overall, I’m a very confident and positive player, but to be blunt, there have been occasions when I’ve had my ass handed to me. And it’s usually after these occasions that I think, think, and then get better. If my experience learning Jiu-Jitsu were plotted on a graph, it would go something like this: level, big bump up, level again, another big bump up. And on and on like that. Still to this day, I think about what I’m doing wrong and what I can be doing better. The only problem is, I’m getting older and my body doesn’t want to cooperate nearly as much as it used to. In this post, I discuss an experience I had with an old friend during one of our matches. He taught me a few things. Click through to learn what they were. Continue reading…
Blackledge River, Marlborough, Connecticut
The Blackledge River that flows through Marlborough and Hebron, Connecticut is a lovely river Laura and I hiked alongside quite often during our time in the area. Within a few steps of our home, we were able to access a trail system that skirted the water for a good portion of its overall distance. I remember those walks well. We’d do some wandering through the tree lined pathways until we were up and over the hill. Then, we’d make our way down to the river to see that sparkling water and those stone walls that had become so familiar to us. The area in which we hiked was far away from the hustle and bustle of civilization – perhaps that’s why we enjoyed it so much. Click through to see some photos we took during one particular outing near this wonderful place. Continue reading…
Something Simple Cafe, Hebron, Connecticut
There was once a very nice establishment in the small town of Hebron, Connecticut that was called Something Simple Cafe. I believe it’s since been replaced by a new establishment that’s called The Flour Girl Cafe. I’ve visited the former, but not the latter. It’s the former I discuss in this post. Just before Laura and I moved from Connecticut to Florida in 2013, we began stopping by Something Simple for various meals. We don’t normally go out to pick up simple lunches or dinners, but because we (and our house) were in such a state of flux, it became necessary. The cafe was great and I enjoyed our food very much. Those who worked at the cafe were great too. I touch on both of these things in this post. Continue reading…
High School vs. College Writing
Millions of high school students transition to college life every year. I did this decades ago, but I still remember what I experienced like it was yesterday. I never did well in high school and it took me years of attending both a community college and a university to get the hang of what my professors wanted from me and what I needed to do to excel in the system. Since my “enlightenment,” I’ve become nothing short of an evangelist for those who are traversing similar experiences now. In this post, I tell the story of what a high schooler can expect from their college writing assignments. I discuss who professors are and what they want. Once a student understands their place in a college or university, things become so much easier for them to progress they way they’re destined to. Continue reading…
What’s the Best Way to Learn Jiu-Jitsu?
The teaching of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been going on for ages. I’ve been involved with the sport since 2008 and I’ve seen my share of how instructors go about their business. I’ve seen both bad and good teachers, but to be honest, I’ve never seen great. In this post, I discuss this entire topic and I offer ideas for improvement. I’m not saying that my ideas are the greatest, but I’m convinced they’d help the situation of taken advantage of by some fellow instructors out there. Continue reading…
Tony’s Track Days
Sometimes in life you need to take the bull by the horns. It’s not an easy thing to do and oftentimes taking hold of that bull can be downright dangerous and inconvenient. It’s important though because if not done at the right time, something important and perhaps, dare I say, life altering, may never see the light of day. We all have ideas and dreams, yet few of us act decisively enough to take advantage of so many of them. That’s a shame. A tragedy. In the story that follows, I discuss motorcycles. I talk about how my friend and I used to ride when we were younger and how I grew out of the hobby. My friend never grew out of it and rides to this day. In this post, I share photos of him riding at a motorcycle track in New Jersey and doing very well at what he was doing. I am immensely proud of him for that. Continue reading…
What is Jiu-Jitsu Flow Rolling?
Flow rolling in Jiu-Jitsu has many more benefits than being simple exercise. It helps students learn how to keep the body moving and how to look for position and submission chains. Beyond that, flow rolling helps students work out of tough positions. Instead of having a competitor pin another down for minutes on end, only to eventually submit, flow rolling discourages stalemates and encourages escape attempts. And when these escape attempts are made, they’ll likely be made more technically and successfully because much of the traditional pressure won’t exist. In this post, I write about flow rolling in Jiu-Jitsu and I offer tips that may help engaging in it result in success. Give it a read. Continue reading…
Can You Live a Jiu-Jitsu Centric Life?
Can you make a living with Jiu-Jitsu? Can you engage in something that has to do with the sport every single day? Can you make it the center of your life? I have a feeling that more than a few people are asking themselves these very questions. Jiu-Jitsu is growing fast and there are more people than ever getting involved with it. In this post, I touch upon this topic and talk about a few of the greats who have taken advantage of what they love so much – BJJ. Continue reading…