Challenge.Me

Today's episode is dedicated to my friend Rose.Here is what she had to say about it. She texted me her response below. She had no idea I would share it online when she wrote, but she gave me her permission.==========[From Rose]Hi, thank you for sharing this episode I love it Very moving and inspiring Lies, lies, lies was my favorite episode until now, (you have an amazing singing voice btw :)YOU are deserving YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made and having or experiencing the best of everything is your birthright, not a byproduct.You are destined to help many, many people and todays episode was incredible …..You mentioned so many things and then I finally heard it…. You are not broken - we are imperfectly perfect I read a quote the other day that went something like this: “God created the moon to remind us that it's ok to go through phases; God created the sun to emphasize to our soul to rise up again each morning and try again.”Know your worth and then add the tax.I will forever cherish you…. feel so blessed to know you… continue to tap into this creativity because your words are going to heal so, so many people The world needs you!!! I listened to this twice and it's back on nowWoke up to check your text and so happy that I could listen to it ….. God whispered to you when you felt the wind blow on your face, the sunshine and warmth you felt was His kiss….. this is your second chance and Corinna is so wise….. your heart is being refined… be gentle to yourself …. Love yourself…. I look forward to watching you shine So very proud of you!!!

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

I'm going to get nasty letters for this controversial title. But I did it to make a point. And the lesson is this. If you don't steer clear of this one thing, you will live a life in prison, but not the prison you think I'm talking about. This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

This is just one portion of a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order. Trust me.

I am inspired by the stories of a 2021 college graduate and the movie Cast Away. Both are stories of survival. And they raise the ultimate challenge: If you were stuck on an abandoned island with no phone, how would you get out? If you ever felt stuck, isolated, or had a feeling that there is no way out, then this series is for you. The ultimate challenge is when logic tells you that you will never get out of a situation. Learn the lessons from this dramatic movie and a real life story to change your life for the better. This is a multi-series episode. Please don't skip around because each episode builds on the previous episode. You will get lost if you don't listen to it in order.

This is part 8 of an 8-series episode. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode.

This is part 7 of an 8-series episode. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode.

This is part 6 of an 8-series episode. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode.

This is part 5 of an 8-series episode. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode.

This is part 4 of an 8-series episode. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode.

This is part 3 of an 8-series episode. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode.

This is part 2 of an 8-series episode. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode.

I've been a Zombie student. Trust me. It sucks. Now, I'm back from the dead to save you from yourself. So, why do zombies have a beef with the living? Because the living are living the life zombies don't have. And why do the living have a beef with the dead? Because the zombies want to keep the living from living. Duh. In the movies, it's all about surviving. School feels that way too, doesn't it? But aren't you tired of just surviving? Wouldn't you rather thrive and stop being a Zombie student? Join me in this 8-series episode. Okay I lied. It's not really 8 episodes. I just took an hour long episode and chopped it into bite size pieces (like a zombie would) so that you won't zonk out like a zombie and stop paying attention. Trust me. Don't skip around. Each episode builds on the previous episode. If you skip around, I'm sending the Whisperers to come get you. No joke. Parental discretion is advised. Translation. If you are not at least in High School, go to bed and stop listening. This is for big boys and girls only. And if you get bad dreams after listening to this series, you've been warned.

This is Part 4 of Namaste India, a 4-part series.

This is Part 3 of a 4-part series of Namaste India.

This is Part 2 of a 4-part series of Namaste India.

This is Part 1 of a 4-part series which was inspired by India. Their dedication reminds me that if you have this one characteristic, nothing can stop you.

This is part 6 in a 6-series episode. I originally published this as a single 38-minute episode. But I decided to break it into 6 small, manageable chunks.

This is part 5 in a 6-series episode. I originally published this as a single 38-minute episode. But I decided to break it into 6 small, manageable chunks.

This is part 4 in a 6-series episode. I originally published this as a single 38-minute episode. But I decided to break it into 6 small, manageable chunks.

This is part 3 in a 6-series episode. I originally published this as a single 38-minute episode. But I decided to break it into 6 small, manageable chunks.

This is part 2 in a 6-series episode. I originally published this as a single 38-minute episode. But I decided to break it into 6 small, manageable chunks.

Don't you wish people could wait on you all the time? Imagine having a personal chef who would make you whatever you wanted whenever you wanted it. Or imagine having the car of your dreams. The house of your dreams. Vacations. Leisure. Fun. Shopping. Netflix and chill. Disneyland. What's your paradise? Well, the road to paradise doesn't start in paradise. If you want to live in paradise, there are some secrets to getting there. I can't wait to tell you. Haha. See you inside.

Where the hell have I been? I did 56 podcasts in 56 days and then disappeared like a ghost. So what happened? Let me put it this way. I didn't want this to happen. But I'm glad it happened because now I have a great lesson (and podcast) to share with you. Here's to being back!

If your teacher offered you an automatic B on a final exam, would you take the B and not take the test? The automatic systematic response is that most people would jump at the opportunity and become dancing machines from their excitement. So which are you? Are you an A player or a B player? Today's challenge is about being honest with yourself and finding your tribe. P.S.: The title of this podcast is a reference to a #1 hit song from the 70's. Can you guess what it is?

When I was in the 5th grade, I was told to go fly a kite .... with a 1st grader. Then I was told to go read .... to kindergartners. Aside from scaring the crap out of me at age 10, these exercises taught me an important lesson: doing things for others makes you happy. Now new research from a Ph.D professor at Elon University in North Carolina goes a step further. She says that "Happiness comes from trying to make others feel good, rather than oneself." The ultimate student challenge is not just about getting great grades. It's about balance. And being happy is part of that balance. So, go grab your Happy Meal, put up your feet, and let's get our Happy on.

What's popular is not always right, and what's right is not always popular. Stated differently, being uniquely you may not be popular to some people, but being uniquely you is the right thing to do. Today is about embracing what makes you different. If you feel different, that doesn't make you bad, it's what makes you special. Whatever you think is happening against you, is actually happening for you. If you feel that things are against you, just know that it gets better. Today, I share how things got better for me and how I embraced not fitting in. It's time to make some noise. It's time to challenge yourself. It's time to have the courage to be you. Let's roll people.

Remote learning has been an overwhelming challenge for students. It has caused a mental health crisis and has severely disrupted student lives. In this episode, I discuss two twin students who went from A's to failing grades. I analyze the cause for their sudden drop in grades and give you my tips on what you can do to keep from falling in this hole. And if you have fallen in a hole, I will tell you what to do to get out of it. The COVID lockdown is just another challenge. And like any challenge, it can be overcome. Don't get fooled twice. Here are the keys to the kingdom: C-onsistency O-ptimism V-alidation I-nspiration D-etermination

99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Forget about 99 bottles, apparently, one is too many. A new study just came out on May 12, 2021 from the University of Oxford. It's pretty disturbing. If I had known this information, I would never have started drinking. To drink or not to drink. That is the question that many high school and college students will be confronted with. And it's a decision that is often driven by peer pressure. Look, I'm not your parents. So, I'm not about to get on some soapbox and start preaching to you about drinking. It's your decision. But this new study talks about consequences that you probably never considered. Before I go, I want to make a toast. I'm dedicating this episode to your health and making informed choices. Salud! P.S.: Here's the link to the original Oxford study: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.10.21256931v1

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." According to Wikipedia the exact origins of this phrase remain unclear, though it was recorded as early as 1659. While its origins are unclear, the cause of dullness is clear. If all you do is work (study), you will become bored and a boring person. So, don't be a Jack. Get out of your Jack-in-the-box and have some balance. You will notice that I just spent the last 6 episodes to impress upon you that some of the most successful people are not the most talented, and that their secret is hard work. But to conclude the series, I made this episode so you don't get the wrong idea. Yes, I want you to work hard. But too much of anything is not a bad thing. It's all about balance. Don't be lazy. Don't be a workaholic. Make sure to develop all of you, not just one-dimensional you. P.S.: If you really want to freak yourself out, go to YouTube and watch this scene from the 1980 movie The Shining. Type this into Google, "THE SHINING (1980) - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." It's very creepy and a good example of what happens when you want to be a dull Jack.

"Nobody will ever work as hard as I work." Those are the words spoken by the richest professional athlete of all time when he was in college. Did anybody work as hard as he worked? We'll never know. But we do know his belief system and the results that came from that mentality. There may be shortcuts in life, but not working hard isn't one of them if you want to be your best. One more thing. Have you heard of "The Breakfast Club"? No, not the movie. It's the workout you missed while you were sleeping.