A Fresh Start (Happy New Years)

Happy New Years Everyone..

It's been 3 days into 2014 and I already feel a change. 

I feel hopeful, energetic, strong, youthful, focused, optimistic, appreciated; but most importantly happy. 

As we all march onward to the New Year with a different beat and much anticipation, I can't help but feel much relief that we escaped 2013 in one piece.

2013 will be a year I will never forget.. Although it was a year of unforgettable and amazing moments, it was also the year I hit rock bottom. 

And as I type this post, I am hesitant to share this personal story of mine.. but I am an actor.. I am a poet.. I am a writer.. I am an artist.. And as an artist, it is my obligation to share the truth. 

When we hear stories about people with depression, it's so easy to criticize and judge. We think that depressed people are just being ignorant and ungrateful. We think that depressed people are being selfish and needy for attention. We really don't understand them at all until we go through it ourselves.

Depression is like being in stuck in a cage everywhere you go. This cage is heavy and offers very little ventilation and is hard to breathe. What's worst is that there are no windows; there was no light at the end of any tunnel. 

It made absolutely no sense to me. Why was I trapped?? 

Outside, my friends and everyone who knew me saw a good looking guy who had nothing to worry about. 

But I was worried every second of the day.. I was worried for my life. I was terrified about what I could potentially do to myself in order to stop this pain..

I did everything I possibly could.. I talked to friends.. I talked to a counselor.. I talked to God.. I prayed.. I cried.. I wanted it to stop.. 

I felt stupid, silly, and extremely selfish.

Everyone has worst problems than I did, but why did I feel this way??

Alcohol, drugs, exercise didn't help either..

Then one day I did exactly what I had in mind to do to myself ..

I killed myself....

One day, I found a box full of death certificates at work and I thought to myself, "If I'm going to end it, it's going to be by my own terms.."

I took one of the cards and started to fill it out:

Name: Michael P. Mora..

Age of Death: 87

Occupation: Actor, Writer, Teacher, Traveler

Suddenly, I got carried away and started to get excited. On the back I started scribbling my own obituary.

Michael Mora passed away on a nice Sunday afternoon. He was asleep at the time of passing. If one word described him; Michael was a lover. He loved his family, friends and community. He loved his job and taught others about love. His legacy and endless smiles will never be forgotten. He leaves behind his wife, two children, and 8 grandchildren. Michael inspired everyone when he finally married the girl of his dreams by saying, "I do believe that behind every great man, there is a great woman... but I personally believe he must achieve greatness first because no great woman would tolerate anything less.. I became great because I love my wife.. She is great and I want to be great for her."

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After writing and reviewing the life I wrote out, I became envious. I wanted THAT life. 

I realized that only I can escape my own prison and that no one is coming to help me. It's all on me..

Suddenly there was a crack in my cage. I saw the light.

I broke out of that cage but I keep whatever remains so I can remind myself of how far I've gotten.

I got a new job, new life and new soul for this new year.

I constantly look forward to progression. I want to be good at anything and everything that life offers. Because if you're not in a state of progression, you'll find yourself in a state of depression.

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So my advice to you?

Take control of whatever situation you're in. You have all the power and resources than you think you do. If you don't like the life you have then you better start writing yourself a new one. Don't get discouraged either.. Change doesn't happen over night. CONSISTENCY is the main ingredient for success. Do it everyday and fall in love with the progress.

This is a New Year full of possibilities and hope. I hope you reach whatever you're goals are for this year whether it's health, love, or happiness. 

As for me.. I'm going to continue living the life I love living.  

Thank you for you time and allowing me to share my story. 

Love,

Michael Mora

My Merry (Christmas) Friends

Just recently, my friends and I took our annual Christmas pics with Santa.

These guys are not only just my friends, but they're my family.
Every year they remind me how blessed of a guy I really am.
They push me to be better, understand me when no one else does and are always there for me when I need them. Most importantly, they accept me for who I am.

I really believe friendship is one of the most important investments to make. Not only with these guys, but when I see all my friends and family, I can tell I'm a rich guy.

What started as a high-school hilarious photo op turned into a serious sacred tradition. Our annual Santa pics is a reason to get us together at the end of a long year. It forces us to push whatever differences we have aside and just be young and happy again.

These guys are alright.

You Don't Have To Be Perfect.. (Dating For December)

Everyone has their own insecurities when it comes to dating. 

"I'm too shy.."
       "I'm too short.."
               "I'm too fat.."
                      "I'm too weird."
                              "I'm complicated."
                                      "I don't make enough money.."
                                              "I'm ugly.."
                                                      "I'm not good enough.."

I'm here to tell you that whatever the reason is for you not being able to find that special someone, you're totally wrong. Just like everyone, you deserve to love and be loved. You are perfect the way you are and you should start to wear that belief everywhere you go. Today I will share with you on how to break free of your insecurities and help you feel like a dating champ.

First, you need to hear yourself when you start thinking negative thoughts of yourself. Being aware of how you speak to yourself will trigger you to start taking action of your belief.

Once you hear your negative thought or belief about yourself, you can start to either: 
1. Disprove the belief 
or..
2. Determine its truth and see how you can spin it to the positive. 

Here's an example of a personal negative belief I had:

"Being 5'6, I used to believe that I was short and always wished to be taller (like everyone). I once had a friend call me out on being taller because I was wearing boots (that gave me an extra inch) in front of my date (who was tall)...
1. I disproved my belief when I went to church.. I noticed that I was above average height compared to all the people standing around me... because the mass was Filipino-oriented. After that I started to remind myself that I'm a good height for an Asian.
2. I decided to further explore my shortness and shine some positive truth on the subject. I started to compile all the good things related to being short. I'm a big Tom Cruise fan and when I heard he's about my height, I was really ecstatic. I saw that being vertically challenged never stopped him from dating taller beautiful women. From then on, it never stopped me either. I'm very comfortable with my height."

Here are some final thoughts on insecurities..

Everyday you see couples and you can't help but yourself, "Why is he/she with this person??"

The answer is very clear.

Love is blind. 

Love and attraction has no rules/limits... 

Most times, we feel like we have no choice or say in the matter...

And listen to me when I say...

You don't have to be perfect... to be perfect for each other. 

What Do You Want (Dating for December)

For some reason, the holidays tend to remind us that we are single more than any other time of the year (except Valentines).

Maybe it's because of the cold weather and you just want someone to cuddle up with. Or maybe you just notice all the couples who like to do cute stuff together like ice skate holding hands... or bake cookies naked. Whatever the reason, I don't know.

For me, I've had my share of dates and relationships. If there is one thing I know from my experience, it's the fact that the grass is greener on the other side. It means that relationships look fun and great, but it's hard work. It takes communication, trust, compromise, understanding and all that other good stuff.

I also understand that being single and dating around is fun, but it can be frustrating as well.

Anyways, I feel obliged to help out all my friends with their dating dilemmas, which is why I will be sharing some personal thoughts and ideas on this matter.

First things first... WHAT DO YOU WANT? and be specific.

This will determine how happy you will be when entering the dating world. You need to know what you're signing up for.

Example 1
If you want to date around and "have fun", you need to be clear on that intention.
If you're going out and meeting multiple people on dates, don't be surprised to find out that those people are most likely seeing other people as well.
Note: The universe tends to give you what you put out yourself.

You need to work on becoming someone who will survive the "dating world".
You have to be social, charming, independent, stylish, interesting etc.

Example 2
If you're looking for something more serious like a committed relationship, try to limit your time at bars, clubs or anywhere that attracts other Example 1 people (who just want to have fun).

Don't misunderstand when I say that cupid doesn't work his magic at the club. (I met some of my girlfriends at clubs. No shame in it.) What I'm trying to say is that you have a better chance of meeting someone more compatible with you if you follow your heart.

Get to know yourself better... What do you really like to do?
If you like to paint, take a painting class.
If you like to travel, then buy a ticket to Hawaii or Spain.

There's a quote that goes, "If you're looking for love, stop. They will be waiting for you when you start doing the things you love.."

You need to work on being true to yourself.
Also work on becoming a better you.
Love yourself and love your life.
Once you do this, it'll be no surprise when you meet another person who loves you too.

Be A Bigger Fish (December Health and Fitness)

They (scientists) say that fish have the capacity to grow 3 times larger in the ocean, rather than left in a fish tank. I'm not sure how much this is true, but I definitely noticed a big change since moving my workout from my garage and into a real gym.

I encourage everyone to join a gym for these reasons:

1. You get to learn some new stuff

-Every time I go into my gym to get my sexy on, I pay attention to what others are doing around me. I quickly take mental notes and see if I can use their moves in the near future. It's always good to try something new and challenging. Also, if you just ask, people will gladly share what works for them and you can also make a new friend.

2. You'll discover how much harder you should work

-When it comes to anything in life, we are lazy. We don't like hard work and we don't like to work hard. This could explain why there is an increase of college drop outs, unemployment rates and divorce rates.
We live in a time where we expect things to come easy to us and are disappointed when we don't get what we want. I believe this laziness is the result of just being misinformed.. (Forgive us father, for we do not know)

-I ran into a high school buddy at the gym the other day and agreed to follow his workout. After performing 30 minutes of pure cardio, I was dripping with sweat. I said, "Whew! Man, that was a good workout!" To which he replied, "What are you talking about? That was only the warm up."
(FML)

-I learned quickly that my workout game needed much improvement and not to be scared to push myself harder. What doesn't kill, definitely will make you stronger for sure.

3. Motivation is free

-At the gym, it's almost impossible to just sit there and do nothing. With so many people sweating, panting and almost out of breath, you will feel guilty that you are not performing at their level.

-I love the fact that when I'm trying to one up in the weights department, someone will shoot me a look that says, "Yo.. I see you right now man.. Get that bar up! I believe in you!"

-(Secret time) My homies won't admit this, but they say that when they're tired they'll do a few more reps of whatever they were doing because a hot girl passes by. I don't know about you, but that's pretty motivating as well.

Anyways, that's all I got for you today.

So just dive in and don't afraid to get wet (sweat).

Be a bigger better fish... and swim good.

The Power of Now (December Health and Fitness)

A powerful mindset that I've been adapting into my workout routine is "The Power of Now"

Ever since I can remember, my dad would use certain catch phrases that he would say repeatedly:

• "For once you did something right in your life."

• "Bring me up a cup of ice cream... A-hole!"

• "You want money? Like fun! Hahahahaha."

But out of all the things he said, my favorite was, 

"IF YOU DON'T DO IT NOW, YOU'LL NEVER DO IT."

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Procrastination.. I've been a victim to it. I think everyone has. It's such a terrible thing to wait until the last minute to start doing something. This is a big factor that separates the successful and the not-so-successful.

When it comes to working out, I used to tell myself that I'll do it when I felt like it. (But this is wrong.)

"If you wait until you feel motivated or “in the mood” you 

may never start the task, especially if it is boring or unpleasant. Action comes first before 

motivation." - (taken from the article WHY PEOPLE PROCRASTINATE) 

http://www5.wittenberg.edu/sites/default/files/u7/procrastination.pdf

Get rid of your excuses and just start doing it.. even if you don't feel like it. Soon, your physiology will match your brain and then you'll feel like it. 

As I am writing this post and getting ready for my workout, I'm feeling a bit under the weather. And even though I'm sick, I know that shouldn't be an excuse for me to not get my daily sweat on. I tell myself that I'm not going to wait until I'm 100% healthy to work towards something I want. What doesn't kill me, will make me stronger.

The reason why I like my dad's catch phrase, "If you don't do it now, then you'll never do it" is because it's so truthful.

Before, I would be running and tell myself, "I'm tired.. I know I got a little more energy but I'll just do better tomorrow." Then tomorrow will show up and I end up doing the same thing. We tend to make it a habit to perform well whenever it's comfortable for us.. Which leads to mediocre results.

 Instead, we should start thinking, "I'm going to do my best right now. I'm going to give it my all and make it a habit to perform at my maximum peak." If you implement this mindset everyday, you'll start to make it a habit. When you make doing your best a habit, it'll feel like a second nature and soon you'll wake up and see a totally different person in the mirror. 

So take my dad's advice..

Work out now.

Don't give up now. 

Do your best now... or else you'll never do it.

I'm Back (December Health and Fitness)

Okay...
I'm aware that I've been on a hiatus from blogging and haven't posted any new material in a while.

The truth is, I've been away on a fitness adventure ever since I had a moment of clarity.. There's a saying that goes, "You can't teach something unless you can demonstrate it yourself."

What this quote meant to me was that I had to step up my game and throw myself into the workout world completely.

I joined a gym.
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So far it's been quite an interesting experience.

There's a few things that I'm excited to share soon.

And to make up for not posting more motivational fitness advice for November, I'll be working on extending the fitness topic for quite a while.

There's also another project that I've been putting together in order to help deliver my messages as well.

So stay tuned... We're just barely getting started.