I want this to be a happy post. And it’s not my real story. So this playlist isn’t always happy. It’s my fall playlist. Fall is harder for me than summer. I love summer. I love the sun. Fall feels more like a fall for me and you might feel it in this music. The […]
Throw Your Punch
It might sound funny to say sports isn’t my thing, since I started fighting in boxing/kickboxing in 1996. But it’s really not. It was more of a life-saving thing for me than a sport thing. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about my thoughts/predictions on the Khabib vs. McGregor fight happening tomorrow. I […]
Commandments of Portland
So my August #microbucketlist included taking a spontaneous trip. It led me to this new, inevitable, commandments of cities I visit. If you’d like a deeper dive into what the ‘commandments of cities’ I visit are you can check out this post. Let me start with my original vision of taking a spontaneous trip. Here’s […]
Some days…
There is a day, you die inside. For many reasons you die. There is a day, you live outside. For many reasons you live. One day you decide your insides can be your outsides. Then you walk tall and you live free. You take it on. Or you shrink small and you live chained. […]
Feeling Alright- Songs of the Day with LVA
I’m feeling alright. Honestly, I feel more than alright. This playlist has taken me through awesome feeling alright moments. Will I always feel this way? I’m starting to think I can and here’s why. WHEN LIFE IS AWESOME This one is likely easy, right? When life is going your way it’s seamless to feel alright. […]
The Perfect Welcome Mat
I’m a self-proclaimed gypsy. I like moving around. A lot. I like adventure. Over a year ago I tried on something different. Renting my place out on Airbnb. It’s a beautiful condo, in a beautiful part of the city. Near the falls, right off the light rail, only a few stops from the airport. I […]
A Little Improvement Always Helps
Maybe I need a makeover, or a make-under. Maybe I want something different than caring about my physical presence. It’s awesome to want tamed eyebrows, great highlights, and manicured nails. And then sometimes I want something really heartfelt I can use to impact the world for the better in the way a fun pair […]
Commandments Of Sevilla
This past winter I began a practice designed to pull the memories of my travel close to my heart where I could hold them forever. I decided to create “commandments” for each new place I visit. The commandments of these cities that bless me with wonderful memories isn’t really for others. It’s mostly for me, […]
Fierce Growth Takes Fierce Love
I’m learning that my level of growth is directly related to my level of self-love. When I’m not loving myself I’m unable to learn from obstacles, struggles, and disappointments because I wear them as a thick coat of self-loathing, failure, and evidence of my unworthiness. Self-loathing says I’m a victim of rejection. It’s difficult to […]
American Ninja Ghost
Tonight my episode of American Ninja Warrior aired on NBC. Hours of footage were collected. They taped video interviews of me, b-roll of me kickboxing, hero shots of me, and interviews after my run happened. After two hours tonight filled with anticipation there wasn’t one shot of me on screen. I was sitting in a […]