As we celebrate Veterans Day, today is the time to honor those who have served in the United States military, dead and alive. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on how each of us can give back to our communities. In this episode of Tola Talks, it’s all about positivity while keeping life simple and giving back to society. I also shares key aspects of my personal development book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth, as well as historical insights and practical steps to inspire everyone to make a positive impact in their lives. We also explore how embracing simplicity and gratitude can transform our lives and the lives of others.
As always, keep it simple and get your workout in! Peace – R
In this episode of Tola Talks, I engage in a lively conversation with my long time friend, Ed Winslow, founder and CEO of Proofstacking.ai. We discuss the importance of visibility in business and the need for self-awareness and personal growth. Ed shares his journey in real estate, the concept of proof stacking, and how storytelling can transform marketing efforts.
Our conversation also highlights the challenges and opportunities in today’s competitive landscape, emphasizing the significance of creating success stories to establish credibility and generate leads. In this engaging episode, Ed and I explore the significance of storytelling in marketing, the importance of overcoming consumer doubt, and the power of success stories in building trust. We discuss the concept of proof stacking and how micro stories can create a compelling narrative that resonates with audiences.
A must watch for all business owners and especially real estate brokers!
On today’s 200th episode of Tola Talks, we share the Top 10 Lessons Learned from Women’s Volleyball, emphasizing the importance of positivity, teamwork, focus, and resilience. We also discuss the highlights of how these principles can be applied not only in sports but also in everyday life, encouraging everyone to celebrate the small victories in life and to always learn from your defeats – all the while maintaining a commitment to good sportsmanship. We also dive into the 1987 romantic drama, Dirty Dancing, one of my favorites, starring the late (and great) Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.
Hey everyone! If you’re concerned about everything that’s wrong with our inner-city public schools – as you should be – then check-out my latest book, The Sub: Tales of an Inner-City Teacher. (click to view on Amazon)
Based upon my real life experiences as a K-12 substitute teacher, The Sub gives you an outsider’s view inside America’s troubled educational system.
An historical fiction novel that’s based upon true encounters, The Sub shines a much-needed light on the challenges facing our beleaguered (and burnt out) inner-city educators. There’s everything from lockdowns and school shootings, to Autistic children with a penchant for changing lives, to fighting 5th graders and discourteous kids dropping F-bombs, to Middle School girls with their own school-specific gang. Not to mention a sweet and sexy romance that’s fit for a Hallmark movie! Most of all, is our insightful protagonist’s (Eddie Cruz) ability to address all the brokenness with concrete solutions to fix them.
A must read for all High School students and K-12 educators everywhere!
Creators create, teachers teach and producers produce.
And when you’re all three, eventually you give birth to a modern-day Blues Clues show for kids called, Top 10 with Mr. B. That’s right, I LOVE educating and inspiring children of all ages, even the 59 year-olds like me!
So if you’re that BOLD, BRAVE and BRILLIANT children’s producer in search of the next great opportunity, be great to hear from you: info@richtola.com
As for everyone else, enjoy learning everything there is to know about rainbows and pandas and have fun with Mr. B…and get your workout in!
Today we’re talking about the best exercises anyone can do from head-to-toe using only dumbbells. And since the news is rather depressing this Wednesday when it comes to current events including President Biden’s approval rating and paltry school lunches, not to mention murder rates we haven’t seen since the 1990’s and homelessness and inflation on the rise, let’s focus on an easy and affordable daily fitness program that positively affects your 7 body parts: abs, shoulders, back, chest, triceps, biceps and legs. Plus three more steps to everlasting youth from my book, as well as some encouraging price moves from our beloved – and sometimes unbeloved – cryptocurrencies on Robinhood. Have an awesome day everyone…and get your workout in!
Today we’re having some fun with the Top 10 Phobias that have millions of Americans shaking in their boots. Because fear of anything including the number 13 is usually a bad thing that controls your mind, body and spirit. Especially in these fear-mongering Coronavirus times, everyone should – and must – face their fears head-on. Regardless of their origins, whether Biblical or pre-Christian or Babylonian times, phobias are real so we’re counting them down. Including two rather innocuous ones I just made up: Gymophobia and Yogaphobia. Fear of working out and fear of doing yoga…both of which you should never fear if you want to Drink from the Fountain of Youth. Like I do.
Today we’re talking about the 2021 US Capitol attack and crazy piranhas in Paraguay attacking humans; tennis champion Novak Djokovic being refused entry into Australia; more Los Angeles mask mandates even though they’re ineffective; crazy Texas trivia including it’s illegal to milk someone else’s cow; continued protests in Kazakhstan severely disrupting the Bitcoin mining industry amid more cryptocurrency price plunges; plus four more steps to Everlasting Youth as well as diet and fitness tips when you’re under the weather (like me today).
Today we’re talking about the military, political and social institutions of the Ancient Romans as well as the masterful proliferation of their beautiful culture and language and amazing architecture (especially the Coliseum). Are there lessons to be learned that can help us with this so-called “difficult situation” facing our society today? With overlapping mandates from the Federal government (military), individual states (health care workers) and the private sector (wth 100+ employees), is America and the 10,000 active duty Marines refusing the vaccine facing a “political purge” that can crush them like ants? Sad but true, but perception does become reality, just like I learned back in my Junk Bond selling days of the 1980s. Plus, some motivational talk about my 420 workout today – no, not pot – in addition to some more positive talk about the stock market and cryptocurrency returns over the past 12 months.
If anyone told you they walked 4,000 miles in the past 12 months you’d probably think they were crazy right? Because walking 4,000 miles is the equivalent to walking from the hot and sunny confines of The Valley of Los Angeles, California, to the balmy and tropical valley of Caracas, Venezuela. And yes, it’s totally possible as you can walk across the Panama Canal by way of a pedestrian walkway across the entrance of the locks of Gatun, so no worries if you want to follow my footsteps to get there. Figuratively speaking, that is.
Let me explain.
I didn’t actually pull a Forrest Gump and wake up one day and start walking south through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Columbia before arriving in the capital of Venezuela one year later. No, but wouldn’t that be cool. I actually walked the entire 4,000 miles throughout the streets of LA, from my home in Chinatown going back and forth to a plethora of neighborhoods including DTLA, South Park, the Arts District, Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights, Little Tokyo, Echo Park and yes, Dodger Stadium.
Walking the empty streets of LA during COVID (4,000 miles)
From June 1, 2020 until June 1, 2021, I walked between 10-12 miles every single day as part of my personal COVID relief. Or shall I say, personal COVID insanity prevention. Because when the lockdowns in LA were imposed back in March 2020 and all the gyms and yoga studios were closed, my daily walking meditations became my only savior. The longer the better, and mostly in perfect quietude with no human interaction whatsoever. Except for the occasional homeless person, who seemed even more surprised to see an even less occasional pedestrian. LA was like a veritable ghost town where I can honestly say I felt like the legendary actor Will Smith, aka US Army virologist Robert Neville, cruising the empty streets of Manhattan in the 2007 post-apocalyptic thriller, I Am Legend.
For anyone who knows me, you know that I can’t go a single freaking day without exercising in some form or another, e.g., weightlifting, Tola Yoga, stretching/abs. Good news is for as long as I can remember I was taught that your physical body, aka your temple, is the most important asset you’re ever going to possess in this world. And to respect your temple with a daily fitness program that keeps it vibrant and strong and injury-free, is paramount to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well as turning back the hands of time.
Something I’ve also been doing for the past 58 years. Drinking from the Fountain of Youth, that is, and yes, something that’s rather challenging to achieve – especially as you get older – but something anyone can do with the help of my 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth. Including Step 20 – Walk to Win, arguably the most important step of all because walking is a perfect source of aerobic exercise not to mention it does wonders for your brain.
That’s right, walking is great for your brain. Just this week the New York Times reported that “Exercise can freshen and renovate the white matter in our brains, potentially improving our ability to think and remember as we age, according to a new study of walking, dancing and brain matter. It shows that white matter, which connects and supports the cells in our brains, remodels itself when people become more physically active. In those who remain sedentary, on the other hand, white matter tends to fray and shrink.”
Fray and shrink just like everything else in our bodies with the help of good ole’ Father Time. Forgettaboutit! Don’t let the world’s most non-beloved Father get the best of you…get with the program now. Translation: start walking today. Or else stay seated and wait for your brain matter to wither away, and hopefully not before your temple does. And if you don’t care so much about improving or at least maintaining your ability to think and remember things as you age, then do it for your family. That’s right, start walking today and bring a loved one along so they can reap the amazing benefits of walking. You can even bring your dog Spot or cat Fluffy if none of your human friends desire to capitalize on such a great opportunity. I’m sure your pets won’t complain, and if they do, then pick them up and carry them for an even better workout.
Just remember to bring water. And if walking to improve your white brain matter doesn’t really matter to you, then maybe these “12 Benefits of Walking” as described by the Arthritis Foundation will motivate you (see arthritis.org):
Improve circulation
Shore up your bones
Enjoy a longer life
Lighten your mood
Lose weight
Strengthen muscles
Improve sleep
Support your joints
Improve your breath
Slow mental decline
Lower Alzheimer’s risk
Do more for longer
So there you have it, 12 more reasons to walk every single day of your life (or at least 3 times a week for 40 minutes). If you’re capable that is, because not everyone is fortunate enough to walk. But if you can, don’t deny your body, mind and spirit these amazing benefits by choosing a sedentary lifestyle that’s only going to shorten your stay on Planet Earth.
And by the way, in case you were wondering what it’s like to walk 4,000 miles in a 12 month period, let’s just say it may do wonders for your brain but it sure takes a toll on the physical body, especially the low back, hips and knees. But what’s interesting about the routine of walking nearly 100 miles a week is that once your body gets used to it, it’s not only easy to maintain but it almost becomes a daily obsession that you can’t do without. Even with all the aches and pains that come along with it, during and after.
Would I recommend walking that many miles in any given year? No. But I do recommend walking 1-2 miles a day for the rest of their life, no matter who you are. And if you need some help try this: walk out your front door and keep walking for exactly 15 minutes, at a brisk pace with good posture, then stop, turn around, and come back. Voila! 2 miles in about 30 minutes. You can do it, especially if you live in LA or Venezuela or anywhere with a beautiful climate. Or just brave the rain and snow like I did in Chicago and Seattle. But then again you might say it’s summertime in the northern hemisphere and just like DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince rapped back in Philly circa 1991, “Summer, summer, summertime, Time to sit back and unwind.”
No doubt unwinding can be a good thing, especially to decompress from our busy lives. But when it comes to your health, walking is something anyone can incorporate into their current lifestyle. And should incorporate, based upon all the goodness it brings. Especially in today’s new normal world of working from home, there should be ample opportunity in your day to lace’em up Rocky style and kick the bricks, as I like to say. I hope you do, your temple will love you for it.
Have an awesome summer everyone, and get your walking in! Peace – R
