Marcus Lopés

LGTBQIA2S+ Author, Blogger, Runner

change your life

Becoming Relentless

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RELENTLESS

There are some books that you read over and over again. Because each read-through lets you discover new gems that had been left buried. Sometimes those new discoveries lead to an ‘aha’ moment. You get it. Finally. Other times, what you actually experience is an ‘oh, shit!’ moment. Your kidneys dropkick your intestines because you get it, all right. The author is speaking directly to you. They know your darkest secret, and now you’re paranoid they’re just waiting to expose it to the world.

A Book that Changes Everything

One book that I have read, and reread, and pulled out again for the fifth time (I think) over the weekend is Tim Grover’s Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable. Because no matter how hard I try, I fall back into old habits that keep me stuck. Not all old habits, just the most destructive. [Read more…] about Becoming Relentless

Letting Go of the Things that Don’t Serve Us

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In these early weeks of 2023, I am thinking about how to fix my life. Not everything. Or at least not everything at once. But the one or two (possibly three) bad habits that are holding me back. If I want to stop feeling stuck, and stop focusing on the past, I need to become — as Mark Manson puts it — ‘future-obsessed.’ This is a first step in letting go of the things that don’t serve us.

If you are able to think then you are able to make different choices. If you are able to make different choices, you are able to improve. If you are able to improve, with enough time, you are able to overcome anything. – Mark Mason [Read more…] about Letting Go of the Things that Don’t Serve Us

A Lesson from ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’

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I first read Mark Manson’s book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, last year. It was one of those books that I added to my To Be Reread list. Sometimes a book has too much to unpack, and I have to go back and reread it a second or third time to take it all in.

I started rereading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck this past Tuesday on my way to work, a way for me to make good use of my commute time.

‘Not Giving a Fuck’ Ain’t Easy

not give a fuckAs much as I want to, and as much as I try to convince myself that I’m good at not giving a fuck, in reality I suck at it.. I know I need to be more selective about the things I should care about, because there are a lot of small things that piss me off. Like people walking against the flow of [pedestrian] traffic. The people who place their bags on the seat next to them on a crowded subway. Others who play music on their phone or have their conversations on speaker and think we share their taste in music or have any interest in what they’re talking about.

I turn the volume up on my headphones so that I drown out the world around me, which allows me to — temporarily — not give a fuck. [Read more…] about A Lesson from ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’

Taking Time to Rest

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About a week ago, I just stopped posting to social media. No warning. It wasn’t planned like some of my earlier off-the-grid exploits. There was just this urgent need to disconnect. And for the seven days that followed, I kept my phone off. (If there had been any type of emergency, I could have been reached through e-mail, which I was still checking sporadically.) When I rejoined the world, there were several messages across different social media platforms from people wondering if I was okay. I was fine. And my time out reminded me of something I’ve always struggled with: the art of rest. [Read more…] about Taking Time to Rest

Take Positions for Takeoff – Part II: Be Ready for Anything

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In my last blog post, ‘From Chaos to Possibility’ (Part I of my series, Take Positions for Takeoff), I talked about the initial impact of COVID-19 on my life. Now, let’s enter the real world of being a flight attendant with Part II: Be Ready for Anything.

A Glamorous Life…

Some people think that being a flight attendant is glamorous. I thought that, too. Until I became one. It looks glamorous. And your followers on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram will ooh and aah as you post photos of yourself in Hong Kong one week, then London or Paris the next. That’s kind of where the glamour ends. Well, sort of.

Because they didn’t see you, tired and battered from jet lag, dealing with the idiot complaining it took too long to start the meal service when you (like the rest of the passengers) were seated during the first hour of the flight due to moderate turbulence. They didn’t see you, at 37,000 feet above the earth, performing first aid on a passenger who just passed out when the jerk in 37H came up to you and asked, “Could I get another red wine?” They didn’t see you, holding in your own fear and remaining calm to reassure passengers, as you prepared to evacuate the aircraft. No, they didn’t see you living out your mantra: Be Ready for Anything. [Read more…] about Take Positions for Takeoff – Part II: Be Ready for Anything