The Road, Voodoo, and the Romanian Deadlift.

Confused?

Good, it’ll all make sense in a moment.

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These are what I call the anchors of truth.

My truth.

Over the years, they have become anchors in my personal journey.

They are what I come back to, to remind myself of who I am.

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So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

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The Road

'The Road' is Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer-winning novel about a father traveling a post-apocalyptic world with his son.

The story is powerful, but that's only half of it.

The other half is about writing style—stark, minimalist, and hauntingly poetic.

It is the most beautiful, masculine expression of a fatherly love towards his son.

How he protects him, communicates with him, builds his character, and instills values in him in this brutal, nihilistic world.

It shook me to my core.

It’s changed how I see my role as a father and as a man.

It took my relationship with my son to a whole new level.

It left me with zero doubt about what my priorities are.

Voodoo

D’Angelo’s 2000 funky, neo-soul masterpiece of an album has changed the way I experience music forever.

Recorded in Electric Lady Studios by an amazing collective of musicians, it sounds like an unstructured yet meticulously crafted, hypnotic, smoke-filled, sexy jam session (check out the bassline in 'Chicken Grease').

Here’s what Eric Clapton had to say about it (6:08): “I can’t take much more. Is it all like this? God…”

It’s incredible.

It was with me when I had to walk to college for 2 hours because I couldn’t afford a bus ticket.

It played in the background when I made love to some of the amazing women I’ve met.

It was with me when I got back on my feet and started doing what I love for a living.

It’s part of me.

I’m now introducing it to my 6 y/o son, and he’s digging it too.

The Romanian Deadlift

You already know I love lifting weights.

But this lift, in particular, has a special place in my heart.

I introduced to my program when my dad saw me a few month into my training and said, “Dude, you look great but your ass looks kinda flat.”

It was all the fuel I needed.

RDL has been my go-to for all things glute-, hamstring-, and spinal erectors-related.

Turned out I have good leverages for it too—long arms—so I excel at it.

It’s just one of those lifts that keeps going up and up.

And it has everything I love—it involves multiple muscle groups and requires skill, coordination, and focus.

So every time I do it, it’s a meditative experience and a chance to beat my previous record.

It wakes up the beast.

Right when I’m about to hit it, everything in the gym becomes quiet and nothing can fuck with my focus.

Oh, and my ass ain’t flat anymore.

Listen, there are other exercises I enjoy, great books I’ve read, and incredible albums I’ve listened to.

But these three symbolize something.

They symbolize struggle, resilience, transformation, and love.

And they’ve been with me through it all.

So whenever I get stuck, I go here to remind myself of who I am.

3 anchors of my truth.

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What about you?

What is your truth?

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