Breathe: A Life in Flow

"With kids, you have to accept the fact that you are not in control of their outcomes. You plant the seeds and nurture them as best you can, but at a certain point, you have to let go. No matter how much knowledge, love, money, or advice you give them, they will fly once their own wings are strong enough. Then they will chart their own courses through life. A father must accept his children for who they are, not who he would like them to be."

"This fight exposed me to the most primal kind of fear that comes from within. My insecure state of mind came from the fear of losing. If you fear something that has not even happened, then quitting becomes a form of self-protection. Fear is not the enemy; it’s simply a self-protection mechanism that must be managed."

"Parents should never burden their kids with their unfulfilled ambitions, frustrations, anxiety, or any other form of emotional baggage. The parents’ support must be consistent. The most important thing is that the child gets the experience—win, lose, or draw—without judgment."

"My dad believed that if your mind and will are not strong, you’ll spend your entire life getting carried away by your desires and weaknesses. You’ll spend your whole life paying for things you don’t want."

"Jiu Jitsu is much more fluid than Judo or Karate and requires patience, not just aggression, and forces students to develop strategies to find comfort in uncomfortable situations."

"Mike Tyson put it best when he said that social media has made people “way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it.”"

"I eventually learned that the capacity to accept anything, especially death, was the key to my physical, mental, and spiritual growth."