Tag: Gratitude

Pain Pills Almost Killed Me

I’m alive because of my BMX bike. The pain pills doctors kept feeding me almost killed me. A crash, leading to an MRI, saved my life and revealed a brain tumor taking up almost half my brain. I was then rushed to Duke for surgery to remove the meningioma brain tumor. My neurosurgeon said I had kept taking, or avoiding pain pills because they make me sick, rather than treating the underlying cause (brain tumor), I would not have woken up one day.

It’s crazy how it literally took a crash for them to scan my brain and see I wasn’t making shit up. They kept saying “no, you don’t need a scan. Headaches are just something people live with and it’s very common.I am going to prescribe you pain pills.” Then society acts like there is this huge opioid epidemic. True, but it’s created from doctors hiding behind their ego rather than helping patients. Goes without saying but not all doctors. Voicing this concern has led me to doctors that believe what I believe and truly care to take the extra step to help their patients.

Pain pills are never the cure. 💚✌️

 

-Josh P.

Fall In Love With Your Life

I am in love with the life I live, and I work hard for it. More importantly, I believe it’s possible. If you have a dream, get it! Believe in yourself and surround yourself with others that believe in you. Build your tribe of like-minded people and fill it with love, gratitude, and possibilities. Don’t ever listen to anyone that says “no” or “it’s not possible”.

If you don’t have anyone that supports your dreams, you have me. I believe in all of you. I was told “no”, “that’s not possible”, and “you’re not gonna be successful with that choice of a life”. I took that and fueled my fire of determination. Not to necessarily prove them wrong but to prove to myself I can do what I believe.

Our thoughts become our reality, both positive and negative. You can’t just think it for it to come true, though. You gotta take action and do things you’re uncomfortable with.

I’ve been practicing that more and more lately and oh my! The people I’ve attracted to my life, the places I’ve seen, the opportunities that have presented themselves to me, and the experiences I’ve been a part of are truly eye opening to my previous sentence.

Follow your heart, stay humble, share love and gratitude, and don’t ever give up!

Embrace The Journey

“Perhaps the real treasure isn’t waiting for us at the end of the road, but rather, is comprised of the experiences we have as we travel the road itself.” 

Life is a journey and full of experiences that teach us things if we let it, and shape our perspectives and personalities. Rather than focus on a “destination” you’re trying to reach, I challenge you to live in gratitude for the life you already have and be grateful for each chapter of your life as it unfolds. 

We determine what’s “good” and what’s “bad” as human beings. What if every experience was looked at as good and a learning experience and we shared gratitude for said experience? 

We literally choose what we think and life can be a lot brighter if we think positive and live with love & gratitude. 

1 Year ACL Post-Op

About a year ago (November 10th, 2016) I had my knee operated on for an injury report consisting of 10 issues, 2 of which were ACL/Meniscus tears. I’m grateful for the experience because it taught me a lot about myself and fitness, fueled my drive to beat the odds and return better than before, and allowed me to acquire a new perspective on my life and the path I want to take.

-Josh P.

Find Your Purpose

People ask me is s brain tumor diagnosis was the worst thing to happen to me. One may think so but to me, no way. It’s the best thing to happen to me! It opened my mind to be conscious of my life decisions and how they impacted my health. I have now made over my life to an organic, holistic diet and lifestyle. 

I used to ride for myself. I now ride for myself as well as those suffering or who have suffered from a brain tumor, brain injury or any other brain disorder. 

I ride because I love it, it’s my escape from negativity in my life, it’s my form of meditation and creativity, I’m fortunate enough to be able to ride and live my dream, and nowadays I ride to be a symbol that you can achieve success when you get knocked down in life. 

We are not defined by our past, mistakes, failures, the times we fell down, or what others think of us. We’re defined by our actions in this current moment in time and who we decide to be, as well as help along the way. A great leader inspires action/change, which is my goal. To get you inspired and motivated to achieve your goals, live your dreams, adopt healthy habits, love your brain, and live the life you dreamed of.

-Josh P.

Men’s Health Q&A

How Do You Stay Fit And Healthy? Why Is It Important To You?

I stay fit and healthy by eating only the cleanest, organic and most beneficial foods to benefit my body, mind and health goals. This is reinforced by staying physically active on a daily basis, keeping a positive mindset no matter what life throws my way, living in an abundance of love and light and by dreaming big. The most important things to me in life are my health, happiness, family and friends, and my BMX bike riding.

What’s The Most Significant Challenge You Have Overcome In Your Life?

The most significant challenge I have had to face was overcoming 3 brain tumors, 2 separate times at the ages of 21 and 23. I still live every day with 2 tumors in my skull, but receive regular scans to ensure that they aren’t posing any additional risks. I refuse to let them stop me from enjoying my life to the fullest and doing what I love!

How Do You Give Back To Your Community/Friends/Family?

I give back to my community, friends, and family by openly sharing my experiences and what I have learned along the way. I am always reaching out as a support system and love sharing tips on how to eat well, become physically fit, think positively and dream big! I use my social media channels as a way to help inspire and motivate others to make changes in their day-to-day lives that will hopefully have a positive affect their health and overall well-being.

How Do You Measure Success—And How Have You Achieved It?

I measure success by happiness, health and the amount of effort required to achieve the two. No amount of money or materials can trump health and happiness. Personally, I believe I have achieved my view of success by overcoming several brain tumors and becoming the healthiest and happiest version of myself I have ever been. Professionally, I’ve been extremely fortunate to compete professionally in BMX with some of the best riders across the globe. That being said, I am always striving to improve myself and help others even more.

What’s The Best Advice You Have Ever Received?

The best advice I have ever received is that happiness comes from dreaming big, flying high and doing what you love. An important part of this is to always follow what my gut and heart tell me to do and let the rest follow naturally. I live by this advice.

-Josh P.

Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover

We have all been told this or we have all heard this at some point in our lives.  But do we really practice this outside of book covers?  I have found myself practicing this more and more in my day-to-day as the years go by.  I once was really closed minded and never thought there was a story behind the rude person at the store, the sad lonely person at school, or the quite shy kid at the action sports park.

I have come to realize we all have a story, some good and some bad.  Either way, our stories are what make us unique as an individual and what has shaped us into becoming who we are today.  We shouldn’t be ashamed of our story, we should embrace our story and use it to become the best version of ourselves as we possibly can.

You may think you know what’s going on based on your own perspective or information gathered, but this doesn’t make your opinion correct.  Let go of stubborn, ignorant judgments and open your mind and heart to realizing you’ll never know the whole story of another human being.

That’s what Daily Brainstorms is all about, sharing stories with the world to inspire and motivate others in their lives.  Not only have I, my mom, and other people shown tremendous courage, we have overcome unfathomable adversity with the drive to live life and do what we love.  My story is just the beginning of what’s to come with Daily Brainstorms.

Next time you find yourself criticizing or judging someone else, just remember we all have a story as to what makes us stand apart and what makes us unique.  Instead of making your own judgments, why don’t you ask them how they are doing or if they need a hand with something or a friend to talk to.  You may find this very rewarding and surprising.

Less judgments and more open mindedness and love.

-Josh P.