October 2nd.
I awoke rested and thankful. Upon rising, I immediately moved into my daily prayer, thanking my Father for all He continues to do for me.
Nothing is too small for thankfulness. Health and a sound mind immediately come to mind. I won’t list everything I said, but I believe prayer should be a conversation where, for a few minutes, nothing else matters. All your thoughts go to who you believe in. Feeling is important in this sense, and you might already know this.
Now it’s time to start my day.
I get some cleaning out of the way. Dishes and some light straightening up. I prepare my shake bottle with creatine and cold water and set it in the fridge.
I haven’t had granola in a while. My cereal of choice, maple pecan, is my favorite, so I pour a bowl, add some chopped walnuts, and, if you follow my writings, some ice-cold soy milk. Unsweetened (smiles).
I turn on a YouTube video and indulge in the latest AI news.
As I eat, I can’t help but think: When was the last time I slowed down and actually enjoyed breakfast?
It’s a small thing, and as I’m still learning, sometimes we need to hear those words: “Slow down.”
I finish up and get my gym things together.
Today is PERFORMANCE | FORCE, which is basically my Friday workout, consisting of bench press, rows, shoulder press, dips, and leg press.
I’m going for 3 × 5 at around 225 lbs on bench. I haven’t lifted in this range in almost a month after being out of the gym for some 30+ days.
Anywho, I’m ready. I toss in my headphones, and I’m out the door.
What a beautiful, warm day in San Francisco. Many people are out. The chatter of all the different people here is always a scene you have to see and hear.
I walk to my stop, notice the bus is seven minutes out, and say to myself, “I’ll walk today.”
The weather is nice, and I could use the extra steps.
On my walk, I observe my thoughts and the many buildings I pass. So many faces and expressions. I’m thinking about my session, locking in my gym posture, and really, I’m just happy.
I smile as I’m walking, listening to my music. Before I know it, I’ve reached the gym.
Now, my first and usual thing to do when I enter is get in a mode, but today I just kept it free.
I stretch and foam roll, and I’m ready for my first exercise: bench press.
All the stations are taken, so I sit for a while until one frees up. After a few minutes, I do something I usually don’t do.
I ask the guy near me if he minds me working in with him, as he’s also lifting 225.
“How many sets?” I ask.
“Three.”
“I’m doing three also.”
Now, that’s nothing big, but it’s out of my norm, which is why I bring it up. I usually just wait for people to wrap up.
He finishes his reps, and I move under the bar next.
My prescription for this lift is three sets of five reps, but once I lower the bar and record that first rep, something switches.
A surge of energy and strength floods in.
10 reps.
Next set, 10 reps.
My final set, 10 reps.
Not only do I surprise myself, but the young man watching me is impressed, too.
We talk for a few minutes. I ask him about his goals and how long he’s been lifting. We exchange good conversation for maybe 10 minutes or so.
Steve, if you’re reading this, thanks for chatting with me, and I know you’ll hit the target.
Thirty reps, I think to myself as I’m walking away.
Tip, you are coming back strong.
I head back, where I meet another young man. I work in a lift with him, and we chat.
Prince, I wish you all that you’re coming for. The work continues.
49 minutes, and I’m done. Feeling good. Shoulders, back, and chest tight, but I’m all smiles.
I decide to head to my local Trader Joe’s and pick up a few things. The banana almond shake there is delicious, so I grab a few of those.
On my way back home, I can’t help but think:
Things were different today, and they were different because I thought differently and did different things.
I get in, put my things away, and get started on one of my projects.
Tests pass, the infrastructure is built and working! I’m excited about another piece of the puzzle falling into place.
I then shift to some security work. Cloudflare is a lot to take in, but I’m patient and tighten things up.
I bounce between screens, apps, and agents, but now it’s all done.
What I like most about being a developer is that I’m responsible for the frontend and the backend, and you have to learn how things work.
AI helps, but you should be learning how certain things work, too.
I’ve now spent the last 45 minutes writing this.
What a day.
I still need to find food. It’s Friday, so I’ll get out of the house and hit the street (smiles).
Thanks for stopping by, and make sure you come back tomorrow.
It’s been a pleasure to sit and type this out.
Anyway, smile. Hard times don’t last always.
— Tip