Other than the love you have for your family/friends etc, if you thought deeply, what are some of your greatest appreciations in this world?

This year, my greatest appreciation goes towards my health.

I have essentially cured the life long struggles I have had with my autoimmune issues.

And I am certain I will cure the disease all together and live a completely different life.... for the rest of my life.

For those that are new to this list, I spent my whole life running to bathrooms, and in my early 20's, I unfortunately started shitting blood rather frequently.

30 years spent of pain and annoyance.

And even worse, the fear that I would die young of colon cancer like my aunt did, or go mentally crazy because I hated myself and my body a lot of the time.

Those years taught me the most important lessons though, so I will never regret them.

They also forced me to realize how every day needs to be lived with intention because we never know when our time will come. Because of this, I became aware that wasting time on drama, negative people/places, and anything that causes you bad stress... is never worth it. Life is too fucking short to live it in a negative state!

My second greatest appreciation of this year goes to my wife Erin, and not in a cliche way. Beyond being my significant other, she acts as a dear friend to me who is/was patient beyond belief with all the different things I have tried over the years to become better. Hell, since 2015 we have tried hundreds of different foods, supplements, routines, and everything in between.... to no avail. Not once has she shown frustration towards my health. And for that I am extremely grateful.

So what does this new version of me look like?

I haven't had even a sip of alcohol since August (I went hard on Erin's 30th, we threw an awesome pool party so I indulged).

I "fast" practically every single day. Food used to control me, now I could go days without it if I had to.

I meditate every day and can sit still for long periods of times if I need to. This used to be "impossible" to me.

I focus on sleeping 8-9 hours a day, rather than the 6-7hrs I used to get.

I no longer smoke weed every day to "relax" and help my muscle/mind recover.

I take vitamins that support my liver, gut, adrenals, mitochondria, heart/lungs and immune system (metabolic health) EVERY SINGLE DAY. I am currently working with MSW Nutrition on creating a "THRIVE" stack to help other people with this too.

I get bi-annual blood work to make sure I am on the path to continuous progress.

I do my best to get a weekly vitamin IV with NAD+ to help with muscle recovery, metabolic recovery, and to help with overall life longevity. This is a hell of a lot more expensive than smoking weed, but my brain is very thankful for it.

All in all...

The new version of me PUTS ME FIRST.

My health > everything.

If something could have a long term negative impact on my health, I won't do it.

Whether that is a substance, a person, a project, or a business.... I don't have time to waste.

And here's a fact, NEITHER DO YOU!

Life is precious.

And I want to THRIVE as much as I can... while I can.

Hopefully, I am inspiring you and others to make the same choice.

Why just survive when you can THRIVE?

#thriveon

CJ

p.s. today I am grateful for my persistence. Even through all the doctors that failed me, and failed attempts by myself, I did not give up... nor will I ever give up to fight for better ways of living for myself and those around me.