Love What Matters’ Post

#FindingLove #DatingJourney #SelfDiscovery #PersonalGrowth Hey there! So, I've been reflecting on my journey and it kind of leads me to this question: Am I wasting my time trying to find love? Should I just let it go? Let me share a bit about me to give you some context: I'm a 30-year-old guy who’s come a long way from a troubled past. Grew up in a tough environment, faced bullying, and after a rough period, hit a weight of 410 lbs. Turned my life around, went to college, became a software engineer, and got my financial life sorted out! 💻💰 Lost 170 lbs and fell in love with the gym—this has truly been my passion this past year! 🏋️♂️ Still working on my smile and dealing with some hair loss issues, which I haven’t really focused on until now. Now, here’s the thing: I’m kind of behind when it comes to dating. I’ve only been on one date in my 30 years. 😳 While I want to put myself out there, I can’t shake the feeling that I might just not be “conventionally attractive.”... Is It Time to Stop Searching for Love After Life's Struggles? Answers:  https://lnkd.in/g5wks2gE Let's Connect! Have you faced similar challenges? Share your insights and exp...

The Best Thing Is to Know Who’s with You and Who’s Against You Life’s a funny thing. We go through it thinking everyone around us has our back, only to discover—sometimes the hard way—that’s not always the case. You see, the best thing you can do for yourself is to know who’s truly with you and who’s, well, not so much. Now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if people came with labels? “Loyal Friend,” “Fake Supporter,” “Only Here for the Free Snacks.” Sadly, life doesn’t work that way. But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. Spotting who’s on your team and who’s sitting on the bench, waiting to switch sides, is an art worth mastering. The truth is, everyone isn’t always cheering for you. Some folks are just waiting for you to trip so they can say, “I told you so.” But here’s the kicker: knowing this is actually empowering. It’s like getting a cheat code in a video game—you know who to trust and who to keep at arm’s length. And let’s be honest, sometimes knowing who’s not really with you is a blessing in disguise. You’re saving yourself from sitting through their endless boring stories or their so-called “comedy” that’s more cringe-worthy than funny. You know the type—the ones who think they’re hilarious when they’re really just serving up a plate of second-hand embarrassment. So, what’s the takeaway? Pay attention. Watch who claps when you win and who conveniently disappears when things get tough. It might sound a bit cynical, but it’s the reality. Knowing who’s with you and who’s against you isn’t just smart; it’s essential. And once you’ve figured that out, you’ll find life gets a whole lot simpler—and a lot less annoying. #LoyaltyMatters #FakeSupporters #TrueFriends #KnowYourCircle #LifeLessons #TrustWisely #SarcasticTruth #RealTalk #FriendshipGoals #ProtectYourPeace #ChooseWisely #seifelhakim

#Short_Story #Goal_setting The parents were worried about their 18-year-old son, who spent his nights out like Batman and had a questionable lifestyle. They were concerned about his future and decided to help him find a more meaningful path. A few days later, I met the boy and tried to connect with him: Me: Hi there! Boy: Hey. Me: Can I ask you something? Boy: Sure. Me: What's the difference between you and a cat going through the trash outside? Boy: A zillionthings. Me: Can you name one thing? Boy: I think. Me: Just like you, the cat thinks about what to eat and when etc. So, what else? The conversation continued... Our lighthearted conversation made the boy pause and reflect, leading to a change in how he viewed his life and future goals. Remember: Free time without goals can lead to big problems for young people. Free time + no goals = big problem

Don't forget: you can always choose not to care. Or you can tell them to go eat a bag of dicks. Lots of folk here talk about how someone said "This isn't facebook!" "This is a business platform, I'll have you know" "Is that outfit really appropriate?" or whatever. I mean, people say a lot of shit (especially bolstered by their keyboard warrior super powers). But here's the thing: you don't have to care. You don't have to give a crap. You can just let it wash over you like the sewage-filled South West Water off a duck's back. You can choose to not just rise above it, but disappear beyond it. You can also laugh in their face and tell them to go much on a bag of dicks or whatever tirade you fancy unleashing that day. They absolutely deserve it. And raging can be wholly therapeutic. Whichever approach you take, just make sure you're not letting it get to you. They're just cockwombles behind a screen somewhere and you're happily living your life. Before being here you never even knew they existed and you can happily go on existing without their dumb-as-mince comments ever giving your reason to pause. If you choose to do so.

How I tried to land a date with my first crush 😬 Even though 'high school me' would tell you otherwise, I wasn't the smoothest. I liked to think that I was 'cool' or had 'game', but really, I was above average awkward. I'd regularly pretend like I didn't see someone so they'd say hi first because I was to nervous to. I would always try to... Impress people Make myself seem interesting Be the version of myself I thought people wanted. Enter X (the name we'll go with for the crush) X was this beautiful girl from school that to me, was a perfect stranger. My approach? Wait until X comes to me. Right? That is what you do. Play hard to get. Make subtle eye contact. And eventually, they fall in love, right? Wrong. I waited and waited and waited. Nothing. "Is it me?" "Am I not approachable?" "She probably already has a boyfriend." I made up all of these stories in my head. None of which were true. I eventually built up the confidence to ask X on a date. To my surprise: she said yes! Even though the relationship was short lived and ended after a few dates, the point I'm making is this: You can't wait for things to come to you. You need to decide what you want and pursue it. How? Say hi to the crush. Start the project. Volunteer for the new role. Pursue the new career path. Confidence comes from the pursuit of things. Take a deep breath, say 'let's go' and go after goals you have. Your future self will thank you for it. Any fun first crush stories? DROP EM BELOW 👇🏼😉 #confidence #mindset #storytime

Our FRIEND circle changes as we MATURE because we start to separate what's REAL from what was just REAL FUN‼️Going out & Hanging out don't make you REAL FRIENDS. Growing up together & knowing each other 30 years Don’t make you friends. Even being family don’t make you friends It's the level of LOYALTY, CONSISTENCY, VALUES, DEPENDABILITY & SUPPORT that makes you FRIENDS. Alot of people hang out on a regular basis but can't count on each other when you need them the MOST. So understand it’s nothing personal sometimes you outgrow your old interests & people. Dont let history dictate your growing process, you are not acting funny YOU HAVE ELEVATED to the reality & perspective of what a friend is💯‼️

DADDY!!! Imagine coming home from a tough day at the office... ... opening the door and being tuckled (tickle/cuddled) by love. That's my joy at the end of each day - and it is by design. When my twins were four years old, I'd playfully say, "Run and give Daddy a hug!" and they'd giggle and do it. Now, at 7, it's a full-blown game – who can hug daddy first? This simple act creates a powerful connection and makes me truly excited to see them. So, when I'm on my way home, the first thing I think about is their waiting hugs. Work stress and frustrations fade away. There are certain things, even for a hugely successful CEO, that I wouldn't trade for a billion-dollar company. This - the joy of my kids' hugs - is one of them. In fact, people who visit us often comment, "Wow, I wish my kids did that!" My response? like most things in my life, this too is by design. Here's how you can do it too: When you come home, be genuinely thrilled to see them and celebrate their hugs. Here's the secret: Don't force it. Turn it into a fun game. Show genuine excitement when they hug you. Suddenly, you'll find yourself blessed with daily hugs – a simple act that brings immense joy.

When I became a single father, I felt like my legacy was shattered. Everything I envisioned for my role as a father seemed out of reach. I doubted whether I could ever regain what was lost. Faced with this reality, I focused on improving the connections I had with my daughters. Initially fractured, these relationships were rebuilt slowly over time. Past wounds were healed. And we laid the foundation for a stronger, more resilient family unit. But this started with me looking in the mirror realizing I needed to change myself. Here’s how I did it: I embraced taking ownership of the situation. This is where the transformation started. → Never making excuses → Never blaming others for my circumstances → Always taking responsibility for my actions and decisions I committed to growth. → Finding areas where I could improve → Viewing challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement → Making decisions based on the growth and development of my family Then, I thought about my legacy. What type of an impact did I want to have on my daughters? Consider the legacy you want to leave for your children. → What moments do you want to create? → What values do you want them to adopt? → How do you want them to remember you? Think beyond your career achievements and financial success. You have an opportunity rewrite your family's story. Ready for help with that? DM me “DAD” for details on The Thriving Dad Project. There are only 10 spots available. The doors open to the public next week. But you can beat the rush and come in early today.

“Nobody cares.” And I know it sounds cynical but in reality - it’s mostly true. It’s something that I’ve come to learn over the years… You see ↴ Everybody is just so consumed and focused on their own goals and problems that... They are not thinking about you. ’Nobody cares’ is an attitude that encourages you to do more and risk more. Because even if you fail? No one will care. We can use this phrase to remind ourselves to just go for it. - Reach out. - Get out of your comfort zone. - Do something new and different. Show up and be more, especially when you feel uncertain. Because outside, only a very select group of people care about you. And even if things don’t go to plan… nobody is going to care. —— Anyone recognize the movie? ⤵️

🛠️ Dad Hack #41: Plan On 5 Things Going Wrong "𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦." - Vince Lombardi "𝘋𝘢𝘥, 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯!" - my son, referring to my other son, in the movie theater bathroom. --- Expect perfection and you'll always be disappointed. Our best days are when we can roll with the punches and adapt to whatever life throws at us. It begins small: -a kid not eating all of their food -arguments about who is taking the garbage out and then it escalates: -the dog eats the unattended food -the garbage bag bottom falls out and spills Frustration builds Tempers flair 🚨E 🚨🔥S 🚨🔥⚠️C 🚨🔥⚠️⏳A 🚨🔥⚠️⏳⏰ L 🚨🔥⚠️⏳⏰🆘 A 🚨🔥⚠️⏳⏰🆘📢 T 🚨🔥⚠️⏳⏰🆘📢❗I 🚨🔥⚠️⏳⏰🆘📢❗🚀 O 🚨🔥⚠️⏳⏰🆘📢❗🚀🏃♂️ N! And pretty soon you're in a real-life Lord of the Flies, just praying that you aren't "Piggy." Or maybe you've said some things that you will regret later. How do we get better? Acceptance of reality. If you have kids, assume five things will go "wrong" each day. Because having a plan is better than expecting the impossible. (and if you have more than one kid, add 3 potential issues for each kid and then multiply by 1.26). -They won't eat all their food. -Homework won't get done. -Something will break. -Kids will talk back -They will argue. And that's OK. It's how we react to the situation - and how we can model that a cool head can prevail. Don't parent according to the situation you wish you had - parent where you are at, and who you have. And if anyone portrays themselves as having it all together, remember - you are only seeing what they want you to see! Oh - what happens when 𝘴𝘪𝘹 things go wrong? You're on your own for that one! #DadHacks #NeverPerfect #PleaseCleanYourselfOff — How do you accept yourself, others, and your situation?