Hey Empowered Fam! :) I was just in a call with @Arthur Maddocks-Brown in his group, where we talked about creating a Bucket List and I was inspired to share this with the group! He is running a Bucket List Challenge in his group (100 goals in 5 years)!! QUESTION: What are some of the things on YOUR bucket list? I would LOVE to hear about some of these! :) Aaaaaaaand...Because this is a group about inspiring and being inspired, empowering and being empowered, and living to our fullest potential (whatever that may look like) this is a great way to support/encourage each other along the way! Some additional info about bucket list, if you'd like it! :) ------------------------------- A bucket list is an intentional inventory of experiences, goals, and growth edges you want to tend to during your life. Since we never know when our time is up, it's helpful to start now. **Think of it less like a checklist and more like a map of who you want to become.Think about the values that you hold and how the items within the bucket list serve towards those values**** Most meaningful bucket lists have a few different “buckets” inside them: 1. Experiences (the classic stuff) These are the do the thing items. The things that expand your point of reference. -Travel to places that change your perspective -Try something that scares you a little (or a lot) -Attend or participate in something you once thought was “not for people like me” 2. Growth & Becoming This is where it gets deeper--identify your values; explore past hurts; who are you becoming? These items usually feel uncomfortable to write down because they require change, not just effort. -Learn a skill you’ve always avoided -Confront a pattern you keep repeating -Develop a trait you admire in others (patience, courage, empathy, integrity) . 3. Relationship & Connection A lot of people realize late that who they shared life with mattered more than what they did. i posted a short video a while back (I'll try to find it again) about how love/relationships is what matters most to people in the end of their life. :)

If you don't want to read the rest, that's okay, but I reeeeeeally wanna know who your alter ego is! How does it show up? Have you named it? Feel free to add a GIF or a picture to represent it or a comment to expand! :) :) For more, read below! -------------------------------------------------- A lot of people think of alter egos as costumes or a masquerade....something fake, exaggerated, or a hiding of some sort. Buuuuut, psychologically, they're often not that at all. An alter ego is usually a contained expression of a real part of the self, maybe one that doesn’t always feel safe, welcome, or effective in everyday life BUT may feel VERY effective in some circumstances... Alter egos are often created because different situations demand different capacities... Beyonce was the first person that came to mind for this--her alter ego "Sasha Fierce" (bold, fierce, commanding on stage) but there are other examples as well. The idea of courage without overthinking is attractive to me this year. ha. SOoooo much thinking. If you're hesitant, like I was, here's some reassurance..the problem isn’t having an alter ego, but rather having one that runs the show unconsciously. I almost think that "alter-ego" is a misnomer. When used intentionally, the alter ego can provide psychological distance during stress, reduce emotional overlaod by narrowing focus, help bypass fear, shame and people pleasing patterns and act as a bridge between values and action. Used unconsciously, it can become armor that's rigid, isolating, or self-erasing. But here's the thing....coming from someone that appreciates the IFS (internal family systems) model, I like the idea of integrating the different parts rather than having them be polarized/hidden. Being called upon with intention rather than being reactive and causing chaos.Maybe the 'shadow' side comes out when things are more reactive but ultimately, an alter ego would be part of the whole picture. :) An integrated self is a healthy self. Being able to move between states consciously is healthy. It's really about allowing more of the self to come out...intentionally.

I know that this was brought up recently, but it's becoming a cross community challenge, and I'd like to highlight it again in a different context!! :) @Arthur Maddocks-Brown and @Maxwell Riseman and I have been talking about introducing a Cross Community Challenge. (Thank you so much, Arthur, for bringing this (back) to life and creating a course/challenge out of it!!) You can join the calls here -- JOIN HERE -- Every 15th of the month for 24 hours (this way we can connect with others in Different communities) You can also find more information on the Challenge / Activity --> HERE: Honoring Letters of Hope & Origins This is your invitation to join the Letters Of Hope Legacy Challenge! Who wants to join?

You are invited to a Zoom meeting with @Bruno Militz on February 4, 2026, from 7pm to 8pm EST, featuring a guest speaker, Eric Martin, discussing the importance of relationships, consistency, and patience for achieving freedom. Eric has been Bruno's mentor for the past 8 years, has been running his own business for over 15 years, and is someone he deeply respects both professionally and personally. I don't know Eric personally, however, I respect Bruno and I trust that his recommendation is solid. :) On the call, Eric will be touching on • Playing the long game in business and life • How relationships compound over time • Staying consistent when results are not immediate • Why freedom is built slowly, not suddenly • Keeping an open mind and remaining a great student as you grow 🕖 02/04 (Wednesday) at 7 pm EST. 🔗 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5614515373?omn=85017240292 For those of you who have not met Bruno, he has amazing energy, is driven, and he is passionate about helping others grow--while also leading by example! I've appreciated our interactions and love how he shows up in the world. :) I absolutely have been appreciating his Monday Motivation videos/posts too :) You can find his group here :Personal Growth Skool

The OODA Loop I first heard about this acronym when taking a self defense class and it's something that's stuck with me--I may not always remember the acronym, but I do remember it in practice. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. That's it. It has some drawbacks but it's used in business, military, sports, self defense and other areas of decision making. OODA describes a cylcle where we observe what’s happening, orient by filtering it through experience and context, decide on a response, and act (then the loop repeats). Most missteps happen in the Orient phase. We have the tendency to rationalize red flags, freeze under social pressure, or default to familiar scripts. Type 1 thinking. Under stress, the brain narrows attention, distorts time, and favors habit over reason. If our orientation is off, every decision downstream is flawed and in some situations this can lead to not so great outcomes. In typical decision-making, improving OODA means challenging assumptions, noticing emotional reactions, and updating mental models instead of defending them. Better choices come from clearer perception. In high-stress contexts (self-defense, emergencies),threats exploit hesitation and confusion. Early recognition and decisive action (even something as simple as creating distance or leaving) can interrupt another person’s OODA loop and collapse their plan before it turns physical. When we encounter someone acting/planning to act with bad intent, they've already moved through parts of their OODA cycle and they are in the preaction phase. Our job is to be aware of potentials and interrupt this process. (vigilance/awareness is different than hypervigilance though--more on this below). OODA isn’t about being fearless or fast. It’s about being harder to manipulate, surprise, or trap psychologically. Whoever adapts first has better control of a moment. *******(A quick note: observation/orientation is NOT the same as hypervigilance)******** Awareness and hypervigilance can look similar as they both involve noticing what’s happening around us. Psychologically, though, they come from very different places and lead to very different outcomes. This is important because how we end up acting as a result matters.