Author Archives: Brandon Cook

How to Make Wooden Push-Up Bars in 10 Easy Steps

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“Push-ups, sit-ups, and a strict diet of raisins. That’s my plan!” – Jack Black

Alright ladies and gents, all joking aside… I had an idea to do a series of blog posts on how to make your own workout equipment! This weekend, I made some wooden push-up bars out of leftover scrap wood and thought you might like to know how to make yourself a pair.

If you plan to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential, you’ve gots to keep pushing on and pushing up!!! 😉

I’m breaking this down into 10 Easy Steps and if you follow the plan closely, by the end, you will wind up with your very own, high quality push-up bars for little to no moolah. In fact, the ones featured above cost me absolutely nothing since I had the scrap wood and all of the materials on hand.

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

Deconstructing the Illusion of Time

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time, but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time – past and future – the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.” – Eckhart Tolle

When we think of time we think of clocks ticking, alarm bells ringing, the sand draining from an hour glass, the sun setting and rising again the next day. We think back into our memories of the past and how far we’ve come. We dream of who or what or where we’ll be in the future.

We think of the history of our country, our civilization, of humanity, the planet and our ever evolving and changing universe. We think of Einstein and his theory of relativity. We think of the space-time continuum, time travel, and the movie Back to the Future! Yet, what is this phantom we call time?

Do we really have a past and a future… or just memories and aspirations of what was and potentially could be?

Is it a real, scientific phenomenon to be respected or just a fleeting delusion and construct of the human brain?

Inquiring minds want to know…

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

Drop Your Pebble in the Pond of the Universe

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“When you drop a pebble into a pond, ripples spread out, changing all the water in the pool. The ripples hit the shore and rebound, bumping into one another, breaking each other apart. In some small way, the pond is never the same again.” – Neal Shusterman

The pebble in the pond story is just a metaphor about you finding and discovering your true and higher purpose in life. More importantly, it is about the impact that you’re going to make on society when you summon the courage to drop your pebble into the pond.

How far will the ripples of your life’s mission expand throughout the pond of the universe?

How many people will be inspired, touched, and changed for the better because you existed?

How will the world be different after you’ve shared your talents and gifts with us all?

No matter where you are in your life right now, you have deeper purpose and a latent potential that only you can fulfill. It’s up to you to figure out what that is!

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

Awakening to the Divine Within and Recognizing it in Others

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“I looked in temples, churches & mosques. But I found the Divine within my Heart.” – Rumi

In order to change the world, we must first focus on changing ourselves. The current state of our world is just the collective reflection of everyone in it. You can’t change or control the actions of other people… you can only change or control your own behavior. So one should ultimately focus on that.

Do you see the world and our universe as a friendly place, that is supporting and nurturing you… or as a hostile one, that is condemning and hindering you?

That’s a choice of perception that will ultimately color every aspect and experience of your life. Start looking for the divine within your own heart! Once you get a glimpse of it, start learning to recognize it others; Not only within your own friends and family, yet within your perceived enemies as well.

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

Give Up All of Your Excuses, Live Your Dream Now or DIE!!!

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“It is better to risk starving to death then surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?”
– Jim Carrey

Imagine with me, if you will, that a major pandemic outbreak is rapidly and fiercely spreading throughout the entire world. It’s an airborne pathogen, that has become known as Epidemic Z. A large percentage of the global population has been infected and the virus shows no signs of being contained any time soon.

People are dropping like flies all around you and once you are infected you only have 24 hours to live! The worst part is that you are starting to show some of the symptoms and are afraid you may have contracted the virus.

In a panic, you lock yourself inside of your home and quarantine yourself from the rest of the world. As you desperately pray for a solution or cure for this deadly virus, you’re startled by the loud, shrieking beep alerting you to the radio broadcast message that is about to air.

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

You MUST Be Willing to Pay the Price of Victory

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar
 “Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it’s price.” – Sun Tzu

After attending the awesome Victory Motorcycle ride this past weekend, I started to think a lot about VICTORY. Not only victory, but the high price of victory…. and I’m NOT merely referring to the cost of the sweet bikes you’ll see featured in this article…

What I’m talking ’bout is the price we have to pay to be victorious in life!

We all want to live the dream; to be successful in every aspect of our lives. We all want the beautiful, loving wife or strong, loyal husband, the luxurious home, the sweet, pimped out ride and the lean, hard physique of an awakened warrior or goddess.

We ALL want it (or some version of it)… yet only a small percentage of us will ever make it our reality!

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

My Dog Died Today (Rest in Peace Baby Soma)

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“What we have loved and enjoyed, we can never lose… all that we love deeply, becomes a part of us.”
– Helen Keller

My dog died today when I made the final decision to put her down. It was a tough decision for me… and at first, I had high hopes that she might recover from what I hoped was just a cold or infection.

Although, after a few vet trips, blood test and the seriousness of her symptoms – it became imminently clear that Soma was in a lot of pain and wasn’t going to make it.

It was her time to go and my time to let her go!

Once I realized this it became a lot easier for me to make the call and take her to the emergency vet to put an end to her suffering. Even then, saying goodbye to my sweet, baby Soma was a lot harder than I ever imagined it would be.

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

3 Enlightening Health Benefits of Hiking and Being in Nature

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” – Edward Abbey

As I started out on the trail, slivers of the sun shone through the tall, almost naked trees. I peered out across the calm, stillness of the lake as it glistened in the fading warmth of the autumn sun.

My two dogs, oblivious to the magic of this all, were more interested in the smells recently left at the base of a near oak tree. 😆

Suddenly, I knew this was a special moment…. a moment that needed to be captured and remembered on film. As I took out my now obsolete iPhone 3Gs, I wondered…

Why? What made this moment any more special than the other hundred hikes I’ve had around this very same lake on this very same trail?

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

America’s First Motorcycle and the Indian Demo Ride

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“The connection to place, to the land, the wind, the sun, stars, the moon… it sounds romantic, but it’s true – the visceral experience of motion, of moving through time on some amazing machine – a few cars touch on it, but not too many compared to motorcycles. I always felt that any motorcycle journey was special.”– Antoine Predock

There’s nothing like firing up your bike on a warm, sunny day! Cruising down the back country roads under a Carolina blue sky, amongst the lush trees, farmlands and green pastures… it’s both an exhilarating and yet, mind centering experience.

You become fully present as you seek to tame and control the mechanistic beast you’re riding. Your grip tightening as you accelerate into the rush and resistance of the wind.

The world of problems and mundanity forever behind you; Leaning into the corners and hearing the sound of the engine thundering out of the exhaust pipes as you roll onto the throttle… is all that matters now.

It’s AWESOME, broseph! And that’s why Cory and I jumped at the chance, when a good friend of ours invited us to go check out the Indian Demo ride in Greensboro, North Cackalacky.

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...

Give Yourself Permission to Live Life Full Out!

Awakened Warriors Posted on by avatar

“Don’t look to society to give you permission to be yourself.”
– Dr. Steve Maraboli

Most of us are waiting for someone to give us permission to live our lives. We’re waiting for someone to tell us it’s okay to be ourselves.

We’re waiting for our internal “mommy” and “daddy” to give us their metaphoric nod of approval.

Whether it’s our figurative or literal parents or any of the other prominent men and women in our lives…. so many of us are waiting for their acceptance, their agreement, and their RED Rubber Stamp of Approval in life.

Read on to Unleash Your Ultimate Potential...