Listen to the Chiseled Podcast: For People Who Are a Work in Progress

I realize that I’ve not been keeping up with blogs on this site and admittedly I am stretched pretty thin right now.

The real estate game is always a challenge and 2021 was The Commodari Group’s best year yet, but my true pleasure in the past year has been working on Chiseled , the podcast that I produce at Anchor.fm and which is available on a bunch of streaming channels. If you like podcasts, there’s probably one just for you in the list below.

iTunes | Spotify | Anchor FM | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker

The podcasts have been fantastic if I do say so myself. I’ve talked to so many inspiring people, people who have been through incredible challenges and are persevering and still becoming the best versions of themselves in after adversity and tragedy.

This list of speakers is growing, but here are some amazing people I’ve talked to so far: Charles K. Hopkins, who went to prison for 48 years after murdering an off-duty police officer; Ben Andrews, who was falsely accused of a heinous crime and nearly ended up in prison; Brent Gove, who went bankrupt and now is one of the top real estate agents in the country; James Sharp, who lost everything in not one, but three fires; and Joell Mower, who forgave the man who murdered her son.

These are people who are truly chiseled. I am fortunate to have been able to meet them and interview them on Chiseled, which is a biweekly podcast.

If you’re ready to dive in, please go here and listen to the series so far. They’re usually about a half hour apiece, some more, some less.

We have many more episodes coming and I’ve been challenged by one of my heroes to do many more. When I get to 100, this very famous mentor will be my guest so please listen and help me grow so that I can gush over one of my all-time favorite inspirational speakers and celebrate this great 100-episode milestone (as you can tell, I’m keeping the person a surprise. More reason to stay tuned)!

If you just want to hear little clips to whet your whistle, you can hear them on my YouTube channel on the Chiseled playlist. Subscribe there and you can get new alerts when these clips come out.

Listening to Chiseled, you will find that millions of people are trying to become better than you think. We are all a work a process, but as we get Chiseled we find that the joy is in the journey, not the destination. I hope you tune in!

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Who Doesn't? Here's How to Get There

Who wants to be a millionaire? Everybody does. But becoming a millionaire is not all about the money. It's about the process to get there. So what’s the process?

The average CEO reads 50-60 books per year, but it may be more logical to read one book 50 times. Or perhaps maybe try building a five-year ideal scenario, maybe add a dozen goals that you must achieve along the way, plus five or six affirmations that you repeat every day.

The affirmation may be, "I'm now on my way to becoming a millionaire, in an easy, relaxed manner, in a healthy positive way, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all."

To start building the strategies to achieve those goals that are benchmarks to becoming a millionaire, you can start adding in some "what if" scenarios to your daily affirmations. Add some "I believe" statements that reflect your values.

Your conscience mind may try to undermine you. It may say, yeah, right, you're an imposter. Fear may win. Perceived future evil or suffering can cause paralysis. But you need to get past F-E-A-R, also known as "false evidence appearing real."

We tackle fear with courage, acceptance, hope, and faith. Courage is the ability to move forward in spite of fear. Courage creates strength. Acceptance cures anxiety. Hope produces joy and faith is a remedy for all fear.

To make a decision to move forward, you don't need 100 percent of the facts. You only need facts plus 20 seconds of courage to make a decision that will remove the agony of fear.

You can't go around or above or under fear. You have to go through it. Attain the tools to conquer fear by writing out or reading your goals every day. Add in some "I'm worthy" statements. You will start to recognize these goals forming into achievements. And that is how you get on the path to becoming a millionaire.

I discussed this topic in greater detail at a recent business mixer. Please watch the video to hear more.

By the way, have you read Better Than You Think: Developing Awareness for a More Fulfiling Life? My bestseller is available on Amazon. I also host a biweekly podcast called Chiseled.

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Love and Acceptance in a Game of Catch With Dad

I wanted to share this interpretation of a story from the book. The short version of the passage is explained below. It has affected me in so many ways, I can’t even describe them all but my life changed forever that year.

Please let me know if you’ve ever had this kind of breakthrough. You can share your thoughts about barriers and breakthroughs in your family relationships in the comments below or send an email to rob@robcommodariauthor.com.

Back in 2001, when former Baltimore Orioles manager Cal Ripken Sr. died, I was listening to a radio show with Cal Jr. talking about his relationship with his dad. I began lamenting that I had never had that kind of relationship with mine. My dad never said, ‘I love you” or “I'm proud of you, son” to me or any of my siblings.

I was 34 at the time and I realized I really needed validation from my father that he loved and accepted me so I decided that for Christmas, I wanted to play a game of catch with dad using the first glove he had given me — it was a hand-me-down — when I was a young boy.

 So I wrote my dad a note from the heart. Here's what it said.

"Hey, Dad, it's Christmastime again and families all around the world are getting ready to share their Christmas joys. As usual, moms and dads get a list together from their little girls and boys. Some lists include such things as cars and trucks while others include things like Barbie dolls and makeup. Boys will ask for video games and sports things while girls may ask for dresses, clothes, and angels with little wings.

"You've been a dad for 36-plus years now and worked for 45-plus years as well. You've had the opportunity to raise seven children, which is priceless, but I'm sure caused all kinds of hell. I could not imagine how hard it must have been with all that weight upon your shoulders but I think I'm beginning to understand now that I'm much older. Dad, we're all older now and most of us have moved away. Now it's time for you to have some fun because we all know you've earned your pay.

"If I could ask for one thing from you for Christmas, Dad, it would be … no, not a house, not a car, not even a watch. All I want, Dad, is just to play some catch from the heart.

"Rob, December 25, 2001."

That Christmas the two of us played catch for the first time ever.

 That moment broke a chain of insecurities that I had been hiding deep down since I was a kid working on my first paper route. One of those insecurities was the thought of not being loved and accepted by my dad.

As we played catch on that frigid Christmas morning, Rob I that the act of my dad throwing the ball to me was his way of saying, "I love you, son," and when dad caught each ball I threw back, I heard the words, "I accept you, son."

That day,  I gained an awareness from that experience that let me take my foot off the proverbial break and move forward with my life. I was able to receive the love and acceptance that my dad always had for me, even if he never expressed it. That day both our lives changed forever. Not only did I feel loved, but my father started saying the words, "I love you, son. I accept you, son."

Holiday Gift Giving Guide: Gratitude Gifts for Friends, Family, and Everyone Else

Many of us have had to get creative connecting with friends and family. As we move into the holiday season, connecting and showing gratitude will go further and mean more this year. Here are a few thoughtful gift ideas that you could send a loved one to show your gratitude.

Source: https://www.shutterfly.com/ideas/thank-you-quotes/#Gratitude-Quotes
https://positivepsychology.com/how-to-express-gratitude/

I can’t decide which of these is my favorite idea, but if you know anything about me, #3 and #7 are right up my alley! If you can afford to shop and you don’t have time to do some of the homemade projects, remember that buying local can really help struggling neighbors get by this season.

I sincerely hope you have a wonderful holiday and a wish to you for many great times ahead in 2021 and beyond.

Seasons of Life: The Twisting River

I was in Deep Creek Lake, Md. in the early fall and took this photo. It reminded of two things: 1) The Seasons of Life and 2) our life's journey.

There's the obvious change of seasons from winter, spring, summer, and fall. Then there's the seasons of change in our lives. The seasons of marriage, our children growing up, change of jobs, a loved one’s passing, and the seasons of awareness we gain when we commit to a life of learning.

As I looked at the river and thought about the twists and turns of the journeys in life, I was reminded that we never know where they will take us. As we go with the flow of life and if we allow ourselves to enjoy the beauty of the journey we can experience a fulfilling life.