009: Unity, Change, and the People We Grow Beside

In this episode of Your Daily Dose, I reflect on the importance of community, embracing change, and the people we choose to grow alongside.

After the Fourth of July weekend, I found myself thinking about how people from completely different backgrounds can come together with a shared purpose. Whether it's a fitness class, a yoga practice, or simply a conversation, unity doesn't require us to be the same—it requires us to be open.

We also explore the idea that growth sometimes requires separation. Letting go of old habits, environments, or routines can create the space needed for new opportunities, healthier relationships, and personal growth.

This episode is an invitation to take a moment, breathe, and ask yourself two simple questions:

• Where can I create more unity in my life?
• What do I need to separate myself from in order to grow?

Take a walk, grab a cup of coffee, or simply sit back and enjoy today's Daily Dose.

If you enjoy the show, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today.

If you're in San Diego, I'd love to have you join our community yoga practice every Monday and Wednesday. Follow @trainwithsand on Instagram for locations and updates.

Transcript

Holiday Reset And Check-In

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What's up, everyone? Welcome back to your daily dose. I'm your host, Luther, here in beautiful San Diego, California. This is your self-help podcast. First off, hope everyone had an awesome 4th of July weekend. Hope you got to spend some time with family, friends, maybe caught some fireworks, got outside, of course, got some food off the grill. Come on. Nice glizzy there, some hamburgers. But most importantly, I hope you made it home safe. This year was a pretty cool milestone. 250 years of this country. That's something worth appreciating, right? And with the four falling on a Saturday, man, that's always a combination that can get a little wild. So if you celebrate it, hope you planned ahead, took an Uber. And if you needed one, you know, you took one and you looked out for other people around you as well. Because it's all about taking care of yourself and everyone else around you. So now that the holidays behind us, we're all kind of returned back to normal life, right? The fireworks fade, the barbecue gets cleaned up. Monday is here, Monday showed up, never misses its day. And I always find it interesting because life has this rhythm. There are some moments where everything feels just exciting. And then there's the ordinary day. And honestly, most of our life is built within those ordinary days. But we but before we jump in today, let's check in. Here

Breathe And Ground Yourself

SPEAKER_00 1:25

we go. Let's sit a little taller, roll those shoulder back, take a nice slow breath in the nose, lengthen your spine, and a nice slow exhale. Again, take a nice slow breath in through the nose and a deep breath out. Long and controlled. Alright, let's

A Fitness Class Reveals Community

SPEAKER_00 1:49

talk. So I started something new recently. I'm taking a group fitness uh course, trying to get certified in that. It's an in-person course. I go there Monday through uh Wednesdays, 9:30 till 2.30. So it's a big chunk of time. And you know, it's fun. But what I find more interesting is that it's it's not necessarily like the workouts, it's the people, the people that are also there to get certified. Every person that walked through that door has a different reason. Some people want to become coaches, some people are just there for the money, being ex-military, just trying to use their GI benefit, which is totally fine. You worked fucking hard for it, so you better use it. Some people are there just to build some confidence. Some people are looking for a career change. Some people are there because they simply just love movement. I think I fall in that category. Some people are trying to get healthier, and some people are rebuilding after a difficult season in life. And if you look around the room, you could probably come up with 20 different reasons why people decided to show up, different ages, different personalities, different backgrounds, different stories. Everyone has their story, everyone has a dose, everyone lives a different life. But you know, then I realized something. Even though everyone has a different reason of being there, we're there we're still doing the same thing. We're breathing together, we're moving together, we're learning together, we're growing together. And it made me think maybe that's what community really is. Not everything everyone agreeing on everything, not everyone having the same goal, but people choosing to move in the same direction for a little while or a lifetime. I think sometimes we make the mistake of believing that we have to find people exactly like us, exactly like us, niche down, niche down, people who think the same, people who vote the same, people who have the same beliefs, have the same hobbies, the same jobs, the same background, the same skin color sometimes. But life has shown me something different. Some of the most meaningful conversations I've ever had were with people who live completely different lives. And that's why I love it. That's why I love it. Different careers, different ages, different experiences, and somehow we find common ground, maybe in fitness, maybe in family, maybe in struggle, maybe in laughter. But, you know, simply being human. Unity doesn't require, you know, sameness, if that's um a word. Sameness? I'm gonna just say that. Sameness, yeah. It doesn't require sameness for unity. It requires openness. And that got me thinking about this podcast. Every guest we've had has been completely different. Justin and I talked about marathon running and why hard things can actually heal us. Myra, Melissa, and Liz talked about training for your future self. Liz and I had a great simple conversation about rules and how they make life better. And Anna and Richie shared what it's really like becoming parents and making decisions no one prepares you for. Different people, different conversations, different perspectives. But there's always one thing tying them together, and that's growth. Every conversation comes back to growth. And maybe that's why I enjoy talking to people so much. Everybody knows something I don't. Everybody has lived a life I haven't. Everybody has a lesson they could teach me if I'm willing to listen, and if you're willing to listen too.

Beginner Discomfort As A Growth Sign

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Here's something else that I've been thinking about. Growth usually asks something from us, right? Sometimes it asks us to step into a new room. Sometimes it asks us to become the beginner again. And honestly, that can be very, very uncomfortable. That's what I'm kind of feeling taking these uh exercise classes. I'm the beginner again. I don't know about you. I don't always enjoy being the least experienced in the room. It's awkward. You make mistakes, you ask questions that feel obvious. You wonder if everyone else knows what they're doing, and you're just lacking behind. But then I remind myself, every expert started the exact same place here, questioning themselves. Every expert started with a little bit of, you know, lack of confidence. It's uncomfortable. Every teacher was once a student. Maybe feeling out of place isn't a sign of that you're failing. Maybe it's a sign that you're, guess what, growing. So before we grow some more, let's say pause for a breath. Sit up tall, relax those shoulders, take a nice slow inhale through the nose, do it with me. Hold at your top, feel your chest expand, and in a moment, we're still holding. Now slow exhale. One more time, nice deep inhale, hold, hold, hold, and now exhale softly. Sometimes all we need is one intentional breath to remind ourselves that we're exactly where we need to be.

One Breath To Recenter

SPEAKER_00 6:56

I also think growth requires another word that we don't talk about enough, and that is separation. Now, when I say separation, I don't mean cutting everyone out of your life. I mean recognizing that not every environment helps you become who you're really trying to be or trying to become. Think that's a better way to say it. Sometimes growth asks

Separation That Makes Room For Growth

SPEAKER_00 7:19

you to spend less time scrolling, less time complaining, less time concentrating on just a negative, less time chasing things that actually don't matter to you. And that can feel lonely for a while, for a very, very, very long time. But there's a difference between being lonely and making room. When you create space, something new has a chance to enter, a new friendship, a healthier habit, a new opportunity, a different way of thinking. Sometimes we have to let go of something good, quotations, to make room for something even better. And that is not easy. But it's part, it's a part of life and it's a part of growing.

Two Challenges Unity And Separation

SPEAKER_00 8:06

So today, I want to leave you with two challenges. The first is about unity. Ask yourself, where could I create a little bit more connection in my life? Maybe it's calling someone you've been meeting to reach out to. Maybe it's introducing yourself to someone new. Maybe it's joining a class, maybe a yoga class here in San Diego, California. Guess what? Monday and Wednesdays I teach at 6 p.m. Hit me up on Instagram at trainwithsan and I send your location. Let's get back to the podcast. Maybe it's volunteering or starting a conversation instead of waiting for someone else to start it. Community doesn't appear. Usually we build it one conversation at a time. Now, the second challenge is about separation. Ask yourself, what am I holding on to that's keeping me from growing? Maybe it's a habit. Maybe it's a routine. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's comparing yourself to everybody else around you. Maybe it's simply staying comfortable because it's familiar. Growth usually begins when comfort ends. Remember that. So before we finish today, let's take one last collective breath together.

Final Breath And Closing Invitations

SPEAKER_00 9:24

So sit up a little taller, feel both feet on the ground, ground yourself, and let's begin. Take a slow breath then through the nose. Imagine creating a little more space inside your body. Now slowly exhale. Nice and gentle. I want to thank you for spending a part of your day with me. If this episode made you think, I'd love for you to share it with someone who came to mind while you were listening. Leave a rating, follow the podcast, and help us continue to grow this little community, one conversation at a time. And if you're here in San Diego, come move with us. Every Monday and Wednesday, we get together for a community yoga. It's not about being the best in the room or the best at the park. It's about showing up, breeding together, creating that unity, and leaving a little better than we arrived. You can find me on Instagram at train with sand. Send me a message and I'll send you the location. Until next time, keep looking for the people who help you grow. Keep becoming someone who helps others grow. Remember, we don't all have to be the same to move forward. That's been your daily dose. I'll see you in the next episode. Peace.