My Five Peace Principles (And Why I Gotta Eat First)
A Solo Flight
What’s good my people? It’s been a minute since I’ve put pen to paper… things have been FULL UP for me. A full life is what I’ve always wanted and we don’t get to choose everything that fills it, for real for real 👀. I’m flying solo today without my ace and life co-pilot Zoe Hart, she’s grinding as usual and will most definitely join me again sometime soon. Thanks for taking the time to ride out with only me for a minute…
In this overdue but right-on-time blog entry, I’m sharing the five things that help me protect my peace and stay rooted: Love, Laughter, Listening to Music, Eating Good Food, and Fitness (physical & mental). These pillars aren’t just preferences — they’re my daily practices for joy, healing, and growth. I even shout out a laugh-out-loud 😂 road trip city that feeds my soul every time: Asheville, NC. Let’s roll through the habits (and playlists) that keep me whole.
Let me keep it 💯 with y’all: peace isn’t passive. It’s a practice. 💪🏾 And over the years, I’ve learned that if I don’t intentionally pour into myself, I end up running on fumes, burned on both ends, and wondering why I’m snapping and wanting to beef with my loves like they did something to me.
So I had to break it down and get clear: What keeps me grounded? What fills me back up when life starts lifin’ a little too hard?
I landed on five essentials (I hope they land with you)— my personal peace pillars: Love, Laughter, Listening (to music), Good Food, and Fitness (mental and physical). If these five aren’t present daily, I’m probably running on E. And nobody’s glow up comes when feeling emotionally bankrupt. Especially not me.
These tenets are how I show up fully. They’re my energizer bunny power source. The reason I can move through the world with compassion, clarity, and a little finesse. They help me love harder, learn deeper, and listen better — to others and to myself.
Let me give you a run down:
Fitness & Music? That’s how I kick off the day. A little rower warm-up or a Peloton strength class that humbles me, and a playlist that makes me feel like I’m training for the Grammys and the Olympics at the same time. Since I intermittent fast until the afternoon, those two — movement and music — are my morning fuel. No eggs, just endorphins.
Food & Laughter? That’s the reward. Whether it's some fire sushi at Tomo or a perfectly timed Josh Johnson punchline, I need that serotonin, baby. Food that makes me hum while I chew and comedy that makes me cry-laugh in the car? Chef’s kiss.
And Love? That’s the soul of the whole operation. It’s how I start and end every day. Love and gratitude for all that God has blessed me with. Love for my body, my mind, my family, my partner, my people, my purpose. My love got roots and wings — it grounds me and lets me fly.
I protect these five like spiritual non-negotiables. 🙏🏾 Because when they’re in alignment, I move different. I grow. I glow. I give more freely. I forgive more fully. I live with my chest out and my heart open. 🤗
And when I really need a reset? I travel. Not to escape, but to return — to myself. I find peace in places where I can lean into all five tenets with ease.
One of those divine destinations for me is Asheville, NC. The first time I went was almost 20 years ago, fresh to the South and searching for somewhere that felt like me. Asheville had that perfect balance — an eclectic mountain town with upstate NY vibes and just the right dash of southern soul. I went with friends then. But recently, I rediscovered it with my wife, and whew… it hit different.
Asheville feeds us — mind, body, and soul. From street art to sound baths, vintage shops to vinyl sets, good eats to good energy. We even saw one of our favorite comedians there (shout out to Josh Johnson), and pulled up on a random weekend a few months later, to see one of our favorite soul bands, Thee Sacred Souls. 🎶😎 That’s what I call alignment. That’s what I call living.
Alright fam, that’s all for now… I gotta go eat. 😋
…before I dip, let me leave you with three receipts-in-the-chat kind of takeaways—stuff science co-signs, not just me vibin’:
1. Eat Like You Mean It (Mindfully)
Slowing down at the table is a game-changer. Clock the smells, the texture, the gratitude. It chills your nervous system and keeps you from going full “Netflix binge, snack binge, regret” mode. I’m talking mindful eating—and Alex Askew’s Mindful Eating for the Beloved Community https://a.co/d/51LgKSy breaks it down beautifully. Research even says mindful munching helps mood and tamps down binge patterns (study love right here). 🍽️ 😋
2. Music = Medicine
That playlist you’ve got on repeat? It’s not just hype, it’s healing. Studies show music dials down stress hormones, lifts mood, and sparks up the brain like fireworks. Basically, your “Grammys-meets-Olympics” warm-up soundtrack is free therapy with a beat (APA backs it up). 🎶⚕️
3. Movement is Mental-Health Insurance
A walk, Rower, Peloton, dance break in the kitchen—doesn’t matter. Move and the mind moves with you. Endorphins rise, blues dip, sleep hits different. Science says steady workouts cut depression risk big-time and keep your glow steady (study receipts). 💪🏾
And sometimes the cure is a quick trip to the mountains—shout out to Asheville for always handing me back to myself.
So yeah—press pause on life’s stressors, turn the volume up, put your heart rate on uncomfortable. Protect your peace like it’s VIP. When life starts lifin’, these little habits keep the soul charged 🔌 and the spirit lookin’ like “new-battery” emoji 🔋.