How to Love in a Shameful World
Let's Enlighten our Souls in Chaos
I'm ashamed of how we've been in this pandemic.
I've honestly never seen such anger. Such lack of awareness.
(No, correction. I have. This is simply just the reminder.)
But instead of going on a rant about that, let's just stick to the topic, shall we? Let's avoid running down the rabbit hole.
Let's talk about how to make things positive, and a success.
I remember watching the IG Story of one of my positive Instagram friends Jacob Soto of @klassynetwork, and he said,
"Either leaders are going to rise or fall in this time. They're either going to get stuck, and completely plummet, or they're going to come up better than ever before". Somewhere along those lines.
And I thought to myself, "YES. Truth." We have an opportunity to literally bullet proof our life here! We don't have to worry about as much as we think we do, as long as we're more considerate about others than they are about us. Clearly.
So. What can help you through?
Well, let's begin with a photo.
What's your favorite photo right now that you have to look at, to help get you through in your season of creation? For me? It's of my family.
See, I never thought I was going to have a family. My family growing up was filled with abusive and traumatic experiences. Yes, my Dad loved me as best he could, but what I went through on my Mom's side of the family was just too crazy to bear.
I never thought I'd be enough to be in a family. I thought the only one who could handle or be willing to tolerate my energy, was me.
Until I came across my boyfriend and his family. And especially, once I had my son. Oh my goodness. The second I had my son? Forget it. That became my everything.
Let's actually correct my words real quick. I never thought I'd have a family, yes this is true. But. Even deeper. I never thought I'd have a child.
My son is my world. No one can ever tell me different. He is my everything. There's God, then there's my son.
See, I live for him. I breathe for him. If it wasn't for his existence to be created, I wouldn't be living right here and now. The joy in his heart? That's only something I could give him. The way he laughs? I contributed to that.
You know why I know that?
Because I always said it: "I want him to have the most joyous heart, ever. He's not ever going through what I've been through."
And since the day he was born, I've done everything in my power to keep my word.
So here's my photo of my family. My little family. The family I love so dear. The family, with my son in the photo. That little chubby-cheek gorgeous-eyed bright light-skinned creature right there. That being makes my world whole. So this photo, makes my world, whole.
Having the experience of having a family, something I thought I'd never get because of the trauma I've survived, is an experience I'll cherish, forever.
Okay, kudos.
Now let's get to the next one. A social media account.
Who am I loving to look at right now, on social media?
She doesn't need an introduction. Her name is Natalie Rogers.
This gorgeous woman is a 7 figure E-Commerce brand owner with her fiancé, Jacob Soto. I literally watched her come up with this company, while I worked hard on my company, and while she sold her entire company prior to this one.
She was passionate on coaching others, but also chose to rise her company to 7 figures first. To really just put in the work to create what we all fight so hard to create.
Then, she chose to get back into coaching with the love of her life, guiding her clients to greatness while continuing to build her company to greatness, all in this pandemic.
News flash? She just hit her highest month of sales at $200k.
Pretty cool if you'd ask me. And she's not even 30.
But hey. That's not why I love following her on the 'gram.
The reason why I love being her friend?
Easy. She loves combining passion with her success. She knows we must use logic, but we also should never forget how we started.
She puts in the work to focus on balancing her levels in her everyday living between both personal and professional. I love how she operates this way. And the big goals she achieves and still runs to achieve, is similar in energy to what I'm working on in my own peak performance company.
I'm honored to have connected with her. Make sure you do, too, at @itsnatalierogers of @klassynetwork.
Aaaand finally. The video that lifts me up. This one came to me, right away.
Okay. So. One day, I was completely down and out. And my boyfriend knew this.
I don't even know how he came across this video, but I know he was trying to lift my spirits.
I was doing everything I can to come back up, and I literally told him how mentally I'm not okay. This must've been Week 2 or 3 into quarantine.
I just felt completely helpless, and no matter what I did, I just couldn't get back up.
Finally, he sends me a text. It's of a YouTube Channel by Ben Lionel Scott. And then, I became empowered.
The video I loved called 'Train Your Brain' isn't up anymore (pretty cool because that makes me feel like it was really made for me and whoever else needed to hear & see it), but if I was to pick a second favorite on his YouTube Channel, it would be this one:
This video right here from Ben Lionel Scott is exactly how I'm feeling right now.
After everything I've been through the past 10 years of running my company, this is my time for me and my team. My VIVE family. It just is.
We've literally faced all the crazy, and we've been through all the inner growth and shadow work you can think of. It's time for us to shine now. And I'm not stopping until we do.
It's time to love more. It's time to let love conquer all.
Thank you. I thank you for reading part of my story.
About the Creator
Nastasya Rose
Hey!
My name's Nastasya Rose, a Latina Italian from the Bronx.
In 2010 I founded VIVE, a peak performance coaching company helping leaders perform at the top of their game!
Let's start sharing my Peak Performance story.
Check us! whyvive.com
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Don’t Waste Your Life
The alarm rang at 9:30 a.m., but Hamza did not move. He stared at the ceiling, scrolling endlessly through his phone. One video became ten. Ten became fifty. Outside his window, the sun had already climbed high, shining brightly over the small town where life was moving forward without him. Hamza was nineteen, full of dreams once—but lately, those dreams felt distant. He used to talk about becoming a civil engineer, about building strong bridges and tall buildings that would carry his name into the future. But now, his days were filled with excuses. “I’ll start tomorrow,” he often said. Tomorrow became next week. Next week became next month. His mother would gently knock on his door. “Beta, the day is going. Do something meaningful.” “I will,” he would reply lazily, never lifting his eyes from the screen. Hamza was not a bad person. He was kind, polite, and intelligent. But he had fallen into the dangerous habit of wasting time. He didn’t realize that time is the only treasure that never returns once spent. One evening, while wandering outside aimlessly, he noticed an old man sitting on a bench near the park. The man was writing in a small notebook, his hands wrinkled but steady. Curious and slightly bored, Hamza sat down beside him. “What are you writing?” Hamza asked. “My memories,” the old man replied with a soft smile. “I am writing about the life I lived.” “Was it a good life?” Hamza asked casually. The old man paused. His eyes grew distant. “Some parts were beautiful. Some parts… I wasted.” Hamza looked at him more closely. “When I was your age,” the old man continued, “I had many opportunities. I wanted to start a business. I wanted to travel. I wanted to learn new skills. But I kept delaying. I kept thinking I had plenty of time.” He closed the notebook slowly. “Now I am seventy-eight. I have time—but not the energy. I have wisdom—but not the years.” The words struck Hamza harder than he expected. “Do you regret it?” Hamza asked quietly. “Yes,” the old man said honestly. “Not because I failed. But because I never truly tried.” That sentence echoed in Hamza’s mind the entire night. Not because I failed. But because I never truly tried. Back in his room, Hamza stared at his ceiling again. But this time, his phone lay silent beside him. He imagined himself at seventy-eight, holding a notebook filled with regrets. The thought frightened him. He began thinking about his father, who worked long hours every day to support the family. About his mother, who prayed for his success. About his younger sister, who looked up to him as a role model. Was he truly living? Or was he just passing time? The next morning, Hamza did something unusual. He woke up at 6 a.m. The sky was still painted in soft shades of pink and orange. For the first time in months, he watched the sunrise. It felt different. He opened his notebook and wrote three simple goals: Study for three hours daily. Exercise for thirty minutes. Learn one new skill every month. They were small goals—but they were a start. The first week was difficult. His mind constantly whispered, “Just relax today. You can start tomorrow.” But he remembered the old man’s regretful eyes. He forced himself to continue. Slowly, discipline replaced laziness. He began preparing for university entrance exams seriously. He reduced his time on social media. He started reading books about successful people—not just their achievements, but their struggles. He learned that greatness is not built in comfort. It is built in effort. Months passed. Hamza didn’t become a genius overnight. He didn’t suddenly turn into a millionaire. But he changed in a deeper way—he respected his time. When friends invited him to waste hours doing nothing, he sometimes joined—but in moderation. He understood that rest is important, but wasting life is dangerous. One afternoon, he visited the park again. The old man was there, writing as usual. “You look different,” the old man observed with a smile. “I stopped waiting for tomorrow,” Hamza replied. The old man nodded slowly. “That is the secret. Tomorrow is a promise that is never guaranteed.” Hamza sat beside him and shared his new routine, his goals, and his small victories. The old man listened proudly. “Remember,” the old man said, “life is not about being busy every second. It is about being purposeful. Even a small step each day can change your entire future.” Years later, Hamza stood on a construction site, wearing a white helmet with his company’s logo printed on it. He had completed his engineering degree. It wasn’t easy. There were failures, sleepless nights, and moments of doubt. But he never returned to the habit of wasting time carelessly. He often told his team, “Time is like water in your hands. If you don’t use it wisely, it slips away.” One evening, after finishing work, Hamza visited the same park bench. The old man was no longer there. A local vendor told him softly, “He passed away last winter.” Hamza felt a wave of sadness—but also gratitude. He sat on the bench and opened his own notebook. He began writing: “Today I completed another project. I helped build something that will stand for decades. I am tired—but proud.” He smiled gently. He understood something powerful: Life is not wasted in one big mistake. It is wasted in small daily neglect. In endless scrolling. In constant delay. In fear of trying. And life is built the same way—through small daily efforts. Through discipline. Through courage to start. As the sun began to set, painting the sky golden, Hamza whispered to himself: “Don’t waste your life. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to begin.” The wind moved softly through the trees, as if agreeing. Every sunrise is a silent gift. It arrives without asking for anything in return. But it also carries a quiet question: What will you do with today? Hamza finally knew the answer. He would not waste it.
By The best writer a day ago in Motivation
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