Speaker 1: 0:47

welcome back to another super awesome mix. My name is matt. Sit home alongside my co-host and co-founder of super awesome mix, sammer abusaler. How are we doing this week?

Speaker 2: 0:57

Doing real well. Thank you for asking. The new year is in full swing. We got goals that are. You know I'm making progress on them and others that I'm like yeah, that's for next year.

Speaker 1: 1:07

You know it's a typical January. Wait, we're just two weeks into the year. How could that be? How could that be?

Speaker 2: 1:13

I mean, you know, sometimes you sign up for just a little bit too much. I mean, you know, sometimes you sign up for just a little bit too much yeah everyone gets real ambitious around New Year's right, and you know so do we.

Speaker 1: 1:25

Obviously, we set a lot of big goals here at the show. But one thing that we did last year a couple of times that I think you and I both really enjoyed is we did a motivation mix. We did one in January and one in like July, and so we're coming back this year with another a motivation mix. We did one in January and one in like July, and so we're coming back this year with another January motivation mix. That's this week's episode. But, samer, you love the motivation mixes so much that you just ran off and just took it in a whole new direction.

Speaker 2: 1:49

I did, yeah, I, you know. I decided it was time for me to do a solo project, you know, similar to, similar to some of the bands that we've covered. Uh, but don't worry, matt, I'm staying in this band too.

Speaker 1: 1:59

This is not going to interfere, thank you, yeah, don't don't worry, I mean so far. We'll see but as long as we're like oasis, like we can hate each other but just keep churning out good product exactly.

Speaker 2: 2:11

Yeah, this will all go into the mini series doc later. Um, so, yes, I I launched a new podcast show. Uh, you can find it on any of the same players that you listen to super awesome mix on um. It's called super awesome you and it's really it's a motivational show. It's 10 minutes a week.

Speaker 2: 2:32

I release every tuesday and what's really fun about it is I'm not only mixing in like you know kind of motivational things that you know, stuff that I struggle with myself, but also the science behind a lot of it. I have an undergraduate degree in neurobiology and I've always been really fascinated with, like, how our brains work and why we do the things that we do, and so each episode really tries to bring in some level of science in addition to you know kind of motivational thoughts and things to consider as you pursue your own goals. And, of course, because it's part of the Super Awesome Mix Network, every single week I add a track to an ongoing playlist of music that is getting me fired up that week, so I really hope you check it out. We'll have links to the new podcast in the show notes of this episode, but with that, I think we should kick off our own motivation mix, as Matt said, for 2023. Yeah, so we're going to start with track one here and it's Matt's pick and it is Canned Heat by Jamiroquai.

Speaker 1: 3:30

Yeah, so if you've seen Napoleon Dynamite, you are familiar with this song. Actually, it was in the movie Center Stage, which I realized I don't know anything about, but it always pops up when I look for this song. So if there's any Center Stage fans out there, let me know how that one went. But yeah, I mean, obviously Napoleon did a very famous dance routine to this song and won Pedro an election. So right there it translates to results. I think you can see right there how this song can help. But I love the energy of this song and just all of it, like that canned heat, like you've got that fire in you and, first of all, this song will definitely get it out of you. I think, if not, check your pulse, but then beyond that, I think it's yeah, I mean, I mean, I think that's something you got to kind of let out if you're going to hit your goals in 2023. I mean, you've got to take that canned heat inside of you and and just let it go and get after it.

Speaker 2: 4:30

Absolutely yeah. So I had a couple thoughts on this song. Number one I didn't remember that it was in the movie. I haven't that movie in a long, long time, but now that you say that I was like right, yes, of course I'm seeing the dance scene in my head play out. Um. Two, I never would have guessed this was made in 1999, um, because it's like so, discos, right, I mean a disco feel, um, but apparently it was produced in 1999, which again proves my point that that is just one of the greatest years for music of all time.

Speaker 2: 4:59

And then, number three I agree with everything you said. I love it. Like I found myself wanting to dance and groove to this and just like start to move and and kind of bop along to it. And I do love that energy of like. You know, you got nothing, nothing left to do but to dance as they sing in the song Off these bad times I'm going through, just dance. I love that. Whatever you're struggling with, whatever energy you got inside of you, you just got to let it out sometimes and dance Totally agree, totally agree.

Speaker 1: 5:30

yeah, all, right, now your first pick. I think you come pretty strong here. You went with To the Max by DJ Khaled, featuring Drake.

Speaker 2: 5:40

Yes, you know we've covered DJ Khaled a number of times and it's worth repeating every time we do. This is a man that does not seemingly struggle with self-esteem, and I admire that. I really do. I think he sets an example for all of us. To just walk into a room and be like I'm here for another one and we the best, that's how you got to amp yourself up. So that's why I wanted to open up the motivation mix with this gem of a song, because it's all about bringing yourself being at that max point of yourself. That, and the fact that it's just like a really fast paced song, it can kind of get you amped up and get going.

Speaker 2: 6:19

Drake's rap on this is some of the best rap that he he's done, as you know. It's really really good. It's a sped up version of a JO song called Gus Get Him Right, which you hear all the time, especially in the intros and outros. That's what they're repeating over and over. So it's just got this like great beat. You know great sample that he's got sped up. But yeah, really it's just. It's just the energy that DJ Khaled brings in every song that I respect and I want to be a little bit like that. You know more of that this year.

Speaker 1: 6:49

Yeah, on New Year's a friend of mine was making black eyed peas and the advice I gave her is, like you have to imagine you're one of the black eyed peas making black eyed peas.

Speaker 1: 7:00

Like that's the level of confidence you got to have and I feel like that's why DJ Khaled's perfect for any motivational mix Cause, no matter what you think of him, there's no doubt like part of his success is the fact that he's always telling people he's the best. It's like, well, okay, At a certain point you just wear people down. You're like, yeah, I guess he is the best.

Speaker 2: 7:20

Right, yeah, I agree. I mean, that's why affirmations are so powerful, right? Because you're like, at some point you feel gaslit by someone telling you that they're amazing. And you're like, I guess they are amazing.

Speaker 1: 7:35

It's kind of true. And, by the way, like's not discount drake on the self-esteem meter, okay, like yes, he feels, pretty good about himself, right?

Speaker 2: 7:42

he likes drake yeah yeah, no, it's true, and and this is a man that you know, this is a throwback to, I think, early season one who's still trying to get toronto called the six, you know, based off of the area code of toronto how is that ever gonna catch on? And yet, he's not, and yet he's not letting it go. He's not letting it go. No, he's not, he's a.

Speaker 1: 8:05

Raptors fan. They've won one championship and he's still first row talking trash to anyone who comes into that arena. He's all over them, no matter what the scoreboard says. We can all take a lesson from that Right Like just operate as if, operate as if.

Speaker 2: 8:25

Exactly All right. So number three, your next pick is such a good one, and one I think that you know people will be familiar with, and it is Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield.

Speaker 1: 8:42

Yeah, I think people are immediately going to recognize this one, but probably not for the Curtis Mayfield version. I think they're going to recognize the horns from the song Touch the Sky by Kanye West, which which he sampled this one for. But the original is really inspiring and really motivational. One of the lyrics I call out here I think it's in the last verse. He says take nothing less than the supreme best, do not obey rumors, people say, because you can pass the test and it's just great and the horns in it like it's got a ton of great energy. So if you love Touch the Sky, I think you're really going to love this song just because it sounds very similar. But even lyrically I think it're really going to love this song just because it sounds very similar. But even lyrically I think it really is pretty inspirational. And yeah, just a great pick and I think something, maybe a little bit more under the radar, I agree.

Speaker 2: 9:29

Yeah, it's not one that would have come top of mind for me, but as I was listening to it, I really liked it and I agree. So same as what you said. I recognize it from touch the sky, um, but this version is is excellent, um, and I love all the lyrics. The one I called out was just move on up towards your destination, though you may find from time to time complication, and I think that's an important call out that, if you know, if you're like me, you often set a goal and you just kind of imagine waltzing right up to it, um, with with nothing in your way, yeah, and you know if you're like me.

Speaker 1: 9:58

You often set a goal and you just kind of imagine waltzing right up to it with nothing in your way and you know it turns out there are.

Speaker 2: 10:02

There are often speed bumps and roadblocks and detours and pauses and all kinds of things that are going to get in your way, and it's very easy to just kind of be like okay, well, that's the end of that. So hopefully you know, keep your destination in mind, keep moving towards it and let those complications be part of the journey.

Speaker 1: 10:21

Agreed, yeah, all right. Track four we go in a little bit different direction here. Ok, and kids, ok, cover yours here. The next song is called Work Bitch by Britney Spears.

Speaker 2: 10:33

Yes, Now I got to check that explicit mark on this episode.

Speaker 1: 10:39

That's right. That's right. We get the check mark. We're going to have an E next to this episode.

Speaker 2: 10:44

So, yes, I went with this song that I actually ran to for a long time, I think back in, like you know, the 2010s or something. I was on a running playlist of mine and it fits perfectly right Because the message is very clear. The lyrics are super, super obvious. I don't think anyone could argue for hidden meaning here, although who knows, if you've got a hidden meaning of what the song is about, let's hear it. We love getting messages and emails and dms from from our fans and listeners. So, yeah, you know, it's like if you want all these, you got to work for it and it is just a great Britney song. I mean, she's just a master of pop. We've talked about her a lot on the show but truly, like, she's produced club hit after club hit and this is definitely one of them. Like, the EDM pop mashup is such a natural mashup when you think about it. Like, these two things work really well together and actually I think it's a 10 year old song now, which also kind of blew my mind.

Speaker 2: 11:45

I think it was exactly 10 years ago that it was released. So there's that. But honestly, you know we talked about this on this on a recent episode. I think this song could be released today and it would still be like it would get radio play because it's just, it sounds so good, it's kind of a perennial hit. Yes, and I think it belongs in any motivational mix because, again, like I said, like if you want these things, you're going to have to work for them. As crummy as that is and how often I personally have struggled with that realization you don't just get things for free.

Speaker 1: 12:16

Well, it's funny you say that because we talked last week about, you know, jay-z and Jermaine Dupri talking about, you know, just throwing around money and I got all this and I got all that and those rap songs where it's just we have all these things and I just love how this song even though it's just clearly a kind of a club, you know, just kind of a banger, that you play in the club, it's like she's saying do you want these things? Well, you better work.

Speaker 1: 12:42

So yeah say what you want about, britney. It's hard to argue with this formula that she's laying out for you that it is true, Want the great body that, the cars, all this other stuff. It's like all right, you got to put in the work. There was no way around it. It's like all right, you got to put in the work.

Speaker 2: 12:56

There was no way around it Exactly, and when you do put in that work, sometimes it's good to pause a little bit and just see how far you've come. And that brings us to your next pick, which is how Far We've Come by Matchbox20.

Speaker 1: 13:10

Well, I've got to call out just how far you've come with your segues, because I feel like we're in season three and you're already like just hitting them out of the park. So it's a nice work, thank you.

Speaker 1: 13:23

I asked for. I actually asked my wife for a suggestion for this type of mix and this is the song she came up with. And I thought this was a great pick because you're exactly right as you're working through your goals throughout the year, it is important to take a second and look back and see just how far you've come. You know, if you're trying to lose a lot of weight like that's one of my goals for this year and you're not going to do that all in one day or all in one month, like it's going to be a journey and so you do have to take a second and kind of pat yourself on the back, tell yourself you know you are making progress, because that's part of the journey. So, um, yeah, I just think it's a great song, it's a great message and, um, you know, pretty, pretty upbeat and and pretty, uh, kind of kind of rocking. You know I think this was kind of later matchbox 20. So, um, yeah, good stuff.

Speaker 2: 14:15

Yeah, it's funny. My first note here is like, I love the song. You have some great picks on the mix, as always, but now I got to retract that, knowing that it was actually your wife's pick, so consult with her more often.

Speaker 2: 14:28

I will, I will mix because I really love the energy of the song. I think, as we said, the message is really important. You know, and it's not often that people tell you to like look back and reflect on your past, because everyone is always telling you to be in the present which we'll talk about later but it is important sometimes to even just flashback and take a look. It is like, wow, I am making progress. I should be proud of the work that I've done and that can often help you overcome, like, that next hill or that next obstacle, because you realize that you've already done a lot of things.

Speaker 2: 15:02

As I'm running and working towards, you know, a full marathon later this year, I think about on these long runs, you know, I hit that 50% mark and I used to just be exhausted because I would think, oh my gosh, I'm only 50% done. But now I look at it as like right, I am 50% done, I've already done it once, I only have to do it one more time. Like I already know how to do it, my body's already done it, I can do it again. And that's what I've been telling myself. And what a difference that makes, because now it's like a complete attitude shift. So I really like that in that regard, and hopefully that's how you can take the message of this song of just reflecting on that, like you've already done hard things, you can do more hard things and see how far you've come.

Speaker 1: 15:46

That's right. And after you take a moment for reflection, ok, then just keep working towards your goal. And that brings us to our next song, which is my Shot, by the cast of Hamilton.

Speaker 2: 15:58

Yeah, I actually, funny enough, listened to the song a lot when we were starting Super Awesome Mix and we started with our app, which, if you haven't downloaded it and you've got an iPhone, be sure to check it out in the App Store.

Speaker 2: 16:10

You just search Super Awesome Mix and you know, as we were writing, as I was coding that app and you and I were like designing it and working on it, this was a song I listened to almost every single day because at the time I left my job, I just, you know, it was like kind of a toxic environment for me at that point and needed a break from all of that and I thought, well, yeah, this is my shot, like I'm not going to throw it away, like I'm taking some time off to work on this and start to build this company, and it is, you know, my opportunity to put in the work and kind of show up for myself, and so I really like this song in that regard. I think obviously it's a Hamilton song. You've probably heard it. If you haven't, that soundtrack Start to Finish is mind-blowing. If you have Disney+ you can watch it the Broadway play or musical, and so yeah.

Speaker 2: 16:57

I just really like the song, and this was a song that motivated me for many, many days and weeks as we were starting to launch this business, so it's really cool.

Speaker 1: 17:07

That's awesome. Yeah, this song is really, I don't know, just kind of the epitome of sort of going for it, right, Like you're going to come to a point where you have this opportunity and you can't throw away that shot, Like you've got to go after it. You've got to have a little bit of ego, like we've talked about, you know, with DJ Khaled and Drake. But you know, um, but yeah, you, you've got to believe in yourself and just go for it. But yeah, this is this is a great pick. Of course it would show up on a motivation mix, right, Like this is this is right there in that wheelhouse.

Speaker 2: 17:39

Exactly, and you know people are going to look at you and just reflect on on your ambition, which brings us to our next track, which is so ambitious, by Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams.

Speaker 1: 17:53

Yeah, this is a. This is a great one. This is you know a lot of the rhymes. If you get into the lyrics, you know jay-z is talking about people who just didn't believe in him, and this is. You know how much he's talking about, how much he's accomplished. It's interesting because this is on a more recent jay-z album and we've talked about this before.

Speaker 1: 18:12

How that comes up over and over again in rap songs is how much people didn't believe in these rappers, and so I thought it was just kind of interesting from a motivation standpoint that, whether it's true or not, they seem to not let go of that chip on their shoulder, right, like, like, those kind of slights always stay with people, and you hear about this with athletes too, how they always remember the people who disrespected them at some point in time and and they take revenge on that and that motivates them. And so, while we like to keep it really positive here on the show, it's like I do think there's something to kind of taking that. You know, lack of belief from people around you and you know pushing yourself forward, right, and you know, like one of my favorite quotes from Walt Disney is, it's kind of fun to do the impossible.

Speaker 1: 19:03

And that kind of comes to mind when I hear a song like this, because it's just like, yeah, they told me there's no way I could do this, you know, and whatever that thing is. Obviously Jay-Z has done plenty to prove wrong everyone in his life, but he still comes back to that theme of they told me I couldn't do it.

Speaker 2: 19:21

Yeah, I think it's one of the more human things I reflect on and maybe it's cultural, but maybe it is universal that there's like kind of nothing more motivating, to some people at least, when someone tells you you can't do something and I, you know, and maybe, if you're not motivated by that and you're broken down by that, maybe this is like something where you could just try to, you know, flip your, flip your view on it and just take it as like OK, I'll show you Right, like, if you really believe I can't do it, I'm going to show you why I can, and so I love that. I personally find that really motivating. Anytime someone thinks that I can't do something, I'm such a contrarian that that's why I want to do it. It's it's not even for me anymore, it's just to be like I just want to prove someone else wrong. So I'm definitely here for that energy and you're right, like this.

Speaker 2: 20:10

This is incredible and you know, I realized this was Jay-Z's 11th studio album and we just finished talking about artists who make it to three albums and and right, he's done so many. I mean, this guy has continually proven whoever didn't believe in him wrong right right so I love that.

Speaker 1: 20:30

It's really impressive well, pharrell williams helps jay-z out on that track and then he has one of his own on this mix, because you picked Freedom by Pharrell Williams.

Speaker 2: 20:41

Yeah, I always I love whenever we kind of have these weird like song choices that sit right next to each other, because if you're new to the show, first off welcome and also just a refresher. We don't like work on these mixes together. We each pick our six and then we mush them up together and it just so happened that two Pharrell Williams songs were right next to each other, so I think that's always fun when that happens. So this went on this mix because it actually, you know, I thought about songs that I listened to whenever I needed motivation, and this was one back in 2015, when I was working on a different startup and we'd actually just been accepted into a startup accelerator fund. It was a really fun time in my life been accepted into a startup accelerator fund. It was a really fun time in my life like going to this like open office space and starting my own company for the first time. Like it felt like truly like the first time because you know we had some money and investors and we had mentors and you know I wanted to prove myself and obviously and like build something for me and this song came out right around then. It was for the launch of Apple Music. This was like one of their debut songs of the Apple Music Radio show and it just I love it, like it hits really hard. I love the message behind it.

Speaker 2: 21:46

I think for me, that the largest takeaway is some of the lines about how he talks, about we're all the same, we're all one. You know he's got. He sings here. We are from heat. The electric one doesn't shock you to see. He left us. The sun, atoms in the air, organisms in the sea, the sun and, yes, man are made of the same things and, of course, this is a reference to the fact that, like you know, in the Big Bang theory, like we are all literally just the same atoms that have all organized in different ways and so we're all born from the same place. And I find that really motivating, because I think sometimes it's easy to feel like you're on your own, you're alone, or this is like building something can be a really lonely pursuit, and so I think it's a nice reminder that you've got a lot of people out there that can support you and are doing just the same thing, and you can seek them out and do this together. So that's why this song is on the mix for me.

Speaker 1: 22:37

That's great, yeah, and I think you're exactly right. Like so, many people have the same goals and sometimes, when you have a goal, you almost want to keep it to yourself because, well, what if I don't achieve it? What if I fail? Right, and I think what you'll find is, when you share it with people, there's other people pursuing that same thing and they're going to be like, oh, and all of a sudden, now you have a support group and that makes it so much easier to reach a goal. So, yeah, there's going to be plenty of people out there, like we just talked about, who don't necessarily believe in you, but there's also a lot of people who do believe in you, and there's probably more people who believe in you than don't. So it's good to get, get your goals out there and share them with people, to, to kind of find that support group wherever that is. But, yeah, out there and share them with people to, uh, to kind of find that support group, wherever that is.

Speaker 1: 23:24

But, yeah, going back to this song, I love it. I love the piano on this song, like I love just the. The rhythm there is great and, um, you know, pharrell williams is is just so cool, like everything just sounds so different every every song. So, um, yeah, he does a great job with this one, so really glad you included this on the mix.

Speaker 2: 23:39

Awesome, all right. Track number nine is Moving On Up by M People.

Speaker 1: 23:47

Yeah, a little early 90s Brit pop for you on this mix. So, yeah, this was a real throwback. Interestingly enough, the lead vocalist on it for m people is a woman named heather small, and she actually sang the song proud, which I think I put on the january motivation mix last year. Um, so, yeah, I mean just something about her voice I think brings out I don't know some. There's something motivating about her voice, I think. That I find.

Speaker 1: 24:17

But this song is obviously about sort of a toxic relationship, like things not going well and this person deciding to move on up and move on from this person. And yeah, I mean, I think, if you're in a relationship or if you're just around people, like we said, who just don't believe in you, the good way to move on up is to break away from those people. Right, so that could be something that you might want to achieve in 2023 is to get away from that negativity. But even if it, you know, not a relationship based type thing, I mean, you know, just the idea of moving on up I think is very motivating. So, love the song, love the energy of it, and so that's, that's why it's on the mix.

Speaker 2: 24:56

Yeah, you're spot on with with all of that. I love that message and I have said so many times before that you know you can take these songs to be their literal meaning or, of course, you can apply your own meaning and so, whether it is an actual like romantic relationship or a friendship that you're breaking up with, or a place that you work that's keeping you down, or a group of friends that are keeping you down, whatever you know, whatever it is that is kind of holding you back at some time, it's a difficult choice to break up with that but can be so much better. Your life can be completely different if you do and make those hard choices to move on up. So hopefully, you know, hopefully you're not in a bad situation, but if you do find yourself in one and you need a little push, I think the song has got a great message to kind of get you there.

Speaker 1: 25:43

All right, track 10, you put. Take Back the Power by Rory.

Speaker 2: 25:49

So this song came to me through an Apple commercial. Apple often picks like really interesting songs and I find that they tend to go like a little off the beaten path and then, of course, because they're in an Apple commercial, they become mainstream.

Speaker 1: 26:03

They become the world's most popular artist.

Speaker 2: 26:06

Right, it doesn't take long Whenever a trillion dollar company picks your song for a commercial who knew?

Speaker 2: 26:17

But yes, this was an artist, multi-genre artist, who kind of just put this track out into the world and Apple featured it in a really powerful commercial that I actually would watch every day for a while.

Speaker 2: 26:29

It was their series Behind the Mac and they highlight all of these people who are like movers and shakers of their respective industries. You know, people who challenge the status quo, people who like take back power for their own you know kind of niche and their interests and stuff. So know, lyrically, thematically, I think it's it's a really motivating song to kind of go and and fight for you know what you care about and what matters to you and and however small or however big that movement is like, I think it can be very empowering to um, you know to do that, and then the other, you know sonically, do that, and then the other, you know sonically, I love, love, love the song. Like I love how it just moves you and like breathes power, like through the chorus and the drum beat and everything Like you can get really amped up listening to this song and so, again, for that reason I also started a lot of my days listening to it.

Speaker 1: 27:22

Yeah, I was not familiar with this one. I don't remember that Apple commercial, but yeah, I mean I'm with you. Just listening to it I was like man, this is awesome, like who is this guy, you know, and I kind of dug into his catalog a little bit but yeah, it was a great pick. Totally agree with the theme and, again, just the sound of it I think will get you going, even if you don't dig too much into the lyrics, will get you going even if you don't dig too much into the lyrics. So, one way or another, I think this song can move you in the right direction, trying to hit your goals.

Speaker 2: 27:53

So the last track on your mix was a great pick off of a really nice album by Gemini and you went with Fire Breather by Macklemore.

Speaker 1: 28:04

Yeah, and this features a rock band called Rainwolf on it and if you listen to this song it starts out just sounding like a kind of conventional rock song, right, and then Macklemore comes in and there's a little bass line and so you know kind of transitions into more of kind of a rock rap sort of thing. But yeah, just an awesome song. I mean just you know a couple of the lyrics that I called out here is hungry, like it's my rookie year and I'm new to the sport. The game is tied up. They're looking at you in the fourth. Do you take the shot or pass? This is 10,000 hours. You know, it's like he kind of references that 10,000 hour rule.

Speaker 1: 28:39

As far as how to become excellent at something, but just love that you know kind of painting the picture of the moment where it's like all right, like you wanted this opportunity. Now here's your opportunity. What are you going to do? You know, we talked about my shot from Hamilton earlier. I mean, it's kind of in that same vein and the whole song talks about being a fire breather, trying to, you know, be that that person who's you know kind of the alpha, kind of the one who's out there and like you've worked for this and now here's your opportunity.

Speaker 2: 29:14

Let's take advantage of it, absolutely yeah. And the line that follows a couple of lines later is I'm showing up to practice shooting early, getting baskets, and I again. I love that because I think it just comes back to this theme of of you show up. You got to show up for yourself, you got to show up for your team, for your group, whatever. Whatever thing you're pursuing and however many people it involves, it starts with showing up, and so I really love that. And you're right, it's such a unique sound, having him rap on top of a rock song, you wouldn't ever really think that those two things work well together.

Speaker 1: 29:47

But wow, they work really well together in this track, so it's really awesome yeah, it's a really cool sounding song, definitely something, uh, a little different than you might expect on a mix like this, as is, uh, the final track on this mix, your last pick. This was a little unexpected, I think, for me, but you went with Present Tense by Pearl Jam.

Speaker 2: 30:08

Yeah, I was trying to. You know, I was thinking about different songs again. That motivated me for a while and this one came to me from the documentary the Last Dance, the miniseries on Michael Jordan's run with the Chicago Bulls and and the you know all the championships that they played, and it ended the series. So this was like, I think, if not closing credits, but it kind of led into closing credits and I wouldn't have thought of it as like a motivating song the first time I heard it. But as I continue to listen to it, because I really love this song and you know, listen to the lyrics and really got into them, I think its message is really powerful and it is really motivating. I think, in particular, you know the message obviously is just saying, like you, you can't live in your past regrets and like you might be the only person that's not forgiving yourself and you've got to just stay in the present tense. And I really love the line like look at the tree, you know, like how it, like the tree, trees don't really know time in the way that we know time, like they just are, and whatever is happening, whatever the the wind is blowing, the rain is going, whatever they just are. And so I think it's really important. You know, we set goals, we look to the future, but the way you get there is by staying present and just making sure of like, okay, what do I need to do now? Because as long as you're doing the right thing now, that future will create itself for you. And, yeah, not spending too much time in the past, because you can get kind of jammed up, and you mentioned weight loss as a goal for you.

Speaker 2: 31:38

I actually lost 20 pounds last year and it took literally all year to do it, and it wasn't even at all. There were times when I would lose weight. There was a lot of times where I would backpedal, and when you backpedal, it's like, oh my God, like you just want to quit the whole thing, because you just think, oh, I've done all this work and here I am putting back on weight. But I just had to remind myself like that's OK, I've done it again, you know I've done it again. I, you know I've done it before. I can do it again. Like I just got to get right back on that track and start making the right decisions again that will help me lose this weight. And so it was, yeah, quite a journey. It will remain a journey for the rest of my life, but I think the key thing was just always trying to stay in the present.

Speaker 1: 32:20

Yeah, that's a great I mean, that's a great message right there and just much, you know, being present is important and and we kind of talked about all of it today you know it's like looking back and seeing how progress has happened, you know, looking looking ahead and sort of manifesting those dreams and those goals. But yeah, I mean, what matters is what are you doing right now to kind of help that and so this, that song, this song is a great reminder of that. But you know, even just the sound of this I put down this is a real Sam or special, because there's such a slow build and then at the end, it's just rocking right Like they're just going crazy.

Speaker 1: 32:53

So it's a. It's an awesome song just to listen to, but, yeah, just a great message and, I think, a great one to uh to wrap up this motivation mix.

Speaker 2: 33:03

And yeah, a final call out here If makes. And yeah, final call out here, if you have not seen the Last Dance and you want to be motivated, I found myself really motivated having watched the Last Dance because that guy and that team worked really hard to win those games. That was not easy on any of them, so I felt fired up watching it.

Speaker 1: 33:21

Yeah, exactly Like. You see the hard work, but you also see just the level of confidence that it takes and you know where motivation came from for different people, and it really is. You don't have to be a basketball fan, I think, to really appreciate everything that that documentary puts forth. Well, there you have it. Another super awesome mix for your collection. This time it is a January motivational mix and if you love the motivational stuff, okay, check out Super Awesome you.

Speaker 1: 33:52

It's a weekly podcast and Sam was keeping it to like 10 minutes, which I think is awesome, because you always can find 10 minutes. You know, it's not a three hour dissertation on stuff, hour dissertation on stuff. And uh, and again, like he said, he kind of focuses on the science of things, and so it's not just him screaming at you to work harder it. Uh, it really is. Uh, I think you're doing a really good job with it, really thoughtful job. So, um, yeah, for all the listeners out there, check it out, rate, review it, and you can rate and review this show as well. We love that and help. You know it helps more people find us. So so, there you have it. Check out super awesome you. And it you know we'll take. We'll go back to the lab and start working on more mixtapes for you and so for Samar. This is Matt, and we'll see you next time.