motivational
Back Roads To Florida In Words And Pictures ( OK just some random fun!)
I love two lanes. I’m a kid who grew up in a tiny farm town and it’s how you travel. Out of the way cafes, old truck stops. I love it. Sadly tons of my travel these days is on a jet. That’s awesome for some things and I love the luxurious exotic places we go, but it misses something. One of the things I love about travel is seeing the little things. How people live or eat in an area, especially rural areas. Gas stations can be one of the coolest learning experiences! Where I’m from it was the hang out as a kid. Park your car in the corner with your friends, grab a soda out of the machine and talk about life.
On my recent trip to Florida we drove. We had fun and my Cajun friend who vacations in Destin often gave me a cool way to go from here. My Cajun friend who lived up here for years ( and is an executive who has testified before congress lol) so he has great love of back roads like me. I wanted to post pictures of this part of the trip. My wife shot most of them from the window of the car while I drove, so don’t expect incredible photography. Enjoy it for what it is. I’m also going to throw a few in from the bigger highways but they were unusual. Fitting for road trips. I’ll pop in and out to explain through the trip!
Most of these pictures were taken in southern Alabama and Northwestern Florida. If you get that way, a bit South of Montgomery turn off of 65 onto 31. The trip to the beach this way will take you along 31,41,87 and 4 in Alabama and Florida as well as through Blackwater River state park. Take the time and do it. See America!
The next pics are from other parts of the trip but still less photographed. Truckstop coffee. Roadside kitsch. My love!!! Enjoy. From I 57 in Illinois on down. One interesting set. A hotel in Alabama flying a Korean flag with sushi stuff on the breakfast bar. Turns out there was large Hyundai plant in the area. Just funny in rural South. Enjoy!
The next time you take a road trip, take some time and just enjoy the journey on the road. It’s how most of America lives. See where your food comes from! For marketing/advertising or to Get us to visit your place email tompkinscontent@gmail.com. obviously if you want seminars for martial arts and fight camps we would love to help you with that as well. Follow @combatsportlife and @tompkinscontent on Twitter
Today’s links. Get yours here inexpensively.
http://www.martinandbayley.com/
Adjust Your Attitude And Set Sail For Success
This will truly be one of the shortest blog posts I ever write. Similar to when I give a quick pump speech to my fighters or marketing employees. Very short, but very important! In their case if they don’t listen it means getting pushed around the ring ( or not working for the company for the non fighters lol). Pay attention!!!
You control your attitude for the most part. Yes people do things that effect you, but you choose to stay in the state you are in. Deciding to stay angry, negative or have no passion for what you do is a choice. Unsuccessful people view it as bad things happen. Successful people view it as a choice and make the appropriate cha
So in this super short post, understand that you can make a difference. Understand that you can be successful. Change your attitude. Don’t let jerks hold you hostage. I’ve been there. I did it. I should not have!
Find your motivation. Decide what you want in life. Head that way. Is it easy? Nope!!! Can you do it ? Oh yeah!!!!!!! If you need personal coaching or help with your marketing/vision/promotion then email tompkinscontent@gmail.com and also follow twitter for @combatsportlife & @tompkinscontent
Embassy Suites in Destin Florida ( From a Fighter Who Has Been Around The World)
I have to say that I’ve lost count of how many times and how many places I’ve stayed in an Embassy Suites. I know the first time was in the late 80s when I was young man. I was doing a kickboxing seminar in St Louis after fighting there a few weeks before. They booked me in to an Embassy in Laclede’s Landing. I was hooked! Yes like any hotel chain there are ups and downs but for the most part I never worry when a company or dojo book one for me.
So recently my wife, on a whim booked a week in Destin Florida at one for spring break. I was already going to be in the area for a day to do a private coaching session for a fighter, so my wife decided to make a trip of it with our youngest ( my 20 year old daughter ) as we won’t have many left with her at home. Embassy suites it was then.
I like to do my reviews of a hotel or resort as a rolling conversation, but with a core. The general, the meat and the area but mostly pictures! It gives you an idea of what its really like and as an old fighter, it’s simple!
So here is the general. Embassy suites is known for three things. Being all suites, having a breakfast buffet with some great cooked to order items and it’s evening happy hour. The evening reception is snacks and free drinks for two hours. Wine, beer and simple mixed drinks. It is a huge draw! Always served in a gorgeous atrium. This one happened to be under construction during our trip. They used one of their many nice meeting rooms for it, not great but they did a good job. The work was finished our last night so we go a good look and some pics( more later).
The room was very nice. Always good space. Clean and well designed. It has a good luxury feel at a less than luxury price. I always like them, and this location was no exception. Beach locations are hard to stay ahead of cleaning and maintenance but they did well here. I’ll let some room pictures speak for me.
It’s not in the top of luxe places we stay, but for family trips for many folks it is great. I’ve been all over and we are spoiled, yet this place didn’t disappoint us.
You get private access to strip of beach. It’s a quick walk across the street and it’s gorgeous. You have numbered access through a gate. All places along this strip are like that but keeps things quiet and subdued. Upside is its clean and no drunken stripper battles ( OK upside at my age lol). Downside is that you don’t have the cool cheap Beach food stands right there. If that’s you’re thing for Beach vacation, this isn’t your place. The beach is stunning, but I’ll cover that in other pieces.
Location wise it’s great for some things, not others. It’s a distance from some big things, harbor walk etc and clubs. If you want to party, arrange transportation or stay elsewhere. For the most part that isn’t who would be here. Harbor walk is great ( upcoming piece) but the party part is different. We stayed here and went there several times. It is very close to Destin Commons which is a cool shopping center with great views( another coming picture review. It’s also close to Silver Sands Premium Outlets if that’s your thing. They are both on 98 and within a couple of miles. Heck I walked up by Silver Sands one night. Ok full disclosure, we all got hungry late and there had been a bit of drinking. Solution, walk to Whataburger and bring food back. Easy walk, and not a bad area. I might not be a good judge as I get hit in the head often!
You can walk along scenic gulf drive, as the hotel sits on it. From Beach rental homes, gorgeous private complete es to kitschy shops it’s a cool place to walk. I’m going to post a few of that ( expect an article just on that street) along with the atrium and other amenities. Catch the final after the jump.
A quick summation. If you are want to yell and party naked on the beach, this isn’t you ( I’ll probably hit you ). If you need perfect luxe this isn’t you ( been to that place but still like this). Enjoy it. Enjoy the area. Enjoy your family.
If you want your place promoted or reviewed, contact us. Want a cheap link or ad with us? Hit us up. Full creative social campaign? Got it! Motivation for your company? Personal coaching or private sessions for fighting? Email tompkinscontent@gmail.com and follow @combatsportlife & @tompkinscontent on twitter. Extremely affordable, unbelievable as to how cheap ( except the fight sessions, those are expensive ♥). If I’m a few dollars and up.
Links and PR from today
http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/florida/embassy-suites-by-hilton-destin-miramar-beach-DSIESES/index.html
http://m.premiumoutlets.com/default.aspx?id=1348
http://www.destincommons.com/
http://whataburger.com/
Why Wait? The Perfect time Does Not Exist!
I’m going to make this a very short Motivational Monday post. Quit waiting. Quit waiting. There is no perfect time to start. There is no perfect reason to start. Whatever your dream or goal is, the time is today. The reason is because you want to!
Do you want to train in martial arts? Quit waiting. There is a way for you to do it. Trust me. There is a way! Don’t believe me, you are more than welcome to message/email me and I will personally talk to you about it! You want to get fit? Same thing. I talk to so many people who like to talk about my fighting career and say they always wanted to do martial arts, it just never happened. Same thing with fitness, couple that are friends of ours always talk about the shape we are in at our age. “We’d love to work out but…..” Blah blah, whatever reason. Start! Start today. Email me an we will talk.
It’s the same with building a business. You can talk forever but nothing will happen until you take action. Take the starter step today. Even if you don’t have a clue, talking to an expert about it is the first step. Take the first step. Reach out today. Take the Step. Already in motion but not sure how to progress? Talk to somebody. Take that action today. Right now. Need help in marketing, PR or social ads? Reach out. Love to help you. Start that conversation today and see where you can go. You have to make that first move though. Thinking about traveling? Love it. Travel all the time. Luxe and budget. Let’s talk. I have loads of connections.
If you need personal coaching and training, you’ve entered my world. Need ideas for marketing or promotion for your brand/product? Transcend Digital Media can help with that as well. Whether you need training or thoughts for the ring or help from our digital company, reach out today. Do it, and if you just need somebody to say let’s go then email me. Emailing me is free. Let’s get a conversation started.
Email tompkinscontent@gmail.com today and follow @combatsportlife and @tompkinscontent on twitter
Confidence Gained From Martial Arts Training Helps Your Career And Life
Ok , when I was kid I was a chubby,poorly dressed nerd. I was a good athlete but I struggled with my weight. We went to tiny and strange church and that made me very different from my friends. Being fairly intelligent this lead me to sequester myself in my room with books. Not necessarily a bad thing except that your social life dies. That will effect your ability to interact in business later in life. Good and bad there, but hang on.
That nerd trait served me well but the lack of interaction and confidence would have been hard to overcome. What changed? Martial arts entered the picture. Training in the ring and the discipline of that style of training helped in so many ways. The discipline helped me finally start building my conditioning. While playing and being decent at other sports, I just never was pushed to get in shape. Wrestling and martial arts gave me that discipline and desire. A big help in the confidence killing Jr high age lol. I’m going to toss some random pictures in here of what that does as well as training and students, then we will move on to how it helps in business and life.
The fact is the confidence I gained from training gave me more than I could imagine. I was terrified of girls and not exactly popular before I started this. That confidence allowed me to go on a date with girl who was way out of my league. 31 years later we are still together. That is a fact!!!!! In business, it helps in so many ways. While I fear little after spending time having other pro fighters try to take my head off, I do fear trying to get new clients and business. The nerd still comes out but the confidence allows me to schmooze. Over the years I’ve stopped having to worry as much about it as most of the business I need finds me (very much a function of a life in martial arts).
Confidence to talk to that girl/boy. Confidence to go on that job interview. Confidence to approach new business for your social media marketing empire. All of these things can be gained by taking the Step to start training. I still see the benefits every day.
Staying Agile and Fit to Slow the Aging Process
I’ve done a lot of damage to this old body. Yes having been a professional fighter did some long term damage, but there are other things as well. Football and wrestling when I was in school. A couple of nasty car wrecks. Most importantly, I had encephalitis when I was teen. As I’ve aged the damage from that has caused issues and pain. Still, doctors and friends are always amazed at the things I can do with my body and how agile I stile am. It is not a secret why and it isn’t because I’m super human, I’m very average. I train hard every day! Tools We Use To Train And More
My daily routine of martial arts training and fitness routines has allowed me to stay active. Not only does it help me overcome my damage, it has helped slow the aging process. It allows me to push hard, run multiple projects everyday because of my energy level. I don’t want to slow down. If its working for me with all this damage, it can definitely help you slow the age wave .
The stretching and movement I have to do everyday is what makes it all work. Pushing myself to still move quickly and kick to the head, pushes my body and mind to keep going. It’s not magic, its just work. Like I said, I’m average. Anybody can gain from this lifestyle, you just have to take the first step and start !
Pushing my cardio limit everyday to be able to still train my younger fighters in the ring helps my overall health. I come from a line of people who have heart trouble, high blood pressure and diabetes. At 47 years old, all my med workups in that respect are fantastic( my X-ray file is bad but broken bones from fighting don’t count lol). I can guarantee you that my training regimen is heavily responsible for that bit of good news for me. If it is helping me, it can help you.
While I love martial arts and think its for everyone, you can stay fit and Agile through many other routines. You just need to get started. Find something you are interested in and that will push you physically. Get going, stick with it and see the health and aging benefits for yourself. You can do this! You can live better! Get going!
Get a deal on Everlast Bag Gloves to help you stay in shape
I offer personal coaching ( mental,motivation and peak performance) as well as seminars. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact me. tompkinscontent@gmail.com or arbking@yahoo.com
Also follow on Twitter @combatsportlife and @tompkinscontent
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