Aging sucks....don't it? RIP Kobe

26+ Months away from the game...but who's counting right?
"We don't care that you've been gone GG, why are you back?"

Let's just say my fans (3) have spoken, "they must've been drunk and at a wedding right, GG?"

LOL...just kidding... but I was also inspired by some events in my life

I guess you can say...your prayers have been answered.

So what's changed since we last spoke?

An easier way to answer that is....What hasn't changed?

People started asking 

there was a bunch of 

and I even got to 

Let's just say there were some highs and some lows, self-reflection, and some questioning God. But in the end, life goes on and you learn from the lessons and turn out happier afterward. 

let it go

At the end of it all, I am 2 years older and 20 lbs...wiser?

Also, can you tell my grammar is a lot better? I started taking some classes and had to download Grammarly, which automatically fixes ma' errors so shout out to them. 

START HERE IF YOU ARE SELFISH AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE I HAVEN'T WRITTEN IN 26 MONTHS AND ACCIDENTALLY CLICKED THE LINK TO READ

(this is how you treat me).

AGING

So the other day I was talkin' to my cousin as we are trying to lose some weight. I told him how it seemed a lot harder to lose weight now that I am older. 

As you may know, I recently turned 30 and have put on some weight. 

Yeah...that's not muscle

I know, I know "Groominguru it wasn't that long ago you were givin' us sh*t for being too lazy to exercise, eat right, and lose weight"

1. Patience is key

I know how you feel. I go to the gym (especially after being out a week), and work out for like 30 minutes, then I get tired.

The obvious next step? Look at yourself in the mirror fully expecting 6 pack abs. 

But you walk away disappointed in what you see: 

As you get older, your body changes as well. It cannot take the beatings at the frequency it once used to. It will take time and patience to be able to lose weight after you have gotten older. Like I have mentioned before, the longer it takes is actually a blessing in disguise. The harder it is also is a blessing in disguise. 

No, I haven't gone crazy. We tend to take things for granted if it's easy and quick. Which is what happened to me. As I started to gain weight I was thinking to myself "you did it before you can do it again" And although it wasn't easy it made me feel comfortable because I figured if I did it once I could do it again. Also, the longer that your fitness journey takes, the more likely you are to stick to it. Fad diets and new years' resolutions come and go quickly. But if you stick to it for a longer period, you can make this a LIFESTYLE change instead of a new year's resolution. 

In no time you will be as strong as this guy 

2. Get some knee braces/some fly SAS kicks

Another tip to follow is to get some knee braces. Whether you are weightlifting, running on the treadmill, doing elliptical, or just going to work these will help as you age.

I recommend the padded types which will help during your weightlifting as well as cardio. The less stress there is on the joints, the more likely you will continue your workout to the finish, and not be in pain in the days afterward.

I know, I know SAS shoes don't seem hip (these are decent)

But sometimes, style isn't everything which includes your time spent at the gym. There is no point in sacrificing performance on your workout because you tryna' have cute shoes on. It won't hurt to get some ugly shoes because then you won't have ugly toes. 

apparently, people pay good money for pictures of feet? that's for another day...

3. Hair loss


Unfortunately, not everybody has the genes/Bollywood aestheticians to keep their hair looking like this

or this

There are obviously a plethora of products out there that can help. Some haircuts can cover it, products that give you volume, even prescription medications to inhibit the loss or even augment it. Being in the field of drugs, I don't feel like going through the side effects, but let's just say it's probably something that cannot be sustained in the long term and is just slowing down the inevitable. 

Or if you can afford the transplant, etc. like this dude....go for it 

As hair starts going away, spend time on the rest of your body. 

Get yo skin right, get yo nails right, get yo mind right, get yo teeth right

 Basically self-care. Take it from Marshawn...

As I've lost hair (yup even the groominguru has lost hair), and seen how people struggle with it, I've realized that there are so many other ways to take care of yourself and keep you happy that you can control. Above all, take care of your mentals.

4. Conclusion

Aging isn't the end of the world, and you can get everything you put your mind to although it might take longer to achieve. 

A positive outlook, strong faith (in yourself and whatever higher being you subscribe to) can help you keep kickin' for years. 

Some Post-blog reflection:
Kobe...I never thought about you dying, nor did I ever think I would care so much if you did. I grew up hating you. You defeated Pippen-Barkley-Olajuwon the first big 3....you defeated Steve Francis-Cuttino Mobley-Yao...TMAC-Artest-Yao...

That's when I respected you cuz I saw how your hard work made you so much more successful than TMAC (who was arguably more talented than you). I saw the hard work during the scandal going to the hearings and flying straight into your games, you were fighting hard to clear your name of the rape (although the infidelity was not okay either). It showed character to not miss work amidst the boos and the travel. Above all, you fought for your family. It would've been easier to cut your losses and live it up like most other NBA players but you owned up and fixed your marriage/family which I know was a lot harder than calling it quits. I truly respected you after you retired. You were so focused and to yourself until you retired and then you started sharing your knowledge. You were a renaissance man, and most importantly a family man. You were truly an inspiration to others to work hard.

I spent all of yesterday watching his highlights, player reactions, and reading his quotes. The one that stood out the most to me was Spencer Dinwiddie talking about how Kobe reached out and appreciated him. A non-all star, pretty average player was in tears because Kobe appreciated him. That is very contrary to the arrogance most people of Kobe's stature portray. Reach out to the little guys, stand up for the kids being bullied in school, be friends with the "weird" kids, talk to those who maybe have nobody to talk to. That was a real example of him using his power to better the world.

Some things I forgot and remembered in the past few weeks:

1. You can't control everything. People around you get sick, life changes, but God is always there.

2. Don't do things expecting people to understand, and don't question God. Do what you think is right, and the rest will fall in line.


I was spending some time with a loved one recently and I saw a story on the news of a father on his last days due to the extent of his cancer. The son and family staged an early graduation ceremony for the son in case he didn't make it that long and he said:

"We are all terminal, we just need to treat each other like we know it"