Hike For Humanity

A spiritual journey to cleanse the soul, attain enlightenment, and promote coexistence (through the production of a moving screenplay)  

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Working from home. Going into the office later. Always learning how to increase the value I bring to my students. My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed #MyValueIsInYourSuccess #CoachingOverCoffee #ActingTips #NeverEnoughKnowledge #TheGrind

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I don't teach SECRETS. I teach SUCCESS. Only 2 days left to register and you must register to attend. Click below to register! http://theclassactstudios.com/contact-us.php

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You are changing on a daily basis whether you realize it or not. The change is either productive or destructive, but there is no stagnancy. Stagnancy is destructive. Be conscious of the change that is happening. You can then control it. Most people say they want there lives to change but if we just anticipate change without participating in it, it won't happen. Happy New Year! My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed Follow me on Periscope @ClassActCoach #ClassActStudios #CoachingOverCoffee #ChangeBuildsProfits

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The saying goes, "Wherever you go, there you are." All the answers you will ever need are buried deep inside of you. Successful people have uncovered this treasure and take it with them. I may be your map and guide. I am a treasure seeker. My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed Follow me on Periscope @ClassActCoach Contact me on my website http://theclassactstudios.com #ActingTips #LifeLessons #TravelInward #YouAreATreasure #CoachingOverCoffee

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Calling all ACTORS!!! Register by December 25th and receive a free electronic copy of my book, "Get Your ACT Together - Living an Oscar-Worthy Life" Headshot Special for all those who attend!!! Special guest speaker just added! YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND http://www.theclassactstudios.com/contact-us.php "Discovery" Opportunity Tell a friend, Bring a friend, Make a friend! What else would you like to see added to this? Looking to build more value!

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There is no quick fix. Growth happens from the inside out. A bandage just protects a wound, while the cells regenerate. I have come to realize all healing begins and ends within. It also takes time and work. Healing doesn't happen without focusing on what is damaged. My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed #HealingIsntAccidental #FixYourselfFixYourAudition Follow me on Periscope @ClassActCoach #ActingTips #LifeLessons

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It is natural to travel the path of least resistance; pulleys ease the work it takes to move a person. Bullies push people away. Be a pulley not bully, for if you want to go far you mustn't go alone. My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed Follow me on Periscope @ClassActCoach #ActingTips #LifeLessons #ClassActStudios #CoachingOverCoffee theclassactstudios.com

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Don't base your intrinsic worth on extrinsic opinions. The rose that waits on a person to smell it before it blossoms remains a seed in the dirt. My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed #WorthyOfLove #IAmALotus Check out... #CoachingOverCoffee

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I share with the world without expectations. I share not to receive anything in return but rather to expose my purpose and help others find theirs. The sun doesn't shine for you to go to it (you would burn to a crisp); it shines to light your way so you may discover new frontiers. My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed #CoachingOverCoffee

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No Rest For My Mind

On my day of rest, a friend drove down from Chicago to visit and bring me a sign for my cart. She also brought me a Happy Birthday cookie. Thank you Angie Deveros.

I didn’t want to just completely lie around the campground so we went to Lincoln’s Tomb.

It was disturbing. Spoiler alert: My opinion is not popular opinion.

Although I am half Polish and half Puerto Rican, I consider myself to have White Privilege, with the benefits of having a minority last name. I went to private schools when I was a child but received my degree from a very diverse inner-Chicago four-year university NEIU.

I consider myself to be fairly educated, so as I sat at the tomb of one of the most influential presidents of this country, it bothered me not to see very many black people visiting (there were two black kids that rode their bikes to the site and left and had a brief conversation with me, and a couple black girls).

I watched people from other countries (India, Korea, Thailand, Japan) who may or may not have a great understanding of what this man did, take pictures, read the information, touch the bust of Lincoln’s nose, and relish being at this monument.

A monument for a president, a white president, a Republican who fought for the freedom of black slaves. He paved the way for others to make even greater leaps and bounds against civil injustices. The percentage of blacks that showed was roughly 6%. It was disturbing.

Now, I’m just making observations, so here is another one. In every statue that was erected on Lincoln’s tomb were soldiers in action during the Civil War. Not one soldier was black. The men that fought were diverse and there were plenty black soldiers fighting for the freedom of their fellow blacks (who were slaves). Should they not be represented on such a monument.

Whether we like to believe it, the majority of people whom white people praise are other white people and the majority of people whom black people praise are black people. Wonderful. Be proud of your culture and heritage, but if the world is to become an even better place, then we must recognize everyone who has devoted their life to making the world a better place, no matter what their color, creed, religion, or ethnic background. You should notice that I don’t refer to race for I believe their is only one…the human race.

We need to set an example for our peers, our elders, and our youth. They may have been misguided and either misinformed or uninformed of the people that went to great lengths and risked persecution and their lives for the betterment of the world.

Better yourself. Educate yourself. Give yourself a greater future by being a better person today. Ask the hard questions. Open a dialogue so you can learn and understand.

The unpopular stance is one of change for the betterment of the world. If you don’t believe me, tell someone you are going to do something to create world peace and their belief is…it will never work, because the betterment of the world is an unpopular stance.

I was told if I can dream it, I can achieve it. So, I’m doing my part. Please do yours.

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Day 4 - I'm So Blessed

Last night I stayed in a hotel... It was possibly 2 stars, but it had a 10 star shower. I should've asked for more soap so I had some tonight (I'll get to that in a minute). It was absolutely the best shower I've ever had in my life...hands down. I woke up this morning and started working on my feet. So, I got a late start walking. It seems my pinky toes are stubborn. They hurt like hell today. I have breakfast and meet two wonderful ladies who asked if the press was following me. I told them, "not yet". I forgot my charger at their restaurant and one of them drive it to me. I have her an awesome hug, which I really wanted to do anyway because she said she was recently divorced. I felt some healing was needed. I called my accountability coach, who if you haven't reached out to for a free session, you are missing out on life-changing coaching. His name is Ryan Roy and his business is Justify Or Just Do It. We talked a good bit. I broke down several times...crying and eventually took a seat in some shade on the site of the road. A sheriff stopped and asked me if I was okay. I told him I was amazing. He asked me standard questions: ID, where am I going, etc... He then asked if I needed anything. I told him I needed a hug. He said he couldn't do it. I said, "you asked me what I needed and that is really what I need." He caved. I don't think they are supposed to do that for safety reasons, but he did so I won't say his last name but his first name was Doug. I kept walking and my feet weren't doing well, I didn't want to stop walking because that is when the pain comes. The pain comes when we quit, when we hesitate. I made it to a small town where everything ng was close except the BP gas station. Erin the attendant was so kind. While I was resting and refueling, a man came in and a conversation happened. His name is Don Spencer... We talked about God and I asked him for some advice on life. I'll post his quote tomorrow. He is a trucker and he talked about how our goal is to achieve a higher state of consciousness. He was a God send. We talked movies and directors for a little. It was a beautiful moment. He offered me to stay at his place but he would be home late. I had to pass, but Don has a beautiful spirit and I'll be in touch with him in the future for sure. I just when I thought I couldn't take any more pain, Lynn pulls up. Lynn is a cyclist and noticed my ridiculous backpack. He later said he knew I was serious because of it. He offered to buy me dinner and pay for me to camp. Can you say "angel"? We took some pictures, I'll post them later and he left me to my walk. I seriously didn't think I was going to make it to his town...pinky toes. I took some ibuprofen and trekked on. I text him and told him my pace slowed considerably. He said he would check on me on twenty minutes. In the meantime, I saw this weirdo walking towards me. I thought his truck broke down. As he got closer, I told him he wasn't going to meet anyone going that way for awhile and then I noticed it was Nickolas Vetrovec, a friend from Wright College. He drive to give me a hug. WTF? How awesome. Lynn pulled up. I asked him to take my backpack, I triple-timed it to his town and Nick, Lynn, and I had dinner before he brought me to my campsite. I was going to take a shower, but I sometimes fail, so back to the soap from the hotel. No soap, no towel, no flip-flops, no shower. I'll deal with it. Through all the pain, I was blessed with so many great things, which brings me to my last point. It was something I said to a friend of mine named Lydia and she brought it up yesterday. There are no bad days, just bad moments. I told her that years ago and I've modified it since. There are no bad moments. There are just opportunities for growth. If you embrace the moment for to long, then you have failed to live there next moment to the fullest. If I focused on my pain, I would not have been open to the blessings I was given. I wouldn't let anger, pain, and frustration carry over into the next moment, let it fester and my day would've been one of just pain. Let go. Let God.

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Day 3 - Blessed

Let me first start out by saying thank God. After taking a shower, which consisted of cleaning myself with four baby wipes, I had a decent night's rest even though every time I moved I was in pain. I woke up this morning and there was a break on the rain, long enough to get my tent packed. I made my way to Route 66 Diner in Joliet (serendipitously). Four young gentlemen were entering at the same time. One noticed my pack and asked if I was hiking Route 66. I told him yes, to which he responded I admire you. I laughed it off but said thank you. I noticed that were locking up their bicycles before coming in. I asked them how far they were riding... All the way. We say together and I found out they were from Switzerland. They flew to Chicago with their bicycles and were going all the way to Santa Monica and then taking the train back to Chicago and flying home. They were amazing. How I admired them. The one who initiated our conversation has cycle the Route seven years ago and thought it would be nice to do it again when he was 66. That's right 66. The other three were 62, 64, 68. There was a writer, actor, surgeon, and a general practitioner doctor... and a joke in there somewhere. No excuses... Just took action. I have one of their cards and was told to look him up if I'm ever in Switzerland... Do you know dolayhewho is going to Switzerland? Maybe this guy. I need to get to LA first. The rest of my day consisted of crazy thoughts that I'll be sure to share on future posts. I took notes when they came to me so I wouldn't forget. I decided to get a hotel room so I could take care of my feet. I keep telling myself it is a reward, but I feel guilty. I just know I needed to really care for my feet or I wouldn't be able to make it through the week. One thing I will speak on... It's actually more of a question and falls in line with yesterday's post. I have a hat given to me by my younger brother. Does it show him I love the hat more if I take care of it and not wear it or if I wear it out ( and it falls to pieces because of how much I use it)? Answer and explain your reasoning. Have a beautiful evening. Sweet dreams

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Day 2

Okay, It wasn't more than halfway into my walk that I once again realized I'm insane. This is crazy. Before I let that thought totally consume me, I thought about how old Gandhi was or Dr. King when they decided to commit to changing the world. I wouldn't put myself in their class except to say I may be an extremist like they were at this point. I saw a bunch of different birds and flowering trees. I walked on a lot of grass and it made me think of my neighbor when I was young. He used to yell at us to stay off his lawn. How ridiculous. Grass is there to touch not just look at. I knew he didn't want us to kill his lawn and today it made me think, if we were to consider the consequences of our actions first would we step lighter or less on the things which we could kill. My body is aching. I was determined to start my walk yesterday no matter what, so I don't have my sleeping pad, which sucks because my body could really use the cushioning. I'll have it tomorrow night to sleep. I did get 24 miles in. I'm proud. I thank God for the strength to get me through them. I interacted with several different people. All day long, I fought tears. I really wanted to stop and just be hugged. It's really awesome how much more I appreciate a smile from anyone. Compassion is a result of suffering and not wanting others to experience the same pain. With that... Good night... Live with purpose

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Day 1

I started my day off by receiving a hundred hugs from people at the Cloud Gate just off of Michigan Avenue. I was only denied by couple people. the ones that really stood out for a couple children and wanted to give me more than one hug, and they did but I couldn't count it as a second. it made me think how wonderful children are until we corrupt them. I hugged people from different countries, different religious backgrounds I'm sure, different genders and sexual orientation; but none of that was discussed it was just a simple hug between two humans one of which stated he was walking to Los Angeles and wanted to start his journey by giving and receiving 100 hugs. There were only 5 people that I knew that actually showed up for it. I appreciate every single one of them for the time that they gave. They all decided to walk with me a little ways on my trip. my mother said she would have walked the whole way to California with me if she could. I think it is funny because we are all capable we just limit ourselves by the choices we make. I found it amusing that several hours later my brother and my mother pulled up in a van. I'm currently in my tent only 22 miles from where I started. They can easily get here by car in less than 45 minutes. I didn't make it as far as I wanted because I wasn't prepared to carry my backpack, which is very heavy. I pitched a tent in a lot next to an abandoned factory off of frontage road Indian Head Ridge. I just beat the rain. I'm calling it a night and getting up early start my walk again. It was nice to touch base with several people this evening. Sweet dreams. Reminder: Don't ever let compassion be overthrown by impatience or intolerance.

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Pain Is Prevention

Pain. We can’t stand it, but we do on occasion deal with it. Why?

On my walk today, I thought a lot about pain because my feet were on fire and though I did my best, it looked like my feet caught a case of herpes; new blisters forming everywhere.

As your getting that thought out of your mind, think about this...

Pain prevents us from being hurt/injured more.

From the blisters on my feet, to my muscles burning during a workout, to my heart when someone has completely destroyed it.

What happens? We shut down; we build walls, we don’t progress.

Pain prevents us from progression. Pain is our enemy and not just because it hurts but because it cripples us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. No one likes to experience pain (unless you are a masochist-but even then you have your safe word). 

I have written on pain in the past. I have written on the notion that without pain there is no growth. I still believe this is true, even if you get shot. The growth you may experience will be spiritual rather than physical.

What if you embraced pain (like a bodybuilder) but on all levels; if you were completely aware this pain could be used to progress? The growth you could achieve would be exponential. 

Physically my feet hurt. Emotionally I felt alone. Mentally I thought this won’t change anything. Spiritually I thought this mission was given to the wrong person. 

All of that was working to prevent me from moving forward. 

A soft wind blew in through the trees. I heard birds and crickets singing. The clouds gave me a little relief from the sun, and in that brief moment, I was free enough from the pain that I realized it isn’t going to prevent me from my goal and neither should yours. 

Do not let pain paralyze you from living. You must first be willing to feel the pain in order get to the point of growth. It is only once you’ve passed the threshold of pain you don’t normally experience that you actually have grown. Be aware of the pain going in and embrace it knowing that you will come out stronger on the other side.

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Grateful for students with open minds, open hearts, and open arms. They trusted me to give them proper guidance with their craft and lives and I was the one who left changed most. My life is #OscarWorthy #Blessed #Purposeful

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The Catalyst

First, I want to thank you for taking time out of your day to read this. You are not only awesome but rare. I am aware this is not a coincidence. You made a choice and I appreciate it.

Second, I want everyone to know the greatest achievements in life have been the ones that have helped the most people and changed the most lives. 

Creators (Inventors, Writers, Artists) do what they do to change the world...and they have for the better.

So, I am no different. I live my life my a set of rules and principles in order to change the world...

Be amazing.

Provide value.

Over promise.

Over deliver.

Work hard.

Give Hugs.

Serve others.

Solve problems.

Change lives.

Enjoy the moment.

Doing these things have changed the lives of people with whom I come in contact, but I am no longer content in affecting one person a day when I could affect a million in a year.

This wasn’t the initial thought process of why I decided to walk to Los Angeles. There wasn’t really much of a thought process at all.

I was sitting at my computer on March 7th, 2015 and I clicked on a link to watch President Obama’s speech at the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, AL. It was poignant; it was insightful; it was long (I thought the speech was going to be short - about 5 minutes).  I watched the whole thing, but somewhere in the middle of his speech, as he spoke about the people that gathered to walk across the bridge, God spoke to me. 

I find it funny when I say it, because I know people are thinking I heard a mighty voice (like in the Ten Commandments sans the burning bush) that called out. I couldn’t actually tell what the voice sounded like, because my thoughts don’t have a “voice”. They are just there, but they are there because sometimes when we open our minds and our hearts to the universe, God will talk to us. 

The airplane is a great example, so is the computer, and also a nuclear reactor. These things were inspired by a thought that I believe was provided by God. 

With that said, God told me to walk to Los Angeles. He said, if you want your screenplay made, you’ll have to walk to Los Angeles. Now, there aren’t many times when God (or for some of you, the “Universe”) talks to you, so I decided to listen. 

As I thought more about it, I realized that I was about to walk for everyone on this earth, because humanity needs people to take the simplest action, over and over and over again in order for there to be change. New habits must be developed. 

I know the screenplay I’ve written will change many more lives than just my own...and that will allow me to continue to change even more lives. I want to leave this world in a better condition than I arrived in it. 

I know many people won’t get to the end of this blog and I understand why. It is because we live in a technological fast-food society, where we don’t have to open a book to gain an answer, we just have to Google it. We can make music at a click of a button rather than learning an instrument. We don’t watch films for content but rather movies for context. 

It is because we live in this type of society that we are disengaged and impersonal. We text instead of inviting others into our homes to talk (I know there are people out there who make the world less safe, but if we treat everyone as a threat, than they will act that way). We are quick to judge instead of taking our time to understand. 

Time invested wisely creates success for the masses. So, I’ve decided to spend my time walking to help the world. 

I want to thank you again if you’ve made it to the end of this post. I also am willing to humble myself and ask since you don’t have the time to invest in what I’m doing, maybe you will donate to the cause. I’m asking you for help, for I know that I can not do this alone.

Lastly, I will say this. Whether I reach my financial goal or not to make this journey slightly more comfortable, I am going. May 3rd will come and I will start walking. 

My life is