Note From Dad #470 Topuria vs. Gaethje Hi Avery! I want to talk to you about Topuria vs Gaethje. Tomorrow night, Ilia Topuria will fight Justin Gaethje at the White House in Washington DC Ilia Topuria is heavily favored to win which makes Justin Gaethje the underdog. Justin Gaethje is representing the USA while Ilia Topuria is representing the country of Georgia. Like Justin Gaethje, at one time, the USA was an underdog country. A much bigger and stronger country, England, ruled over us. Like Gaethje, the odds were not in the USA’s favor at beating England. Despite the odds, the American colonies fought bravely for our independence. Even after many losses, the Americans hung in there until a major victory at Saratoga. After Saratoga, the country of France came to our aid and gave us resources to help us defeat England and earn our independence. Justin Gaethje, like the American colonies, faces a very difficult challenge and that’s OK because that’s what being American is all about. Being American is being crazy enough to travel to the moon, create the Internet, the iPhone and be a magnet for brilliant, ambitious people from all over the world. Tomorrow’s fight in Washington DC will allow a proud American, Justin Gaethje, to do what Americans do best: take on seemingly impossible challenges, swing for fences and be OK no matter what the outcome is. It is up to you and me, as Americans, to keep our special culture strong. I love Ilia Topuria’s confidence and greatness but as an American, I will be rooting for my countryman, Justin Gaethje. I love you! Love, Dad #notefromdad #gaethje #justingaethje #ufcwhitehouse #ufc #usa @Justin_Gaethje

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. The magic of being alive is unlocked when I use my brain, heart and balls to the fullest. 2. I am downstream from what I consume. 3. I am an artist and my life is the blank canvas. #dailybrainwash #mindfulness #gratitude #mindset #attitude #artist

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. I can choose to help myself. 2. I choose to remember who I want to be. 3. I choose to be a careful driver of my life. #dailybrainwash #selflove #selfcare #selfesteem #loa #visualization

Note From Dad #469 Ilia Topuria Hi Avery! I want to talk to you about Ilia Topuria. Ilia Topuria is a UFC fighter from the country of Georgia. Ilia joined the UFC quietly and without much fanfare. Like many people, I had no idea who he was. Ilia started to win fight after fight. He rose through the rankings and earned his first title shot against the multiple time Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Despite being the underdog and not favored to win, Ilia won the fight with a 2nd round KO to become the new champion. His next fight was against Max Holloway who had never been knocked out. Ilia knocked him out in the 3rd round, defending his Featherweight title. He was not done yet. Ilia moved up to fight for the vacant Lightweight title against Charles Oliveira. In the very first round, Ilia had another spectacular knockout victory. Ilia knocked out 3 legends in a row and cemented his status as a superstar. This Sunday, Ilia will defend his Lightweight championship belt against the dangerous Justin Gaethje. When I think of Ilia Topuria’s rise, I think of one word: undeniable. Ilia had nothing handed to him. He did not come from a famous gym, have famous teammates or have a manager give him easy fights. His first UFC fight was on only 9 days notice while he was recovering from COVID. To fight in the UFC is a special opportunity and Ilia seized the moment. In life, people will overlook you for a variety of biased reasons. While that might be unfair, it cannot stop you. Like Ilia, we can become undeniable. We can show up without excuses, do the work and earn what we want. Ilia Topuria is proof that greatness cannot be denied. I love you! Love, Dad #notefromdad #iliatopuria #ufcwhitehouse #elmatador #ufc #topuria @Topuriailia @TopuriaAleks @ufc

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. The unfairness of life brings out the best in me. 2. My inherent weaknesses and flaws are here to light the path. 3. Engaging with life illuminates the goodness within. #dailybrainwash #perspective #mindset #selflove #selfcare #journal

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. I do what my younger self would be proud to see me do. 2. My limits will not push themselves, it is up to me. 3. It is up to me to pack my own parachute. #dailybrainwash #selfrespect #selfcare #pushyourlimits #extremeownership

Note From Dad #468 Dave Attell Hi Avery! I want to talk to you about Dave Attell. Dave Attell is a comedian. His entire job is to tell jokes and make people laugh. He has been making Mom and I laugh for years. He is one of the best comedians of all time. I first discovered Dave Attell when he had a TV show called “Insomniac”. He would go to different cities, meet interesting people and very quickly use his sense of humor to make friends and get people laughing. Mom and I loved that show. Recently, I remembered one of his jokes, or bits. I started smiling and laughing at how clever the joke was and how well he told the joke. The laughter Dave Attell has brought to so many people is incredible. Each of us has our unique gifts to share to bring our light and goodness to humanity. I hope you openly share your gifts with the world and make it a happier place, just like Dave Attell. I love you! Love, Dad @attell #daveattell #standup #comic #comedian #comedy

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. Fighting problems bigger than me is good for me. 2. I am here to push the boat into the water. 3. I can learn to fight back when life is beating me up. #dailybrainwash #fight #problems #grit #mentaltoughness #dreambig

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. I believe in my own durability. 2. A well armed militia can change the course of history. 3. I am here to turn my coals into diamonds. #dailybrainwash #humanity #attitude #mondaymorning #morningmotivation #grit

Note From Dad #467 Do What You Can Do Hi Avery! I want to talk to you about doing what you can. When I roll with black belts at jiu-jitsu, there is often very little I can do against them. They are much more advanced than me. Despite them being way better than me, I can still do something. I can practice my escapes. I can learn to defend myself. I can observe them and try and learn how they move. There will be plenty of times when it feels like there is nothing we can do and we will never catch up to the people ahead of us. Despite that, you are running your own race and there is always something you can work on. The game of life becomes fun when you remember the learning never ends! I love you! Love, Dad #notefromdad #bjj #jiujitsu #posivity #optimism #parenting

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. Every day is a chance to prove to myself I am who I aspire to be. 2. I believe what makes me special must be cultivated. 3. I get to choose my attitude. #dailybrainwash #gratitude #mindset #attitude #positivity #knowthyself

Note From Dad #466 Detroit Parsis Hi Avery! I want to talk to you about the Parsis. Last week, we were in Michigan for Cyrus's birthday and you get to meet some of my old friends and people I grew up with. It was important for me to go back home and get to see so many familiar faces. Life is all about relationships, and my Parsi community in Michigan has shaped me in so many ways. Even though I have moved to a different state and even though I don't see all of the people I grew up with that often, I think of them all the time. I know they feel the same way. The fun memories of growing up with a loving community of positive people is a true blessing. My family moved from Ohio to Michigan in 1985 when I was a little boy. So many of the older aunties and uncles have seen me grow from a small child into a full grown adult with grey hair and a family of my own. I was so happy to introduce you to everyone. Being part of the Detroit Parsi community has been a blessing to me and my family. Zoroastrians believe in good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Many years ago, Zoroastrians had to flee the country of Iran due to Islamic violence and persecution. Those Zoroastrians who sought refuge in India were called Parsis. They arrived in India as refugees and were told by the regional king that the kingdom was full. He brought out a full container of milk indicating even one more drop would cause it to spill. A Parsi priest added a small amount of sugar to the container, demonstrating Parsis would assimilate and blend into the culture. They would sweeten it and be a net positive. As part of being allowed in, they agreed to surrender any weapons, dress like the locals, speak the local language, and conduct weddings after nightfall. All of which they respected and adhered to. Many Parsis, like my parents, eventually moved from India to the United States in search of more opportunity and a better life. Being born and raised in the US is a blessing. The US is a welcoming country, and is in my opinion, the best country in the world. If I was born anywhere else, I would do what it took to legally come here. Going to a church or religious gatherings do not suit my sense of spirituality, but living faithfully to good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is something I try my best to live up to. Mom and I don't participate in organized religion because we both believe spirituality is unique to the individual. My sense of spirituality is deeply personal and I believe we cultivate that spirituality by serving others. Raising you with good values is something mom and I think about and discuss all the time as your parents. Cyrus threw an incredible party. His generosity made it easy for people to come back to Michigan and reconnect. I'm so grateful for Cyrus, and I'm glad I got to introduce you to my beloved Detroit Parsi community. I love you! Love, Dad #notefromdad #parsi #zoroastrian #religion #heritage #faith

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. I earn my own self respect by trying to solve my own problems. 2. The best way to pray is to serve others. 3. The mistakes are how I develop. #dailybrainwash #selfrespect #pray #service #mistakes #selfdevelopment

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. I choose to pursue what I am here for. 2. I choose who my future self will be with my choices. 3. I believe in being someone I admire. #dailybrainwash #life #selfcare #gratitude #morningmotivation #journal

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. My life prepares me for life. 2. The mission is personal. 3. I believe in using adversity to my advantage. #dailybrainwash #life #mission #hope #adversity #morningroutine

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. My own life is the best movie I can ever watch. 2. I am not going to let everyone else’s voice drown out my own. 3. I choose to do right by my future self and keep feeding my flame. #dailybrainwash #life #selflove #selfcare #loveyourself #hopecore

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. Bad days are incredible teachers. 2. The glasses which help me see the best are the empowered ones. 3. Movement is better than waiting. #dailybrainwash #morning #motivation #morningmotivation #positivity #life

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. My life is uniquely mine, my scoreboard is uniquely mine. 2. I am willing to fight evil. 3. The hard lessons strengthen me and are my armor. #dailybrainwash #life #gratitude #impostersyndrome #evil #monday

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. I listen carefully to the whispers of the divine. 2. I choose to use all of my history to serve me. 3. Life is in the persistence. #dailybrainwash #god #divine #intuition #selflove #persistence

Daily Brainwash 🧠🧼 1. I know I will have done well when I see my work has helped people. 2. I am confident in my ability to maintain a positive attitude. 3. I am waiting for no one to help me. #dailybrainwash #service #humanity #positivity #attitude #mindset