"To create joy in this place we call life is to be caught between the choice of Pragmatism or Hopeful Realism. Choose the latter. " ~ Troy Carroll the Motiv8tional Warrior ~ There is an adage about a glass, water and whether it is full or not. In the beginning of my career as a Coach and Speaker I would often say that I was an optimist, looking at everything as a glass half full versus half empty. I even modified the saying to reflect that thought process by saying "The gl

- "Nothing can dim the light which shines from within." - Maya Angelo When I was a kid, I was enamored with the concept of one day developing super powers. Invisibility, super strength, telepathy.....and oh....can't forget teleportation. I grew up during a time where there was a sudden influx of super heroes in the world of comics and television. The Avengers, Xmen, X-Force, Young Blood, Stormwatch and many more. Every Friday, I spent hours of my time at the Inner Harbor

"Don't go through life, grow through life." - Eric Butterworth There are some of us who are lucky enough to have the boundaries, guidance and mentors to help us discover and define the "Who" we will one day become. Then of course, there are people like me who grow sideways, in circles and sometimes upside down as we flounder our way to sure footing on our journey. This isn't a pity party, but I needed to level set so that you would have some idea of where I am heading with th

Motiv8tional Warriors... Here is a not so secret secret.... I grew up on the streets of Baltimore Maryland. Spent a good portion of my life there to be honest, at least until I made my way to the sunny lands of Southern California. Although it wasn't on purpose, it was still within my purpose, if you are catching what I am throwing. Growing up in one of the murder capitals of the world was not an easy thing and I would be lying if I said there are habits that still plague me

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." - Henry Ford For quite some time early in my career in Performance Improvement, I would dream about being in front of a crowd of people sharing the witty and incredibly catchy quips and motivational statements that I currently create and use in my vocation today. Humble much? Nah...why dream small? Moving on.... Whether I was laying in bed or driving home from work after a long day, those fancy fantasies would just ke

"Change is when you get the knowledge...Growth is when you use it." -Troy A Carroll If you were to look at me now, the statement I am about to make would ring empty, but I promise it is true none the less, even if you never had the chance to see it. When I was a kid...ladies around my neighborhood, or friends of my mother would ask her if she "Relaxed" my hair. I had curls on side and it was very straight and wavy on top. I also had what they call a "cowlick", which is a se

I have thought about this content and the words contained over and over again. It took me awhile to write this for several different reasons. Some I am not proud of for many reason. I have seen and experienced more and more hate projected under the guise of free speech over the last 4 years than any known time in my life. The operative word is "Known". For far too long I was unaware of the magnitude of hate that permeated the spaces around me. Now.....I see more than I care

“Money won’t change you. Change will change you.” ― Richie Norton When I was young I would dream of getting a job...not a career that would allow me to buy all of the things I didn't have as a child. Clothes, cologne, shoes....a girlfriend. I thought that having a pocket full of dollars, a swaggy outfit and fancy shoes were going to change everything about me....and my life. I would window shop in stores that at the time I couldn't afford, creating a fantasy of who I would be

"To Choose Love and jump in not knowing, with a lot of unknows, is a brave act" - Mara Brock Akil A world renowned band once wrote that all you need is love and although some may find that to be true, I firmly believe that there are some nuances to that statement that many have been either over looked or completely missed. The funny thing is that for many, love is often caused by something that is outside of us by something other than us. Example....the birth of a child. Or M

I watched a movie once where two people were in an elevator. The elevator suddenly felt like it was falling and one of the two people started jumping up and down to prepare for the eventual crash at the bottom. Needless to say, this was nothing more than an illusionary feeling created by a amusement park owner, but none the less there is a moral to this story. When most of us begin our journey, we see that starting place as the bottom. We create the image of stairs or a lad

Dr. Seuss (Yes, that Dr. Seuss) once said "“You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” Too often we are convinced from a very early age that the only way to happiness if through the tunnel of love. That statement is fundamentally wrong in the way it is constructed and limited in what needs to be said. First, it has always been and will always be about fulfillment versus happiness. Happiness is temporary and

Kings... A few years ago I walked into Barnes and Noble to find a book ( I am an avid high fantasy book fan). As I perused the shelves a books cover stood out to me. The color, the depiction, the title...called. I quickly turned it over and read the short description of what lay inside. I thought to myself this is going to be a winner. Of to the register I ran, book clutched in hand. A few hours later I was in the bed, book open and hungry to begin. Most books by far in

Henry Ford once said "Whether you think you can or you think you think you can't..your'e right!" Early in the morning, during the day or late at night....I want to know what you are saying to yourself. Are you one of those types of people saying that even though you have adversity in life or obstacles in your way they are temporary? Or... Are you the type that is thinking about the multitude of ways you can fail at your personal and professional goals? Optimist or Pessimist?

A short but poignant reminder for the "Who In You" The American Dream is built on the pursuit of happiness. There is a difference between the happiness and fulfillment. One is external and temporary....the other is internal and sustainable. One is based on scarcity while the other is based in abundance. We have to be careful with how we use the energy in our lives, the potential often wasted on things that will only bring us joy momentarily. Is it money? Looks? A certain

Sara Dessen, the author of What happened to Goodbye stated..."Accepting all the good and bad about someone. It's a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it.” Beyond unselfish love, there is nothing more humane than that of the capacity to have tolerance and to forgive another. There has never been a need for both of these things more than now and yet there is so much that we don't understand about both of those. For this particular post, I want to concentr

"Hello. Is it me you're looking for?" From all walks of life regardless of culture and or background, many if not all of us have been searching for the same thing with the same question. Yes, it is probable that we each do it in our very own way, but for the most part it is all the same thing. What is Love, how do I find it and just as importantly where it? For some, love or their definition of love seems to fall right on the doorstep (Prime Membership two-day shipping?). For

Resistance is not Futile, it is Required. Growing up poor I remember my mother would send me to the door if she thought it was a bill collector. Yeah....I know what you might be thinking. 1. Since when do bill collectors come to your door. 2. And why did my mother send me versus going herself. Simply put....she didn't pay the bills she was supposed to pay, when she was supposed to pay them. So she avoided them instead. Of course they didn't go away. T

Since most likely this isn't you or your mate/partner, then you need to make sure you are communicating effectively, efficiently and sincerely with loving intent. Dialogue... Each person is responsible for making sure they are Open and Available for a reciprocal conversation. You have to want to make sure you are in a "Space" to listen, understand and express how you interpreted what occurred. Feelings and Facts. Can you hear me? Speaker...Coach #inspirationalquotes #inspirat

This might ruffle some feathers. Relationships are failing. We play house instead of building homes. We devalue the covenant of marriage as if it is just a piece of paper. We have forgotten to evolve from the foundation...... Kings... Your purpose is to provide support, a vision, values and leadership and to be a protector. Your purpose is not to be the go to for yard work, paying "ALL" of the bills and suffering under the pretense of manhood. You have been mislead for far

"FOF" When I was a kid I lived in a large house. 7 bedrooms, three bathrooms, three floors. As most homes in Baltimore, we also had a basement... Every so often a fuse would blow, and my mother would tell me... "Troy...go into the basement and flick the switch." Flicking the switch consisted of me going into a dark basement that was for some reason always flooding, traverse a series of pallets on the floor and turn all the fuse switches to the off position and then back on.