The delicate thing we call life is that we only experience it once, so how do we live it with purpose and passion? This week, co-host AYD once again joins us as we discuss how to find our purpose, how it reflects growth, and the internal conversations we must have to determine the things, people, places, and ideas that give genuine meaning to our lives.

It is common to be stuck in a routine, living on autopilot and uncertain in a busy world to survive, adhering to a cycle where you are inhibited from accessing, exploring, and understanding what exists within you. MJ and AYD share that to understand your purpose, you need to understand who you are first. As an example, both share that this podcast gives them purpose, knowing that through this platform, they gain the ability to interact with, learn from, and grow alongside others, as opposed to what they were routinely used to before starting the podcast: constantly living to work, instead of working to live, preparing for a mundane schedule that did not allow them the freedom to grow and learn.

Both AYD and MJ encourage us to challenge who we are to navigate our purpose. Although it may feel uncomfortable, you learn to let go of the things that no longer serve you to make room for the things that matter.

For the first time, MJ's mother, Silvia, joins us on the 40th episode of Riding The Wave. MJ asks a series of profound questions regarding his mother's tenacity and perseverance during her darkest times, which involve the passing of her friend and that of her husband in later years.

It is no easy feat discussing these matters; however, MJ, followed by his sister Mo, after several decades, finally learns about their mother's point of view, feelings, and thoughts on these unfortunate experiences. MJ closes off with a question that few take the time to ponder: if a loved one who passed was sitting right in front of you, what would you say?

On this week’s podcast, we feel nostalgic as we learn to interpret the world through the intricate lens of a child. We are joined by MJ’s very own bright, enthusiastic, and youthful eight-year-old son, Aaron.

Although we cannot take back time and revert to our years of childhood, the children around us can offer and teach us many valuable lessons about the world we now live in. Aaron takes us back to the basics and discusses how to have fun, the importance of friendships, being a good person, being an exceptional young scholar, growing up with a loving and supportive family, and managing emotions. Ultimately, Aaron teaches us to recenter ourselves and pursue our goals with tenacity, reminding us that the inner child permanently resides within us no matter how old we grow.