One Thought Growth

Even tying my shoes was painful.

I lost 30 pounds.

And became a skeleton of myself.

Depressed.
Lost.
In perpetual pain.
Lacking identity and confidence.

Told by doctors I’d never be the same.

How did I get here?

Year: 2011.

My mission was to walk onto my college soccer team and become a starter.
A cliché dream, but it mattered.

I made the team freshman year as a walk-on.
First part of the mission: complete.

I trained hard, not just to be fit, but because it gave me identity.
It’s how I felt strong, seen, worthy.
It helped me manage the restlessness and discomfort I felt within.

Back then, I had no way to face my pain or discomfort.
Let alone my lack of confidence with women.

So I trained incessantly.
Pushed through pain constantly.

This was how I coped with psychological pain—without facing it directly.
Because I had no tools.
No way to listen to myself or understand what was happening underneath.

But one day I realized the pain wasn’t ending.

And while squatting in the gym, my back gave out.
The pain was excruciating.

MRI: lumbar spine fracture & three vertebral fractures.
The doctor said I’d likely never play again.

I couldn’t bend over.
Lived with pain daily and told no one.
I was alone.

One night, in my dorm, I tried to tie my shoes and couldn’t.
I just sat there, hunched over, helpless, and cried.
Not because of pain, because I didn’t know who I was anymore.

That depression persisted.
Until one day, I made a choice not to give up.

To humble myself. To believe.

I started doing stretches.
Physical therapy.
Let’s start with tying the shoes.

I kept showing up.

Before leaving for my year abroad in Colombia, I was cleared to play again.

First day back on the field & I still remember the smell of grass.
The wind. Freedom.
I felt like I left a prison.

Reflecting back, I learned three things:

- If you ignore your inner pain, it will manifest in your body & outer world.

- When identities collapse, you can rebuild consciously.

- No matter how hard it gets, don’t abandon yourself.

I rejected myself for a long time.

I didn’t understand what I needed in this world.

Because I didn’t know who I was.

I didn’t recognize how much I needed freedom.

To create. To breathe. To explore. To live.

I was playing out a story that wasn’t mine.

Trying to accomplish things I was told were important.

Striving for milestones I didn’t choose, but inherited.

My internal dialogue would say:
“By this age you need to be here.”
“Once you’re there, you need to do this.”

A script that never felt right.

Because it wasn’t mine.

But I played along.

Because that’s what I thought I had to do.

I didn’t know there was another way.

A whole other possibility to life.

But I stayed limited in my possibilities.

Because that’s what the ego does to feel safe.

Limit. Restrict. Say “no.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Stay where you are.”

The ego exists to limit pain—
not knowing the slow ache hurts more
than facing fear head-on.

At times there was fulfillment.

But often I felt empty.

- Overworking myself.
- Distracting myself into oblivion.
- Telling myself to hang in there.

I thought struggle meant strength.

That constant inner battle proved I was strong.

That fighting was what men do.

After several internal crises,
I couldn’t force myself to pretend anymore.

Once you stop pretending, you start confronting.

And I had to make difficult decisions…

Ending my relationship, leaving the city, changing my business and brand, letting go of beliefs about who I thought I needed to be.

I upended everything.

But I realized something deeper:
we’re going to suffer either way.

There’s the pain of living out of alignment,
and the pain of becoming who you really are.

One keeps you small.
The other sets you free.

True strength is fighting for a vision
that aligns with your truth.

That’s what makes the struggle worthwhile.
The pain. The tears. The uncertainty.

Be honest with yourself.
Be true to yourself.
Stand up for what you need.

And if you don’t know what that is yet— that is your divine purpose.

To find out.

After 10 years of studying psychology, religion, and archetypal storytelling…

(Part 2)

It’s become clear that key archetypal patterns in stories play out in our own lives.

No one is exempt.

They keep repeating. Over and over again.

But once you see them, you can use your free will to choose how to respond.

This is highlighted in Joseph Campbell’s: The Hero’s Journey.

All stories are about becoming more aware.

The character doesn’t understand who he is at the beginning.

He goes through a journey, and finishes more aware of who he is and his place in the Cosmos.

This is identical to a man’s journey.

All of life is gaining awareness.

The only way is to step into the unknown.

We all start in stage 1: The Ordinary World.

The world of inherited values, beliefs, and what was given to us. This creates the foundation of your psyche.

Then comes stage 2: The Call to Adventure.

This represents being called into the unknown.

This Call to step into the unknown can be:
– A difficult conversation
– A new habit
– Leaving something behind
– Travelling
– Opening a business
– Changing how you see yourself & the world.

As men, we need to understand what the Call to Adventure is signaling.

It’s an invitation to become more aware.
And it will always keep coming.

Because it’s an archetypal pattern in the design of life.

This is why you see it in nearly every story.

When you understand why it’s coming…

Everything changes.

So you can step forth as the man you truly are.

And no longer play out a story that’s not yours.

I want men to be free.

To be aware.

To be self-led.

To flourish.

To live from the core of who they are.

To respect and honor themselves with dignity.

You and I can’t be free unless we see the archetypal patterns playing out in life.

Otherwise we’re limited to unconscious patterns dictating our narratives, thoughts, and feelings.

If a man doesn’t see the patterns he’s at a huge disadvantage.

Let’s work together to beat the game, not be dominated by it.

I never expected this to happen…

(Part 1)

It’s 2025.

I decided to start a new life.

To upend everything.

To carry with me only the most valuable things:

My values, vision, experience, and the life lessons I’ve learned along the way.

And I chose Europe to be the first chapter of the new life book.

90 Days.
90 Pages.

I realized that I was living a story that wasn’t truly mine.

- Molding myself to a conditioned life model which is inorganic and out of rhythm with the essence of being alive.

- Participating in bonds that did not serve me, but to afraid to let go.

- Pushing and overworking because it gave me a false sense of safety.

- Rejecting my own needs because it felt safe to bury it inside.

And all of it… circled back to one core thing:

I was afraid of the unknown.

It always comes back to this:

Our relationship with fear.

Choosing comfort over fulfillment.

Playing it safe, because that’s what we’ve been taught to do.

“Have a plan. Stick to it.”

And that’s beautiful, until the plan starts to hurt.

Until no matter how hard you try, the ache won’t leave.

That’s when you know you need to change something.

As I talk about in archetypal storytelling, this is when the Call to Adventure comes.

You see it in every story. The protagonist is stuck in the Ordinary World and is suffering because he is rejecting who he truly is, but doesn’t even know it.

And just as in every story, the Call to Adventure comes for each character.

And it always comes for you too. It has to come. It’s part of the design here.

What is the Call to Adventure?

It’s the invitation to step forward into the unknown.

And the invitation comes in many forms:

- Leaving a job that’s not serving you.
- Having a crucial conversation with a partner, friend, or co-worker.
- Starting a business.
- Letting go of destructive habits.
- Traveling.

The Call to Adventure is the call into the unknown.

A call to evolve.

Not because you know what will happen, but because your soul knows you must.

I’ll be sharing more in the next post.

In Veritate, Liber

Zachary

Are you seeking to join a community of men who are seeking to grow, evolve, and build deep connections?

A lot of men are. That’s why I created Sovereign Man: a men’s group dedicated to the empowerment of men.

We live in a hectic world where a lot of pressure is put on men to be independent and strong.

But it’s challenging to do it all alone.

In fact, it’s near impossible.

Men need other men. We empower each other to be more.

I am telling you from experience, trying to do it all by yourself is exhausting and not the true way that you can breakthrough to the next level.

I shied away from joining groups and meeting other men in the beginning of my journey, it got me no where.

It wasn’t until I opened up and realized that the game is hacked not by doing everything alone, but by connecting with other men did I start to accelerate all my life breakthroughs.

Teamwork is the way.

We are hosting an in-person men’s circle in Buffalo on May 1st from 7 PM - 9 PM.

If you’ve never participated in a Men’s group, then this is a great place to start.

DM or comment Sovereign Man to get the location.

Online group meetings will resume again in the fall.

To victory.



Have you participated in a men’s group before?

Are you playing the game of life? Or is the game playing you?

I have to ask myself this a lot.

It’s easy to think we are playing, only to realize we are oftentimes just acting through fear, rather than strength and conscious choice.

Not making conscious willful choices that empower us, but mindless reactions to life’s current.

Fear is the mind killer.

2 Ways to Break Free From the Loops of the Game:

1. Be less predictable. Meaning open space for more spontaneous expression, thought pattern, and emotional feelings. You are tied into loops when you are being too predictable.

2. Practice making willful conscious choices.

Example: Using the language pattern: I’m choosing to do….

… is always more powerful that “I have to…”

At 18 I never would have imagined I’d have spent 3+ years living & travelling throughout South America and Mexico.

These journeys have been so unexpected but filled with the most beautiful blessings.

The first thought of South America started because a Colombian exchange student and dear friend studied at my HS senior year.

We became super close and I knew I had to visit him.

It was supposed to be 1 month max, but then destiny came in and played its hand.

Because, unknowingly, my University had an exchange program to his city- Cali, Colombia.

& I ended up spending over a year in Colombia at 20 years old.

Absolutely life changing.

That year I felt so inspired, scared, lost, confused, found, sure, unsure, ready, and absolutely not ready. Very polarizing experience, but much needed.

After college I moved to Boston with my best friend Tommy. Spent 4 years there. Met the lovely Dayane. But I realized I had to leave.

Ended up selling all my stuff and buying a 1 way ticket to Peru without really knowing exactly why.

Destiny played its hand again, & I spent over 9 months working at a plant medicine center in the mountains of Cusco.

Life changing, but also very very dualistic. The most beautiful moments and the most difficult.

A true no looking back type of experience.

Since Peru, I had a chance to live in Hawaii for a year with Dayane, that was awesome.

& the past couple months I’ve made two trips to Tulum. So grateful for my brother Andres Rios. Hosting me and continuing to expand our understanding of integrity, brotherhood, and what it means to be an embodied King.

All of these experiences have taught me that the places have been beautiful, but what always creates the most magic is the amazing experiences you create with incredible people.

Also, I learned you can be in the most beautiful place, but if your inner world is suffering, that’s what takes over. This happened to me a lot.

That’s why I’m so prolifically determined to continue supporting others in cultivating their natural wellbeing, sureness, & clarity within themselves and their partnership. So you can experience beauty in all places.

Excited to see what’s next.

Ad astra ✨

The Challenge Starts March 4th!

Will you join a community of inspired individuals like yourself and dedicate 5-10 minutes a day to practicing meditation?

That’s all it takes. 5-10 minutes a day of consecutive daily practice to have massive breakthroughs that can benefit all areas of your life:

- More presence and mindfulness
- Experience more daily clarity
- Naturally lower your levels of anxiety
- Enhance your awareness
- Feel more calm and at ease
- Build a foundation that can expand into so many profound directions.

You will be given all the tools and support you need to succeed.

And you can practice on your own time and own schedule!

I will be sharing with you Elemental Breathing, a powerful meditation modality that enriches you with the techniques and understanding to start meditating daily in a graceful and fun way.

28 days is enough days to form a habit.

Meditation is one of the most beneficial habits you can have.

Join the challenge by simply commenting Elemental Breathing on this post. Or DMing me Elemental Breathing.

Also, comment or DM with any questions!

You can do this. Excited to embark on the journey with You.

meditation

The journey into the ancient past continues.

The mystery of the ancients fascinates my Soul.

I often wonder how we can bridge the worlds to create an integrated ideal of Cosmic harmonized wisdom and practical pursuit.

A prayer I like to say is: “we give thanks to our ancestors, for on their shoulders we rest.”

Excited for one of my long time aspirations of having a series on the radio come true. 🙌

And really honored to be teaming up with Podcast Business News Network & Steve Harper. 🤝

Steve is a sincere master of his craft as a host, a remarkable man, and he is incredible at opening up space for really impactful and profound conversations.

Business Podcast News Network is an international reaching news network supporting and sharing businesses and entrepreneurs from all areas and fields.

DETAILS:

WHEN: Fridays at 3 PM

WHERE: I’ll post the LIVE link on my story and the replay link there as well.

The radio is a special place to inspire and help generate more awareness for the listener on how to embrace and honor themselves, their relationships, vision, and life.

And that aligns with the the mission at One Thought Growth: to accelerate a person’s personal growth and evolution using a variety of modalities such as Astrology, Meditation, Breathwork, Manifestation Practices, and 1 on 1 Coaching.

Be sure to tune in! And keep pursuing your vision and dreams.

-esteem

Fulfillment and Purpose Always Circles Back to These Key Pillars…

Know Yourself.

Deeply.

Profoundly.

& through that knowing…

Embark on the journey of deep self-acceptance.

Through that self-acceptance…

Learn to honor yourself and your needs.

Which is an intentional practice.

As you honor yourself and your unique life path…

Honor and respect the paths of others.

Hold space for your loved ones and partner.

Recognizing that we are all stronger together.

And that we are all conduits for each others evolution.

Practicing this…

Daily…

And choosing each day…

To use time wisely.

To live in gratitude and grace.

Realizing that you give meaning to your experience.

By being intentional.

And aligning your experience with who you really are.

Awakening and generating a purposeful and fulfilling life.

💫