The evolution of self by Emmanuel Dattey

It's 6:30am while I'm writing this on my 29th birthday. As a tradition since I was younger, the first person I call when I wake up on my birthday is my mom. We have been doing this since I came to the United States when I was 10 and we get on the phone and talk about my birthday and either she prays for me on the phone or tells me how much she has prayed for me in the last couple of hours and she never lies. Ghana is 5 hours ahead of us but no matter what she's doing she stra

I was getting my usual 8am morning workout before work a couple days ago when something caught my eye which maintained my hope in the gym community. For those who don't know the gym community is a group made up of us consistent gym goers. I think the cut off is like at least 3 days a week, but there isn’t really a set limit as long as you’re consistent. The one thing about the gym community is after a while of being consistent and going multiple times a week, we see the same

I was checking up on one of my boys just to see how he was doing a couple days ago. These days we all have things going on and hung out the week before but wanted to check in. He told me he was good and had recently started therapy and it was probably one of the best news I have heard. We underestimate the importance of talking to someone about what we're going through and trying to find perspective. I was also glad to hear it because as a man there is the stigma of having to

I was at work a while ago and received breaking news from ESPN. 18-year First Ballot Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook was announcing his retirement. I quickly went to google and there was a 3-minute farewell video honoring him narrated by the GOAT Michael Jordan which I quickly watched. It had us going through memory lane of some of his iconic plays and times of his career and it was a beautiful sight to behold. Another part of me was like mane, I'm getting old. I'm about to b

Sometimes in my YouTube watching phases I scroll around and refresh my feed multiple times trying to find new suggestions on videos to watch especially when I have no idea what to see next. This is something we all probably do because there is a lot to see and learn and really has become the only social media I use along with Pinterest which is not really social media. Well, I was refreshing a couple days ago and there has been one video that has shown up on my feed for weeks

I was recently at a graduation party for one of my first cousins who recently graduated college and it was a really good time. I just want to congratulate her on her accomplishments and praying for nothing but success in this next phase of her life. It was filled with dancing, good food and overall a good time. In the moment of celebration something happened that made me feel different and a feeling I have had for a while now. In the middle of the celebration everyone got out

I think the theme of this post is straight forward, but I will say it again, Travel. I read a post on Substack last year that changed my life. The person said something along the lines of "Travel, Travel, I have never regretted spending money on travel. The people you meet, experiences and just the overall mindset you gain is forever". This is not the exact quote, but I did the best I could to paraphrase it but reading that changed something in me. A year later I'm just comin

The World Cup started a couple days ago and so far, it has been great and continues to show that it is the biggest event in the world. Every four years we can see countries come together because of one sport and the togetherness and love of the game is something needed, especially in this society. My county Ghana is playing of course and I'm hoping we make it far and for anyone whose country qualified. May the odds be in all over favors. There was a game between the Netherlan

"I wrote this piece on a train while in Amsterdam last month". I’m in Amsterdam right now and was walking around the neighborhood around Central station yesterday to catch a canal cruise. For anyone wanting to go to Amsterdam which is a city made for the water catching a canal cruise is a must no matter what. It is a beautiful way to explore the city and just fully embrace parts you may not be able to see by walking. Well, I saw something that has me thinking a lot. It was pe

Today was the last day of one of my coworkers and even though she is not leaving the company per say she is moving to a different department and it had me thinking about the beauty of fresh starts. She started a little bit after I did and it kind of feels weird seeing her leave, but I think that is the beauty of it. She wants a fresh start and a new environment, and that is amazing. Fresh starts in new environments, cities or even countries are things I always advocate becaus

I was at the library scrolling around trying to find my next book to read when I came across the Alcoholics Anonymous book and decided to check it out. I have never been an alcoholic by any means and haven't had a drink myself in 7 years, but I was always interested in hearing testimonies of people who were and how they were able to heal from it. I wanted to know the kind of trauma they went through and what led to the day in and day out of drinking. While writing this I had

I was talking to a patient yesterday and he talked about how he feels like there is no point in being in America anymore and he wants to leave. I heard what he was saying and honestly, I agree. America is bad right now and it is not just about the economy, government, politics, and all that. The United States socially, environmentally and all the other things are not what it used to be, and I want to get out of here too. The patient I was talking to came to the United States

I have been watching the Sopranos for a while now and currently on the last season. For the people who haven't watched it, I highly recommend and currently 2 episodes away from finishing the show. The showed aired from 1999 to 2007 and it is amazing how good it is and how ahead of its time it was. Tony Soprano is a legend. The episode I am talking about is Season 6, episode 19 which is focused on Anthony Jr Tony's son, and the struggles he is going through with his mental hea

One of my goals for 2026 was to get a library card and read more normal. I started that a couple days in the year and the first book I have been reading so far is Born on A Blue Day A Memoir by Daniel Tammet. This book takes us inside the mind of Daniel Tammet an Autistic Savant and a Genius. I call him a genius because the things he can do and how his mind works is something a lot of us can't come close to doing. In the book we start with his early days when he was born and

I went to the grave of a family member with my aunt a couple days ago and it had me looking at things a little different. The family member we went to go see passed away at 37 and after 4 months it still feels fresh and we are just taking it one day at a time. These things are never easy, but we try the best we can day in and day out because God has the plan no matter what and we know she is in a better place. Along the way we came across a woman who was around the gravesite

It was a Thursday Night football game on December 11th between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We fantasy football heads call it the Kyle Pitts game because an individual like me who started him won my semifinal matchup because of his 3 touchdowns on my way to my championship. Pitts for the most part had a promising rookie season but the couple years after had been all over the place and most people didn't know what to make of him. I remember setting my line

I went to Burlington last night you know looking for a jacket because of the nonstop changes in weather here in Texas. We were literally covered with some snow mostly ice a couple days ago and today we are in the 60s and will find our way to the 70s at the end of the week. It shifts quickly and it is hard to predict at this point. Here we are in February in the 70s but I guess there is beauty in it. I was looking around the different aisles for clothes because with places lik

I went to a Mavs game recently and learned some things. The Dallas Mavs played the Houston Rockets and NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. The game was amazing, and it was an honor seeing Kevin Durant and him reminding us he is greatest scorer of all time. The Mavs had a great game, won and was overall a great experience. The couple sitting next to us had 2 kids with them and we were able to have conversations and get to know them. One of the kids the 12-year-old son had Autism,

I was leaving the gym on Thursday November 6th when I got the notification from ESPN about the death of Marshawn Kneeland. He was only 24. It came as a shock not just because of his age but him being a player for the Dallas Cowboys. I live 10 minutes from Cowboys stadium and even though I have never been a Cowboys fan, being raised in Mansfield/Arlington passionate Cowboy fans are everywhere. What made it surprising is the Dallas Cowboys were on Monday night football days bef

Well, it is that time of year ago and wow we're already about to be in 2026. I feel like I was just recently reflecting on how 2024 went and getting ready for 25. It just flies and that's why it is important to live in the moment and be present. It’s the usual of me reflecting on the past year and just talking about what I want in the next year and how we can be our best selves. First and foremost, 2025 was a year of travel for me and I want to thank God. I was able to go to