I wake up naturally around 3:00 a.m. (no alarm—I’m not sure why I wake at this time). I meditate for 30 minutes, then take my vitamins.
Then until 8:AM I read and learn everything I can get my hands on.
8:00 a.m. — Longevity Bowls I make both of these bowls for my mom every morning, she takes all day to eat them both. I handle the grocery shopping and driving each week; she’s very small and over 70 and these bowls are almost too much for her, so I portion them accordingly.
These bowls stacked on top of our daily vitamins, exercise, and sleep are extremely helpful.
Savory Bowl
Walnuts & almonds
5–6 large pieces of mushrooms
½ Hass avocado
2–3 pieces of raw broccoli
A dusting of turmeric and black pepper
Note: On Wednesdays, I toss the broccoli and any leftover mushrooms because they expire.
Sweet Bowl
Walnuts & almonds
½ mini orange, sliced
½ banana, sliced
1 large slotted-spoon scoop of thawed but previously frozen fruit medley (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries—or whatever’s on hand)
A dusting of true Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka (far better than common cinnamon)
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Exercise and Sun
I do indoor cardio and outdoor full-body resistance training (spread across the week to avoid injury and be casual.) Then I sit in the Florida sunshine, listen to an Audible book each day for 15 minutes, and practice breath-work. This entire block takes about 1.5 hours total. So everything is done casually by 930 AM sometimes 10 though.
5:00 p.m. — Salad
I eat a salad with tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions, topped with the best extra-virgin olive oil I can find and apple cider vinegar. After dinner, I add 20 more minutes of cardio.
6:00 p.m. — Sleep
I aim for bed around 6:00 P.M. which is pretty early. Consistent, high-quality sleep and regular wake times are extremely important. This creates a Health Safety belt only, things can and do still happen at anytime though.
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Bipolar and Intelligence
What the Research Really Means for Real People
Image Bipolar Mood Curve
Caption Bipolar mood states vary over time and can affect day to day thinking even when overall intelligence stays the same
People often wonder whether bipolar disorder changes intelligence. The simplest answer is that bipolar does not make a person smarter and it does not make a person less intelligent. Intelligence is the long term capacity to learn reason and solve problems. Day to day thinking is different. It includes attention memory processing speed and planning. Bipolar mostly influences this daily performance especially during mood episodes. When mood settles and healthy routines return many thinking skills improve again. The underlying ability to learn and reason remains.
It helps to keep the difference between intelligence and cognition clear. Intelligence is the engine. Cognition is how the engine performs on a given day in real traffic. During depression the mind can feel slow and heavy. During hypomania or mania thoughts can race and jump. Sleep often gets disrupted in both states and poor sleep alone can harm focus and memory. Early in treatment some people feel foggy. That often improves as the plan is fine tuned and daily habits stabilize. In other words the engine is still strong but road and weather conditions matter.
Image Creative Studio
Caption Creativity tends to flourish when sleep routines and mood are steady
You may have heard people say that brilliant minds are more likely to have bipolar. The real story is more nuanced. A few large studies have noticed patterns where strong verbal ability or excellent school performance shows up a bit more often in people who are later diagnosed with bipolar. This is a statistical overlap not a rule. Most gifted people never develop bipolar. Most people with bipolar are not extreme outliers in intelligence. The best explanation is that a small set of traits can overlap. Some biology that supports quick idea making and flexible thinking might also raise vulnerability to mood swings in a minority of people. Overlap does not mean cause.
Creativity is another part of the conversation. Many people with bipolar identify as creative. Many people without bipolar do as well. Hypomania can bring a flood of ideas and energy. That rush can feel exciting and productive. Yet the same state often hurts follow through. Projects are started and abandoned. Sleep shrinks and judgment bends. Over time most artists writers founders and makers report that their best work happens with stability. Regular sleep steady routines and an agreed treatment plan allow ideas to turn into finished work that holds up under revision and feedback.
Image Brain Lightbulb
Caption Flexible thinking can spark new ideas yet too much arousal turns flexibility into distraction and disorganization
It is important to avoid romanticizing mania. Mania is not a reliable recipe for output. It can lift confidence beyond reality encourage risky choices and strain relationships. The practical path for most people is to turn natural strengths into repeatable habits. Capture ideas quickly but gently. Protect sleep as a non negotiable tool. Break large goals into small visible steps. Use morning light food and movement to anchor the day. These plain habits sound simple but they protect thinking skills as effectively as many high tech solutions.
Families and close friends can help without trying to be doctors. Notice patterns that tend to come before trouble such as shrinking sleep need rapid switching between tasks unusual spending or sudden grand plans. Check in with curiosity rather than confrontation. Offer practical support that makes stability easier. Groceries quiet time for rest rides to appointments a shared walk in the morning. Celebrate talents and progress rather than focusing only on symptoms. People are more than their diagnosis and strengths deserve attention.
Image Bipolar Types
Caption Bipolar one includes at least one manic episode while bipolar two includes hypomania and major depression and both benefit from targeted treatment and routine
There are many small actions that support sharper thinking. Guard sleep first. Keep regular times for going to bed and getting up. Limit late caffeine and bright screens before bed. Build routines that repeat every day. Morning light balanced meals some physical activity and scheduled social contact create a steady daily rhythm. Work with your clinician on medication timing and dose. If fog or dullness appears say so. There are usually options. Capture ideas during energized periods but schedule calm review time when mood is steady. Use tiny tools that lower mental load such as checklists a visible task board timers for short focus sprints and a single inbox for notes.
It also helps to create friction against overcommitting. Agree in advance to rules such as sleep before any big decision and a one day pause before large purchases or new multi week projects. Share those rules with a trusted person who can gently remind you when energy runs high. Small speed bumps like these protect future focus and keep goals on track.
For students and professionals the core message is hopeful. Bipolar does not erase potential. With treatment and habits in place people complete degrees build companies write books make art raise families and lead teams. Progress rarely looks like a straight line. Momentum builds in quiet consistent steps. The most valuable skill is not perfect mood control. It is the ability to return to routines quickly after a rough patch and to keep caring for sleep food movement and connection.
Image Morning Routine
Caption Simple anchors like a regular wake time light exposure movement and breakfast stabilize body clocks and sharpen focus
If you are supporting someone who lives with bipolar remember to protect your own routines as well. Caregiving is easier to sustain when you sleep well eat well move your body and have your own support network. Encourage professional care and respect boundaries. Offer choices rather than commands. Ask how you can help rather than assuming. Keep conversations grounded in today and the next small step.
Here is the bottom line. Bipolar does not change intelligence. Day to day thinking can fluctuate though and it often improves with recovery. Creativity and bipolar can overlap but stability wins over the long run. Treatment plus steady habits protect the brain and make room for talent to shine. Your gifts remain yours. The goal is not to dampen them but to support them so they show up reliably and rewardingly year after year.
After years as both a rideshare driver and passenger, I’ve learned that these tools make every trip safer and smoother: a sturdy cell-phone holder, a reliable dash cam, and—above all—excellent cell service. Coverage maps are nice, but what you really need is consistent, high-quality connectivity everywhere you actually drive, plus the ability to send/receive files and keep calls from dropping. The phone holder and dash camera that I use I got from Amazon.com.
I’ve tried many carriers since the early days of mobile. Today I use Mint Mobile because it delivers the most service for the least money: a solid signal in my normal driving areas, simple billing in 1, 3, 6, or 12-month chunks, responsive support, and no brick-and-mortar overhead—savings they pass on to customers. If you love your phone but not your monthly bill, Mint Mobile is an easy win. Give them a try : http://fbuy.me/sCyTk
Be like these passengers and always buckle up, because you just never know, you could be sitting at a stop sign even.
Let’s be honest—rideshare driving isn’t just about picking people up and dropping them off. It’s part navigation, part customer service, and part survival of the weirdest. After thousands of rides, I’ve seen it all: people crying, people making deals, people passed out, people rapping their mixtapes at full volume (without asking). Most rides are fine—some are even great—but when things go south, it’s usually because the passenger forgets one simple thing:
We’re people too.
So here it is: from someone who’s been driving the graveyard shift, the airport runs, the Friday night chaos, and everything in between—what actually makes a good passenger.
1. Be Ready When You Request
Nothing kills momentum like pulling up to the pin and… nothing. No passenger in sight. No movement. Just a building or a driveway or a parking lot. Then I get the “Coming out now!” text—and I sit there watching the timer run, hoping I don’t get a parking ticket or block a driveway.
Ordering a ride? Be ready to go. I’m not trying to rush you, but the app doesn’t pay me to wait. Those two or three minutes you burn scrambling for your shoes or saying bye to your friends? That adds up—especially during busy hours.
Bonus tip: If you’re ordering a ride for someone else, tell them it’s on the way. No one likes surprising a stranger with a 5-minute wait.
2. Respect the Ride
Treat the car like you’re borrowing it from a friend. Because in a way, you are.
Don’t slam the doors. Don’t eat messy food. Don’t leave trash. I once found a half-eaten burrito under my passenger seat two hours after a ride. That’s not just gross—it’s disrespectful. I keep my car clean for a reason, and when someone wrecks it, I either have to clean it up or lose money turning down rides while I fix the mess.
Same goes for drinks. Water is fine. Open cocktails? Not so much. If you spill beer in the backseat at 1 a.m., congratulations—you’ve just ended my night early and I’ll be reporting it for a cleaning fee.
3. Don’t Treat Me Like Your Chauffeur (Or Therapist)
I’m driving you, not serving you. There’s a difference. Most drivers want to help—we’ll adjust the music, we’ll make stops, we’ll talk if you want to talk—but we’re not your personal assistant. I’ve had people snap fingers for the AUX cord, bark directions like I’m a butler, or expect me to make five “quick” stops on a ten-minute ride.
And while I get that rides can sometimes bring out emotions (breakups, job interviews, family fights), I’m not always in a position to carry your full story at 2 a.m. Especially if I’m five rides deep and still caffeinating to stay sharp.
I’ll listen if you want to talk, and I’m always down for real conversation. But I’m not a therapist, and it’s okay if we just ride in silence.
4. Use Your Seatbelt. Every Time.
This isn’t optional. You might think it’s just a quick trip or that the back seat is “safe,” but I’m responsible for everyone in the car. If I get in an accident and you’re not buckled, it’s not just your problem—it’s mine too.
Don’t make it awkward. Just click it. It takes two seconds and keeps everyone safe.
5. Share the Space
Late nights, packed Ubers, group rides—it can get crowded. But it doesn’t have to get uncomfortable. A good passenger understands that space is limited. That means no sprawling out, no laying across the back seat, no blocking people’s exits.
If you’re in a group, keep the noise reasonable. You’re not in a club, and drivers can’t focus when four people are yelling over each other while GPS is trying to give directions.
And if someone else is already in the car (like during shared rides), don’t act like they’re invading your space. We’re all trying to get somewhere. A little chill goes a long way.
6. Rate Fairly. Tip Honestly.
The star rating isn’t Yelp. It affects our livelihood. If I drive safely, get you there on time, and treat you with respect, that should be a five-star ride—even if the music wasn’t your favorite or I didn’t laugh at your joke.
Low ratings hurt. Enough of them, and we risk being deactivated. So don’t treat stars like a hotel review. If something genuinely went wrong, bring it up—or leave a comment. Otherwise, five stars is the default.
And tips? Look—I know it’s not required. But if I went out of my way, waited patiently, handled your bags, or drove through late-night traffic so you didn’t have to—throwing a few bucks shows you noticed. We remember that stuff.
7. Don’t Be Creepy
This should go without saying, but here we are.
No hitting on your driver. No weird comments. No asking if I’m single or where I live or if I want to “hang out” after my shift. Men do it. Women do it. Drunk people especially do it. And it makes the whole ride uncomfortable.
I’m here to get you from point A to B. Respect that boundary.
8. Communicate Clearly
If you have a preferred route, let me know—nicely. If you’re waiting at a tricky pickup spot, drop a pin accurately or send a quick message. If your building has a weird entrance, describe it.
The app helps, but it’s not perfect. A little clear communication saves time, confusion, and frustration. Plus, it shows you care about the experience being smooth for both of us.
Final Thought: We’re Just Two People Sharing a Ride
That’s it. That’s the secret. This whole thing works best when both the driver and the passenger treat each other like people. Not like an employee, not like a robot, not like a threat—but like two humans who just happen to be sharing 15 minutes of road.
Be decent. Be aware. Be a little thoughtful.
That’s what makes a good passenger—and makes me want to pick you up again the next time you need a ride.
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Got your own do’s and don’ts as a passenger or driver? Drop them in the comments—I’ll read them between rides.
I remember when I first started driving a rideshare in 2018, I didn’t know what the fuck to do. I just looked at a lot of YouTube videos, And I highly recommend: the Rideshare Guy and the Show Me The Money Club. Also, The Simple Driver and Kim Couch are really good also. Anytime you get in a jam, and you need to find out how to do a particular thing in the Uber or Lyft app, I highly recommend looking that up and using the Rideshare Driver to help you. They are the quickest, clearest, easiest way for help I used the Rideshare guy and his crew a lot, and a lot of other drivers for help when I first started driving Rideshare. Now I’m a Rideshare driving pro. I eat sleep and drink driving Rideshare. I haven’t driven in a while because my car’s broken down. That’s what Uber driving does to you. It is really good at first but then your car. Reads a lot and Uber and Lyft continue to decrease the pay to drivers. Uber is very convenient so new drivers sign up a.l the time, the Uber and Lyft service is also pretty awesome too, so there is plenty of demand for it, so there is that.
This is a totally different game than working for a living. Totally different. Than working for a regular job. It is far better to work for a place where you park your car ar each day then to have to actually depend on and put wear and tear on all the time. I am a full time Rideshare Driver so I know. What you want to do is get your expenses, all your expenses, as low as possible so the money, the income that you get from Uber or Lyft , you keep most of it. And that’s what I do. I teach drivers how to keep most of their money from each trip.
That reads 6000 5 star trips.