The 'Brave Choice' That Ended My Kitchen Floor Breakdown

It was November 12th, 2023. A Sunday night. And I was on my kitchen floor.

Not stretching, not cleaning, but completely broken. It felt like my entire body had melted into a puddle of sorrow and despair. Relentless, heaving sobs were the only thing that proved I was still breathing.

I was in the middle of a sudden, devastating heartbreak. My entire life and future had been flipped on its head. I had never felt a loneliness like that before. To make matters worse, I dreaded going to my job as a coach, because the woman who broke my heart was a trainer at the same gym.

In that moment, on the cold hardwood, I finally said the words I had been avoiding my entire life:

“God, I can’t do this on my own. I surrender. I need you because I can’t do this alone. I have no idea what to do and I need your help.”

That was the thesis of it. And in that moment of complete surrender, everything started to change.

The Man After the Breakdown

After that night, my days were a blur of coaching, working out, and non-stop, anxious thinking. I looked in the mirror and could barely recognize myself. I was a people-pleaser, constantly seeking validation from others for my own sense of worth. I was hiding who I truly was from the world for fear of being judged.

The gym had become a sanctuary, but it was a temporary one. It was the only place where I felt like I had some control when everything else was falling apart. But it wasn't a solution; it was a distraction.

The First Brave Choice

The morning after the breakdown, I made my first Brave Choice. It wasn’t a massive workout. It wasn’t a dramatic overhaul of my life.

It was reading the Bible.

I opened to 1 Kings Chapter 3, and the passage I read gave me the courage to keep going, to just do my best every single day, even if that meant only 1% improvement. It was a Brave Choice because it was an opportunity to do what I had been avoiding my entire life: to face myself.

I understood that I was being sent a mission disguised as a burden.

Stacking Brave Choices

That one choice became a system. I developed a morning routine: cold shower, breathwork, Bible, book, journal, coffee. This built order and structure, and more importantly, it built evidence that I could keep the promises I made to myself.

Accountability was key. Daily meditation, nightly prayer, and weekly therapy. I hired my dream coach, Cody McBroom, who became a mentor and supporter on my journey.

When I had setbacks—and I did—I learned to forgive myself. I gave myself grace instead of punishment. Berating myself wasn't going to move me forward, so I chose a different path.

The Transformation

Slowly but surely, my energy began to improve. I started to feel like myself again—the authentic Acusio. My relationships improved because I learned to set better boundaries.

The tangible results came, too. Over 12 months, I lost 10 pounds and dropped 8% body fat. For the first time in my life, I had visible abs.

But more importantly, when I look in the mirror now, I love who I see. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, I’m proud of the man looking back. He’s the version of me I always knew was possible but was never sure could actually exist.

If you're ready to make your first brave choice, I've created a simple way to start.