Mo Magic Weekly — Issue #16: Show Up Anyway 🪄

Hey Friends 👋

There's something most people won't tell you.

The thing you're dreading?

It's rarely as bad as the avoiding.

The avoiding is where the real damage happens.

The sleepless nights. The knots in your stomach. The "I'll deal with it later" that turns into months.

I know this personally.

Not from a book. From a parking lot.

🙏 Faith — Show Up Anyway

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9

For 3 years, once a month, I had to show up for probation.

Every single time there was dread.

Not because I was doing anything wrong.

Not because I had anything to hide.

Just the weight of it.

The not knowing. The waiting room. The lack of control.

But I showed up.

Every time.

Clean. On time. Respectful.

Then one day recently — I'm pushing carts in the BJ's parking lot in New Haven.

A car pulls up.

It's my former probation officer.

Not in a uniform. Not with authority.

Just a person. A customer.

They look over and say —

"Hey Mo Magic!" 🥹

Full circle.

That moment didn't happen because I avoided anything.

It happened because I showed up anyway — every single time.

💰 Money Corner — The Plumber Who Changed My Life

In 2020, I chose to live in a sober house in New Haven.

Fresh out. On parole. Working at BJ's. Going to school.

I didn't know this city. Didn't know anyone here.

One of the guys in the house was a plumber.

Regular dude. No finance degree. No YouTube channel.

He looked at me one day and said —

"Have you heard about XRP?"

I hadn't.

But I did my homework.

I found a project with real utility — cross-border payments, institutional partnerships, a clear use case.

And I stayed faithful.

Through the SEC lawsuit. Through the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). Through the years when Uphold was one of the only exchanges still selling it.

I didn't panic sell. I showed up anyway.

Then one day on Uphold I received a small unexpected deposit.

HBAR.

I didn't buy it. It just appeared.

Instead of ignoring it I asked — what is this?

I found the Hedera network. The governing council. Enterprise adoption. Real infrastructure.

Another seed planted in an unexpected moment.

A plumber in a sober house. A random airdrop.

You never know where the next opportunity comes from.

Stay curious. Do your homework. Have conviction.

Not financial advice — just my personal journey.

🧠 CodeBreeze Corner — What's a Backlink and Why Should You Care?

A few weeks ago I built a website for my friend Tony Spero — a fellow magician here in New Haven.

Check him out 👉 tonysperomagic.com

In just 28 days his site received 10 clicks from Google Search.

That might sound small.

But for a brand new site with no history?

That's Google starting to notice.

One of the fastest ways to help Google notice you faster?

Backlinks.

A backlink is simply when another website links to yours.

Think of it like a vote of confidence.

The more credible sites that link to you — the more Google trusts you.

How do you get them?

It's not overnight. But it compounds.

Just like everything else worth building.

Want a website that Google actually finds? 👉 https://codebreezesolutions.com

🎩 Magic Corner — Nobody Sees the Rehearsal

Here's something they don't teach you about magic.

The trick takes 10 seconds.

The rehearsal takes 10,000 hours.

The audience only sees the moment.

They don't see the dropped cards. The failed attempts. The late nights practicing in a mirror.

My life has been the rehearsal.

Prison classroom to college transfer. Halfway house to sober house by choice. Parole completed. Probation completed. Pushing carts in a parking lot.

While a director from Southern Connecticut State University pulls up to the same parking lot and asks Mo Magic to perform at their spring awards show.

Nobody saw the rehearsal.

They just see the magic.

Keep rehearsing. Your moment is coming.

🏙️ New Haven — Built By People Who Stayed

New Haven doesn't get enough credit.

This city has seen hard times.

But it's full of people who stayed anyway.

Who showed up to work when it was cold. Who raised families on tight budgets. Who built businesses on the same blocks where others gave up.

I am one of those people now.

I chose to stay in New Haven when I didn't know a soul here.

Now this city is home.

And I'm building something here — one cart, one client, one newsletter at a time.

If you're from New Haven — keep going.

The city needs people who show up anyway.

✊ The Lesson

In June I will celebrate 10 years without alcohol.

Ten years.

Not because it was easy.

Because I developed coping skills. Because I avoided people, places, and things that pulled me backwards. Because I chose school over bars. Because I surrounded myself with people who wanted better.

Because I showed up anyway.

Every single day.

"The testing of your faith produces perseverance." — James 1:3

Taxes scared me this week.

I sat down and did them anyway.

Probation scared me every month for years.

I showed up anyway.

Sobriety is hard every single day.

I show up anyway.

Whatever you've been avoiding —

It's time.

Show up anyway.

What have YOU been avoiding? Hit reply and tell me. And if this resonated — share it with one person who needs to hear it today.

If you enjoy Mo Magic Weekly, forward this email to a friend who needs encouragement today.