Sunshine and Rain

Today has been a bit of an awkward day.  It started off with sunshine.  As a matter of fact, it woke me up this morning.  The sun pierced through the windows until I was awake.  I thought it would be good to check out the beach.  By the time I arrived there, the sun was well hidden behind the clouds.  Then the rain began.  The rain wasn't too bad but persisted long enough to change my beach plans.  Later, the rain stopped and the sun returned brighter than ever and even brought a rainbow along with it.  This one day could represent a lifetime because we always have sunshine and rain.  Some days are the best days of our lives and others are just the worst.  Sometimes we tend to focus on the bad days and that just drags us (and the people close to us) down.  We just have to remember...in life, there are more sunny days than rainy days.

Anything is Possible

I am a firm believer that anything is possible.  I still believe in the American dream.  I don't think it comes easily but it can be achieved.  It takes hard work; it takes determination.  I learned this lesson very early in life.  I am an observant person; I don't talk much but I look and listen a lot.  I enjoy watching what people say and do, then seeing the results of their actions.  Sometimes I try to guess the result before it happens.  This way I can learn from my actions as well as others.  Back to my original thought, I wasn't always a believer that anything is possible.  When I was in high school, I never paid attention to geography.  I never thought I would see any of the places the teachers mentioned.  Years later, as I traveled to unknown places, I craved knowledge about these places.  The same guy that didn't want to listen in class was now soaking up information like a sponge.  Being in those places increased my interest and made learning easier.  I'm a visual learner so it helps to actually see everything first hand instead of looking in books or listening to someone talk about it.  The sights available in this world are beautiful.  The fact that I have been able to see so much when I never thought I would proves anything is possible.

Shaped by Events

We are shaped by the events we go through in life.  Theoretically, you can take two people and send them on separate journeys.  Once the journeys are complete, you should be able to see differences in the way the individuals handle different situations based on what they learned from their journeys.  Since we are all individuals on different journeys in life, it is safe to say we are also shaped by events or experiences we face.  Most experiences are not completely unique so fortunately for us, we can often find people that have been through the same or similar experiences for advice and support.  We go through positive and negative experiences during our lifetimes.  "If everyday is a sunny day, then what's a sunny day?" (Eddie Murphy, Vampire in Brooklyn)  Events in life shape us; our response to those events is what defines us.

Myself and Others

Sometimes as I sit and write, it seems like my writings have a dark undertone...sort of melancholy.  That is never my intent so I hope that my words aren't perceived that way.  My goal is to motivate...myself and others.  There are so many tasks that we adults have to accomplish in any given day.  I know I have times when I need someone to give me that added push (instead of an energy drink) when my body just wants to rest.  I know people depend on me to accomplish these tasks and I depend on the people closest to me to be my motivation.  Sometimes, it only takes a few words or just a glance to bring back the motivation.  I'm not sure if I provide this with my few words but I will continue to try.

The First Step

I have been slacking on exercising but excelling in eating lately.  I can feel myself getting sluggish.  I went to the gym yesterday but I didn't do a lot.  Yet, I was sore this morning.  Guess it's been longer than I thought.  To get my belly back under control, I need to get back into cardio.  Tonight, I forced myself to run.  I stretched and began running.  The run started off well but less than halfway, I began feeling uncomfortable so I tried to give myself a fairly close object to run to.  Then once I got there, I gave myself another object to reach.  It worked for a little bit but then I got tired so I walked until I made it to the halfway point.  At the halfway point, I began to run again.  This time, I didn't stop until I completed the run and I even sprinted the last few steps.  It wasn't my best run but it was a start.  I'm just happy I took the first step.

Burnt Bridges

Don't burn bridges!  You never know when you may need them again.  Sometimes, it may seem like the best choice in the heat of the moment.  Part of being an adult is growing wiser.  With this wisdom, you will hopefully be able to determine whether you are acting impulsively or with a clear head.  When I was in school, I had a crush on a young lady.  I only knew her physical attributes, but that was enough to make me want to know her.  Unfortunately, my close friend was also fond of her...but I think he was in the "friend zone".  Even so, he told me that he liked this young lady.  It was a confusing situation because I liked her too.  I weighed my choices and probably due to teenage hormones, I made my move on the young lady.  I spoke to her during lunch and walked with her to her classroom (which is where my friend saw us together).  This was on a Friday and I was on top of the world, not thinking about the friendship I was ruining.  I didn't see the lady over the weekend so I was excited to see her again on Monday.  I quickly found her and walked with her to her classroom.  When we arrived at her classroom, she told me she already had a boyfriend and it was a bad idea for us to continue to hang out.  Of course I was crushed...it always feels like the end of the world when you're young.  Then, I needed a friend to listen to my pain.  My friend didn't want to hear it...he didn't even want to talk to me.  He lost trust in me and I couldn't blame him.  I ruined a friendship for one day...and it was not worth it.

Reality Check

I have been working hard lately in many different areas of my life, reaching various milestones.  I thought I had everything under control with the perfect balance...but that wasn't reality.  I didn't realize it until my boss gave me a small task and I failed at it.  Sometimes, all it takes is one moment to change your entire perspective.  In that moment, I had to take a look in the mirror and ask myself the difficult questions.  Am I meeting the work expectations of my boss?  Am I meeting the expectations set by me?  I'm always tougher on myself than my boss could ever be.  Like I said earlier, I have been working hard lately in many different areas.  Perhaps, I lost focus on work.  It is possible since I shifted my priorities recently.  So now, I must ask myself a tougher question.  Am I ready to once again focus on work?  The truth is the answer to that question is not as simple as it once was.

Run Your Race

Run your race.  These are words I often say...sometimes to others, mostly to myself.  This phrase keeps me focused on the task at hand.  It doesn't have to be a race, just any task in life.  It simply means:

Don't worry about what other people are doing.
Don't let other things distract you.
Stay focused.

The end result is up to you.  Why worry about what someone else is doing?  Perhaps they are taller, stronger, faster.  Big deal!  Use your strengths to achieve your goal.  You may not accomplish your goal as fast as someone else.  Who cares?  Maybe your goal is to complete the task.  Then later, you can work on speed.  Bottom line, worrying about what others are doing or falling victim to distractions will only slow you down and perhaps prevent you from reaching your goal.  In daily tasks and life, you have run your race.  No one else will do it for you.

Public Speaking

I am an introvert; I tend to shy away from crowds...normally.  Yet, I crave the spotlight.  Weird, huh? Most people dislike public speaking and I am no exception.  I can and I will do public speaking but I usually only do it when I really have to.  I get nervous; my voice my lack confidence.  My eyes may dart from side to side as I avoid eye contact.  I would never say I'm a great public speaker.  My speech skills my change from day to day.  But there are times when I'm focused and...my voice is calm and confident and I give good eye contact to the audience.  It's not that I'm less introverted in that moment but more that I am welcoming the challenge.  It's still an uncomfortable situation but I'm not allowing myself to back down.  After all, what's the worst that could happen?  Embarrassment...I think I could live with that.

Broken Promises

Don't make promises that you can't keep.  That is a good statement but we can't see the future.  How do we know if we will be able to keep that promise?  Have we kept this promise or one similar in the past?  We learn from our past and history repeats.  We also know what is important to us and what lengths we are willing to go for the important things and/or people in our lives.  If you've ever been on the receiving end of a broken promise, you know it's not a favorable situation.  Sometimes you may have your heart set on something happening because someone promised it.  Sometimes you've already planned something else because you expect the first thing will happen.  Because I have had promises broken, I am now more cautious of the promises I make.  I don't want to feel bad for not fulfilling a promise and I don't want to let anyone down.

A Penny for My Thoughts

Sometimes I like to think about where I will be five years from now...in regards to relationships, work, and finances.  I feel like I'm on track in all regards but nothing is a given and a lot can happen in five years.  I'm not rushing the future.  It just seems so far away now but I know once five years has past, I will wonder where the time went.  Time is weird like that.  It's good to have an idea of where you hope to be in life five years from now but you can't be consumed by what the future holds.  You will miss the important life events in the present.  This year I am focusing on the present to create a brighter future.

Take a Deep Breath

Sometimes I can be too focused.  I'm sure somebody can relate to this.  Before I finish one goal, I'm already looking at or working on my next goal or two.  It's fine to be focused, but you have to take some time between goals...even if it's only a moment.  A brief moment to take a deep breath and enjoy the sense of accomplishment.  A brief moment to release all the stress this goal created.  A moment to recharge your batteries for the next task.  Some people are so focused, it's difficult for them to allow themselves this moment.  You need it!  You deserve it!  It will make you stronger for your next goal.  Go ahead...breathe.

Fragile--Handle With Care

With all the medical problems that can happen to the heart, the worst problem isn't diagnosed by a doctor.  This painful affliction is known as a broken heart and everyone is vulnerable.  Everyone has a heart and no matter how much some may protest, they want to share their lives with someone.  It takes courage to be vulnerable and put yourself out there because there is the risk of a broken heart.  There is the chance of everlasting love on the other hand...which should be worth the risk.  People respond to broken hearts differently.  Some people try and try again.  Others let this create a dark cloud over them.  Some people turn their backs on love and choose to never try again.  I'm not an expert on broken hearts.  I have experienced it in the past.  It was a long time ago and I still remember how it felt.  As the date moves closer towards Valentine's Day, I hope everyone realizes the heart is very fragile.  If someone has given you their heart, make sure you handle it with care!

The Light

I think it's only fair that I tell you about how my life changed after my bad year.  First of all, I can't say it was a completely bad year.  I didn't completely know it at the time, but towards the end of that year, I met the love of my life.  I didn't have a lot of friends but I did have a couple of really good friends to help me when I was down.  I was down, but not out.  I was devastated after my Grandma's death.  I thought I never did anything with my life to really make her proud of me.  It also made me realize how short life can be.  After the storm, I rose with a new fire in my heart and a positive outlook.  I knew my Grandma was watching from above  and I decided to give her a good show.  With the attitude change, everything else began to change.  I lost weight, work got better, and I got the promotion I wanted.  It didn't happen overnight but I made it through the dark to get back to the light.

The Dark Knight

My outlook on life wasn't always so positive.  I was just thinking about that.  Actually, a few years ago, I had a bad year.  I won't say it was just the worst because there is always someone that has it worse and you never know what the future holds.  At the time, it just seemed like a bad, hopeless year.  I had gained about 20 pounds and was just out of shape.  With that, my energy levels were low.  I had recently moved to a new location and didn't really know anyone.  I was unmotivated at work after I didn't get the promotion I had hoped for.  Financially, I was living paycheck to paycheck.  That's not suffering but it's not financially stable.  I was also lost in relationships.  Overall, nothing was going my way.  At the end of that year, my Grandma passed away.  That put the darkest cloud over my head.  I felt like I was stuck in quicksand and the more I fought, the deeper I sank.

Off The Sidelines

Being forced to sit on the sidelines sucks!  That's all there is to it.  Luckily, I managed to not push myself too fast.  I gave my ankle time to heal.  I decided to try running a couple days ago to see how it felt.  It felt good, no discomfort.  I did wear a more supportive shoe this time.  The shoes gave me a bit more confidence to push myself during a few stretches of my run.  I hope you're not imagining me as an everyday runner type.  That is not me.  I run a couple of times a week.  During this run, I did walk a bit but I still completed the 2 mile run.  Today, I will try running again.  I hope to improve my run today.  Regardless of how I run today, I'm just excited to be off the sidelines.

Sidelined

The title says exactly how I feel right now...sidelined.  I'm just sitting by as things happen around me.  Literally sitting.  I guess I should give you the back story.  Yesterday, I agreed to play ultimate football with my coworkers.  I told myself I wouldn't push myself past my physical limits but once the game started, my competitive spirit took over.  I wasn't the all-star but I made great contributions to my team: some great passes and some phenomenal catches (which probably seem better in my thoughts than reality)!  About half way through the game, my lower back began to tighten and hurt.  I moved a bit slower but I still had bursts of greatness because I knew my teammates needed me.  Afterwards, my back was killing me.  I could still walk, just uncomfortably.  Then later at work, while sitting, my ankle just began to throb.  At the end of my workday, I stood up to leave and I could not put pressure on my ankle.  That is the twist in my story.  It wasn't my back that sidelined me, it was my ankle.  I guess I sprained it but I didn't realize it until later.  So now, I'm sitting here...sidelined.

2012

It's a new year!  So far, everything seems about the same.  Now is the time that people begin working towards their resolutions.  Mine are the usual.  Be better at love, work, fitness, and finances.  Pursue my goals.  I think I'll stop there.  If I really sit and think about it, I'm sure my list would just continue to grow.  The main theme of my resolutions is to be better.  Some areas of my resolutions just require a little improvement while others will be more of a challenge.  "Being better" isn't really a well defined goal but it works for me.  I just want to see improvement and growth in myself.  So, what are your resolutions for 2012?

No Regrets

As I begin to unwind and relax over the holidays, it gives me time to reflect over the past year.  It was definitely a busy year.  It was a year with plenty of change.  It was a year of challenge.  I challenged myself to accomplish academic goals; I now have a 3.7 GPA.  Yes, even with my procrastination.  I admit I procrastinate but because of that, I work through days without sleep to complete assignments...which I don't recommend.  I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and I was successful.  I challenged myself to present my thoughts to the world and created my blog.  It's been running a few months and I enjoy it.  I feel this year I'm a bit closer to my friends and family.  There was and still is some pain in my life after someone close to me passed away this year.  I'm glad that I was able to see him before this happened.  Through the joy and the pain, I continue to live my life to the fullest.  I continue to live with no regrets as I welcome 2012.  Let's see what the year will bring!

You Better Recognize

When someone does something good, they should be recognized.  Often, people are recognized for the bad things they do.  If someone is only told about the negative things they do, they may begin to believe that they can't do anything right.  And that is not the case.  Everyone is capable of doing great things.  Recognition can be as simple as saying, "Good job!" or "I really appreciate your help."  These are small gestures to recognize someone.  There are bigger ways to recognize people such as cards, gifts, or awards.  You can also treat the person to lunch.  The main goal of recognition is to acknowledge the good deed someone accomplished.  Though many people don't expect recognition, it is nice to receive it.