It rained.
We didn't play.
We drove straight home and I get to spend the night with my family.
Enjoy your night as well.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Friday, February 17, 2017
Winning: It Is Everything?
It is very simple; you win or you lose.
That is such a straightforward statement. We all like the winner but hate the loser. It really is so uncomplicated. Either you succeed or fail. Why do we make it so intricate?
that was all it would be easier to understand the further complexity of winning and losing. There is this thing called talent, effort, will, and desire. The funny thing is these still don’t mean you will win. We forget that we cannot determine if we can win. We can determine if we lose by not trying as hard as we can, tanking because it is a difficult task, and not preparing the best we can. We can, in turn, do these things the best we can and that doesn’t mean we will win. We may still get beat.
Getting beat versus losing. As much as they are the same they are very different. There is still and “L” in the W/L column but there is more behind it. We are judged on those W’s and L’s but internally there is much more to it.
My job success is predicated on getting more W’s than L’s. The only way I can get that is if those that I work with believe the work they are doing will give them the best opportunity to succeed. Winning becomes easier, that is such a loaded statement because winning is never easy, when you make the work harder in preparation for the contest.
I hate losing and getting beat but at least if you get beat you know you were just bested by someone that is either more talented, maybe on that day or every day, or maybe you just didn’t have your best stuff. Either way, you can live with yourself if you know you exhausted every opportunity to win.
Put in the work to win because if you allow yourself to give up once it may become a pattern that will haunt you through your life endeavors.
Work hard and earn your keep.
That is such a straightforward statement. We all like the winner but hate the loser. It really is so uncomplicated. Either you succeed or fail. Why do we make it so intricate?
that was all it would be easier to understand the further complexity of winning and losing. There is this thing called talent, effort, will, and desire. The funny thing is these still don’t mean you will win. We forget that we cannot determine if we can win. We can determine if we lose by not trying as hard as we can, tanking because it is a difficult task, and not preparing the best we can. We can, in turn, do these things the best we can and that doesn’t mean we will win. We may still get beat.
Getting beat versus losing. As much as they are the same they are very different. There is still and “L” in the W/L column but there is more behind it. We are judged on those W’s and L’s but internally there is much more to it.
My job success is predicated on getting more W’s than L’s. The only way I can get that is if those that I work with believe the work they are doing will give them the best opportunity to succeed. Winning becomes easier, that is such a loaded statement because winning is never easy, when you make the work harder in preparation for the contest.
I hate losing and getting beat but at least if you get beat you know you were just bested by someone that is either more talented, maybe on that day or every day, or maybe you just didn’t have your best stuff. Either way, you can live with yourself if you know you exhausted every opportunity to win.
Put in the work to win because if you allow yourself to give up once it may become a pattern that will haunt you through your life endeavors.
Work hard and earn your keep.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
What Do You See?
So begins another night in a hotel in a town that many travel through. It seems like such a negative statement but is something I very much love. With twelve years in coaching, a few years racing dirt bikes, many years competing in tennis and as a youth racing BMX around the country it is a life that is normal for me. It is funny how a hotel room feels comfortable. I have spoken to so many people that hate hotels because they cannot sleep or many other reasons. I find it relaxing. I truly enjoy traveling with my family but even when they cannot be with me I still love curling up in the hotel bed, turning the a/c down, hitting the television button, and falling off into dream land. Okay, so hotel breakfast isn’t the best but it gets you going and on your way to your next adventure.
I guess the best part of traveling to me is just seeing what is out there. Whether it is a big rig, I love semi’s, hauling a load cross country or a motorhome pounding out miles down the road I find myself wondering where they are going or what they are hauling. It may sound crazy but I really enjoy the process of traveling. I like truck stops, seeing race haulers of all kinds, horse trailers moving north and south, or dirt bikes in the back of a pick-up truck. I don’t get the opportunity to travel the backroads as much as I would like but I still find amazement in the interstates. There is so much out there to see. You just must look. I find beauty in a freshly tilled field or a set of rolling hills. How can you not be amazed by some of the mountain views that our country provides? Whether it is a farm of windmills or a pasture of cattle it is America the Beautiful.
Having had the opportunity to travel by vehicle all over the country I have seen a lot of what is out there. I guess I should be bored with it but it is ever changing. There is a recent Jason Aldean song titled Fly Over States that references the farmlands in the Midwest. They do look different from the sky and for someone who doesn’t like to sit in a car can be quite boring from the ground. For those that fly over them you are missing the wildlife in the dirt mounds on the edge of the highway or the beautiful flowers that pop up randomly. You are missing the incredible interaction of small town people who know you aren’t from around here. You miss the opportunity to eat at the local diner. You know it is good because the parking lot is packed. There is so much to see. I feel sad when people say they just don’t like driving or when you pass by a vehicle and everybody, even the driver is buried in their phone. Look up, look out, there is so much to see. Allow yourself to be amazed by these 48 contiguous states. They all offer something.
As you can tell I love being on the road. I joke all the time that if it was a different life I would be an over the road truck driver. Oh, the places you can go. I have changed that to oh the places I have been and the places I will be going. Enjoy the drive and get out and see something.
I guess the best part of traveling to me is just seeing what is out there. Whether it is a big rig, I love semi’s, hauling a load cross country or a motorhome pounding out miles down the road I find myself wondering where they are going or what they are hauling. It may sound crazy but I really enjoy the process of traveling. I like truck stops, seeing race haulers of all kinds, horse trailers moving north and south, or dirt bikes in the back of a pick-up truck. I don’t get the opportunity to travel the backroads as much as I would like but I still find amazement in the interstates. There is so much out there to see. You just must look. I find beauty in a freshly tilled field or a set of rolling hills. How can you not be amazed by some of the mountain views that our country provides? Whether it is a farm of windmills or a pasture of cattle it is America the Beautiful.
Having had the opportunity to travel by vehicle all over the country I have seen a lot of what is out there. I guess I should be bored with it but it is ever changing. There is a recent Jason Aldean song titled Fly Over States that references the farmlands in the Midwest. They do look different from the sky and for someone who doesn’t like to sit in a car can be quite boring from the ground. For those that fly over them you are missing the wildlife in the dirt mounds on the edge of the highway or the beautiful flowers that pop up randomly. You are missing the incredible interaction of small town people who know you aren’t from around here. You miss the opportunity to eat at the local diner. You know it is good because the parking lot is packed. There is so much to see. I feel sad when people say they just don’t like driving or when you pass by a vehicle and everybody, even the driver is buried in their phone. Look up, look out, there is so much to see. Allow yourself to be amazed by these 48 contiguous states. They all offer something.
As you can tell I love being on the road. I joke all the time that if it was a different life I would be an over the road truck driver. Oh, the places you can go. I have changed that to oh the places I have been and the places I will be going. Enjoy the drive and get out and see something.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
When It Rains Look For the Rainbow
What’s important to you daily? If it doesn’t happen does it ruin your day? Why? Is it not possible just to do it later?
Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. We have our day strategically laid out with our goals in front of us. We plow through the day aiming to accomplish the things we deem most important and then…. the distraction. How we handle this distraction determines if we succeed or get stuck in the distraction. Don’t get hung up on what the distraction is just think about the things that take you away from what you want to be getting done. They are different for each of us. Some are made by people, some by gadgets, and others by nature herself. Is your day shot or does this give you a chance to do something else? A forced break that changes your perspective.
The example that comes to mind is a rainy day that affects your outdoor plans. You’ve been working on goals and things are rosy and then mother nature rains on your parade. Pun intended! It is true that you could gripe, cuss the circumstances, and maybe even be a little frustrated that you are missing one of few days available to work on a much-needed task.
This is where the beauty occurs. Instead of worrying about what you cannot change embrace the opportunity to do what you may not normally get to do. Go home before dark. Have dinner with your family. Enjoy some nice conversation with your daughter and wife. Do something that you always complain you don’t get to do when you are doing your normal. “Things don’t happen to you, they happen for you.” No doubt you’ve heard that quote before. As a society, we say we want change but when it actually occurs we complain because now there is an uncomfortableness that we don’t like. The next time your day gets thrown a kilter, smile and think of something you can do that normally never happens.
Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. We have our day strategically laid out with our goals in front of us. We plow through the day aiming to accomplish the things we deem most important and then…. the distraction. How we handle this distraction determines if we succeed or get stuck in the distraction. Don’t get hung up on what the distraction is just think about the things that take you away from what you want to be getting done. They are different for each of us. Some are made by people, some by gadgets, and others by nature herself. Is your day shot or does this give you a chance to do something else? A forced break that changes your perspective.
The example that comes to mind is a rainy day that affects your outdoor plans. You’ve been working on goals and things are rosy and then mother nature rains on your parade. Pun intended! It is true that you could gripe, cuss the circumstances, and maybe even be a little frustrated that you are missing one of few days available to work on a much-needed task.
This is where the beauty occurs. Instead of worrying about what you cannot change embrace the opportunity to do what you may not normally get to do. Go home before dark. Have dinner with your family. Enjoy some nice conversation with your daughter and wife. Do something that you always complain you don’t get to do when you are doing your normal. “Things don’t happen to you, they happen for you.” No doubt you’ve heard that quote before. As a society, we say we want change but when it actually occurs we complain because now there is an uncomfortableness that we don’t like. The next time your day gets thrown a kilter, smile and think of something you can do that normally never happens.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Make Every Day Happy Heart Day
Today’s thoughts were literally just a train of thought. There has been no editing, spellcheck, or grammar check. I just had the thoughts and let it roll.
Being special is an awesome feeling and a great responsibility. Today, being a day that people share with those they love had me thinking about being special. When you are special there is an obligation to the person that feels that way towards you. Not that this is a bad thing but nonetheless there is a sense inside that you don’t want to let that person down. There are times, of course, where being special to someone may just be a weird situation that is completely one-sided but this is not one of those times.
Think of the people that you surround yourself with daily. Whether it is a coworker, a subordinate, friends, family, or that stranger you struck up a conversation with at the store you are special to a multitude of people. Let’s start with the person you wake up with every morning. This person has feelings towards you that allows them the comfort of sharing their life and dreams with you. Your children look at what you do and how you do it every day. It doesn’t matter what you do to them it only matters how you do it, the way you treat the people around you, and how you share those experiences with them. Your coworkers may come to you for friendship, advice, to kill time because you are a good ear, and may think you have skills or connections they can use. The stranger aspect is one that we never really know but when we do nice things for people we don’t know most of the time we go to a little place of nicety in their heart. Think about the person that holds the door open for you when you have bags draped in every arm. You normally don’t get angry with those people but rather we think how kind they are to recognize our current situation. This goes for us when we do those same things.
Having feelings of warmth and kindness to others is the other aspect. It is great when we are special to others but it is truly humbling when others are special to us. Having someone love you so much that they hand make your favorite dinner and create their own edible arrangement. When your child says, they will spend one day doing what you love and they have such a great time that they want to spend two days doing it instead. How do you repay those moments? When your family has your back during tough times because they believe in you. Those are moments that you hang on to and just appreciate the fact that you mean that much to others. Some of the moments that are just amazing are those when complete strangers deem you important enough to help you in a time of need. It doesn’t mean they love you or want to get to know you it just means that at that moment they felt you were special enough to warrant their time.
I guess what all this means is to make someone feel special today and every day.
Being special is an awesome feeling and a great responsibility. Today, being a day that people share with those they love had me thinking about being special. When you are special there is an obligation to the person that feels that way towards you. Not that this is a bad thing but nonetheless there is a sense inside that you don’t want to let that person down. There are times, of course, where being special to someone may just be a weird situation that is completely one-sided but this is not one of those times.
Think of the people that you surround yourself with daily. Whether it is a coworker, a subordinate, friends, family, or that stranger you struck up a conversation with at the store you are special to a multitude of people. Let’s start with the person you wake up with every morning. This person has feelings towards you that allows them the comfort of sharing their life and dreams with you. Your children look at what you do and how you do it every day. It doesn’t matter what you do to them it only matters how you do it, the way you treat the people around you, and how you share those experiences with them. Your coworkers may come to you for friendship, advice, to kill time because you are a good ear, and may think you have skills or connections they can use. The stranger aspect is one that we never really know but when we do nice things for people we don’t know most of the time we go to a little place of nicety in their heart. Think about the person that holds the door open for you when you have bags draped in every arm. You normally don’t get angry with those people but rather we think how kind they are to recognize our current situation. This goes for us when we do those same things.
Having feelings of warmth and kindness to others is the other aspect. It is great when we are special to others but it is truly humbling when others are special to us. Having someone love you so much that they hand make your favorite dinner and create their own edible arrangement. When your child says, they will spend one day doing what you love and they have such a great time that they want to spend two days doing it instead. How do you repay those moments? When your family has your back during tough times because they believe in you. Those are moments that you hang on to and just appreciate the fact that you mean that much to others. Some of the moments that are just amazing are those when complete strangers deem you important enough to help you in a time of need. It doesn’t mean they love you or want to get to know you it just means that at that moment they felt you were special enough to warrant their time.
I guess what all this means is to make someone feel special today and every day.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Competition Happens
You win or you lose or some would say you win or you learn. These outcomes occur when we compete. Competition is in everything we do and it isn’t always sports related. To compete; as defined by Oxford Dictionaries is to “strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same.” Ever since we were little we compete. Whether it was to see who was the best at hide-n-seek, who could hold their breath the longest, or who would dominate the backyard game of football we have tried to be the best. Not necessarily the best in the world but the best in our own little world. Being competitive was fun, especially if you were the victor. If you lost you just sulked, made up some lame reason and then moved on to the next game. Sometimes we even changed the rules to help us compete better. Adaptation during competition is the reason some end up winning when they are behind. When we succeeded, the feeling was euphoric. For the moment, we were number one. We wanted more of that feeling. Even if we didn’t like direct competition there was still a feeling of accomplishment when we succeeded in being the highest grade in class, getting the solo for the choir, or for having the best of something that others wanted.
Fast forward a few years and the competition gets more intense in our minds. Those events seem to mean more and appear to have greater consequences. If we fail we might not make the team, win the tournament, get in the right school, or get the job we think we deserve. We are still competing but for most it is without joy. Competing is a challenge. It is supposed to be. When we are competing, we are aiming to show that the work we have done is at a high enough level to achieve the desired goal we want. The problem we have is that we cannot always control if we win or lose. We can only control the effort and work that we do to try and achieve the goal. If we have an opponent, we cannot control the work they have done. If it is for a job we don’t have control of what school, internships, or experience the other applicants may have. We forget that competition has two outcomes just like it did when we were younger. When we lost as a youth we just dusted ourselves off and tried again. When we lose as adults we feel that we have failed and that we will never have another opportunity to achieve the desired goal. After a few losses, we pull away from competition and say that we just aren’t interested in striving for what we really want. Why can’t we just reestablish the goal, change our plan, and go for it again? A true competitor who loves competition will look forward to competing as soon as they can.
Unless you just disassociate with society you will be competing for most everything. Just look at your day and see how many times you are trying to get ahead. Some of you are saying, “I never do that.” Answer this question: Have you in the past week tried to beat a yellow light, refused to let a car in, hoped you were in the shortest line at the drive-thru, or cheered for a certain outcome? You have competed. Stop fighting it and remember how much fun you had. Embrace competition and use it as fuel not as an anchor.
Fast forward a few years and the competition gets more intense in our minds. Those events seem to mean more and appear to have greater consequences. If we fail we might not make the team, win the tournament, get in the right school, or get the job we think we deserve. We are still competing but for most it is without joy. Competing is a challenge. It is supposed to be. When we are competing, we are aiming to show that the work we have done is at a high enough level to achieve the desired goal we want. The problem we have is that we cannot always control if we win or lose. We can only control the effort and work that we do to try and achieve the goal. If we have an opponent, we cannot control the work they have done. If it is for a job we don’t have control of what school, internships, or experience the other applicants may have. We forget that competition has two outcomes just like it did when we were younger. When we lost as a youth we just dusted ourselves off and tried again. When we lose as adults we feel that we have failed and that we will never have another opportunity to achieve the desired goal. After a few losses, we pull away from competition and say that we just aren’t interested in striving for what we really want. Why can’t we just reestablish the goal, change our plan, and go for it again? A true competitor who loves competition will look forward to competing as soon as they can.
Unless you just disassociate with society you will be competing for most everything. Just look at your day and see how many times you are trying to get ahead. Some of you are saying, “I never do that.” Answer this question: Have you in the past week tried to beat a yellow light, refused to let a car in, hoped you were in the shortest line at the drive-thru, or cheered for a certain outcome? You have competed. Stop fighting it and remember how much fun you had. Embrace competition and use it as fuel not as an anchor.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
And So It Begins
It is time to dust off the keyboard and get back to putting my thoughts out. I think it is more for my clarity than for anything else. So many times, I have thoughts, observations, and ideas that I just keep pinned up in my tiny little brain. That is painful, and why not just get them out. If you enjoy them that is great. Maybe we can do cool stuff and make it big with one of the audacious thoughts or ideas that gets put down. Maybe you will laugh at the stupidity of what comes out or maybe you will get pissed that I think that way about something you hold dear. Whatever, it will be out there. Tonight, is just the start. We will see where it goes. The brain just rarely shuts down. Enjoy, ignore, or engage but most importantly just think. From what I see these days we are all passionate about things but we rarely take the time to ask why others feel differently. Those differences are what makes us all so cool. Learning to understand, appreciate, and have an educated discussion allows ideas to flourish rather than just bashing an opposing opinion. Take time to listen. There is always a reason people feel the way they do and it might be worth your while to find out why.
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