How to be Great

      I am not great at anything. I am good at a lot of things, but could not confidently call myself a master of something. My problem lies with a lack of long term focus. I have no problem focusing on one thing for a short amount of time. That amount of time is usually however long it takes me to be able to compete at a high level of competition in whatever event I am currently practicing. And THAT amount of time is usually fairly short. The extent of focus I have for short term goals is astounding.  

     However, the extent of focus I have for long term goals is embarrassing. This probably explains why I have bounced around from occupation to occupation, sport to sport and before I obtained my degree, switched my major five times. I shouldn’t say “bounced around” it makes me seem like I have commitment issues; which I do not.

    Call it—if you will, a fascination with the world combined with a lack of long term focus and a free spirit, unbelieving in the chains of society binding people to one thing for the rest of their lives. So how does one remain focused? How can I transform my laser-beam short term energy into long term goal crushing? Albert Einstein said “Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.”

      You must want to do what you are working towards with everything. To be a really great at something it has to flow through your veins and seep out of your pores. The desire to be great must outweigh everything else.

      It’s helpful to set many small goals along the way to your big goal. The short terms goals will help you to stay focused on your journey to the bigger longer term goal. As a bonus, it will feel really good to cross off small goals along the way knowing that they are all helping you to achieve your larger goal.

    You have to be willing to make mistakes. You will make mistakes, and you will mess up. However, are you willing to learn from these mistakes, adjust and continue? If not then, you should find something else to do.

    Find someone that is doing what you want to do and do what they do. Do what they did. Read about what you want to do, and watch videos from people who have done it and learn from them. Listen and take all the advice you can.

    Keep at it—for years. Then keep doing it.Experts say it takes anywhere from six to ten years or about ten thousand hours of deliberate practice to become a master at something. You’re going to suck in the beginning. But don’t worry, you’ll get better.

    Find whatever it is that you want to do, whatever you’re passionate about and do it. If you have found it and are doing it then I am deeply jealous of you. Though I have a passion for many things I am still looking for that one thing—that one thing I can be great at. This is my journey…

Don't Forget to Bring a Towel

They say that hospitals are the most germ infested places in the world. You are more likely to get sick at the hospital than you are at home. I disagree. I say the most disgusting germ infested places in the world are gyms. Gyms harbor some of the most harmful bacteria known to man, carried into them by some of the most vile people in the world. It doesn't matter what kind of gym either; Karate dojos, MMA gyms, Crossfit centers and "Athletic Clubs." Well played Athletic Club on choosing the fancy name. You cant hide from us, we know what you really are. Let me walk you through a typical night in hell, or as I like to call it: 24hour Fitness.

Upon entering the gym my nose is greeted by the pungent aroma of sweat, alcohol and week old taco meat. That's not a racist remark by the way. Next time you're cooking up some delicious tacos on a Tuesday night, take a nice hearty whiff of the meat and tell me I'm wrong.
   I like to do a little warm-up run before I hit the weights, so naturally I make my way upstairs to the cardio section of the gym. It is of course a weeknight so all of the disgruntled white-collar-nine-to-five'ers are taking up all of the treadmills. I keep looking around and finally I spot Bill, from accounting stumbling off of a treadmill. Bill[we'll call him that since I don't know his real name] weighs about five thousand pounds and from what it looks like showers once a week. His treadmill is soaked in sweat. Sweat is dripping from the buttons and the touch screen looks as if it was just rubbed with Crisco. Does Bill wipe the machine down before leaving it so the next person to use it (me) doesn't have to shower in his disgusting filth? Of course not! No, Bill walks away still angry about falling behind on his tps reports that he doesn't give wiping the machine a second thought. After unloading the whole bottle of disinfectant onto the machine I am able to get my run in. Suddenly something unmentionable and horrid worms its way into my nostrils making its way to my taste buds. Gross I can taste it. I look to my left and I am running next to none other than; taco meat guy. Yes, this guy refuses to wear deodorant or brush his teeth. He too showers only once a week. I usually do a two-mile warmup but today I can only stomach about one mile, due to the fact that I have been holding my breath for ten minutes. I can't take it anymore and pound on the stop button bringing the treadmill to a screeching halt. I muster up enough courage and oxygen to go back and wipe my machine down(because I am a good person)
  Finally it is time to hit the weights. I spot an open bench press area and lay my towel down on the bench. Oh yeah, I bring a towel to the gym because I am a respectful and clean human being. I also am not a big fan of lice. Have you ever looked down at a bench that someone was using and seen that familiar sweat spot where their head was just resting? Well take a closer look and you'll more than likely see tiny little white things. Now it could be dandruff, which in that case:gross. It could also be lice. In any case I'm not taking my chances, and I opt for the wipe-down-towel-down. Everything is going fine at this point and I am grinding through my sets without problem. Until little Johnny-never-learned-to-wipe-properly-after-pooping decides to spot his buddy on the bench behind mine. I can smell the corn in his poop, that's how absolutely disgusting he is. How does his buddy not smell him when he's dangling his balls inches above his face? I've got one more set but I cant take it anymore and have to move on. Throughout the course of the night I run into Homeless Pete who likes to sit at the leg press and stare into the distance doing one or two presses every four hours. I meet Blue Jean Sam by the free weights who is unaware that not only are blue jeans inappropriate gym attire but they soak up the sweet smell of ball sweat like nothing else. I also meet a few of Snow White's  missing dwarfs; Sneezy, Drippy, and Coughy. None of them cover their mouths and none of them have napkins or tissues. The whole gym at this point feels like a dirty bathhouse, but smells more like an outhouse, and no one in this gym has a freaking TOWEL!
  I can't take anymore. I have to leave. I stumble past Frank who wears sweatpants to the gym and "forgets" to wear underwear, and burst through the exit doors of the gym. I feel like an escaped slave bursting up from the tunnels of the underground railroad. I feel violated in so many ways and I probably need to schedule an appointment with my doctor for a full work-up.
  Here is a tip. If you stink before going to the gym, please put on deodorant and wipe yourself down with something antibacterial. Don't wear jeans to the gym, cover your mouth when you sneeze, wipe down your machines after you use them, stop screaming, and please, please bring a towel.

Change In Your Pocket

I could sit here and lecture you about change. However, I'm not going to do that. Everyone has heard the same old speeches; 'change is scary,' or ' when one door closes another opens,' and blah blah blah. I am also not going to try to convince you that all change is good. In fact, change can be very bad. ( I can't wait for the optimists to attack me for that one.)

Do you really want to know what change is? Change is change. It is a redundant but true statement. Change is a new direction or different path; a path that can lead anywhere. One of the most important things about change is that you are in control. A change occurs and you control its outcome. You have the power to decide whether or not that change will be negative or positive.

When life gives you lemons will you take the time and effort to gather a pitcher, some ice, sugar, juice them and make lemonade? Will you take the time and put in the work needed to turn sour lemons into delicious lemonade? Or, will you just sit around and complain, or wait for someone else to come by and make lemonade for you?

The choice is entirely your own. The work you put into it is entirely your own. Besides, accomplishing a difficult task on your own through hard work and perseverance makes the reward taste sweeter.




Literally.