July 31, 2010

The '3 E's' and Their Meaning

So I came across this while writing that big paper I talked about in an earlier post. As I was writing about how I would market a baseball team in Portland, Oregon, I talked about how our community relations would need to be top notch. While explaining how our public relations/media relations/and community relations would be top notch I simply wrote three things. The first was, we would need to be willing to go the extra mile, no matter the situation. The second was, we would need to be efficient. The third was, we would need to be excellent.

Think about that for a second. After I wrote that, I was preparing how I would say that during my presentation to the class. I played with different ways to say it, and one thing kept coming back to me. As I really thought about that, I decided those three things were meant for more than just a public relations department. I just kept thinking if I would live my life based on those three things, everything would be fine.

You know, I have really been thinking about this. Just think, if for everything you did in life, you were willing to go the extra mile, you were efficient, and you were excellent, wouldn't you set yourself up for success? In my eyes the answer is yes.

Let's start with a willingness to go the extra mile. If you are willing to do whatever it takes, you will put yourself ahead, I promise you that. Whether it's in sports, your job, or school, I firmly believe if you go the extra mile, you have set yourself up for success.

Now that that is out of the way, let's move on to efficiency. There are many different definitions of efficiency, but I'm going to settle on using this one; skillfulness in avoiding wasted time and effort. So for me, this means if you go the extra mile, while being efficient and not wasting time or effort, you are two up on your competition. Just think what will happen if you don't waste time. That would be incredible in every facet of the word.

Moving on, now we are on excellence. In my opinion, if you go the extra mile, and you're efficient at the same time, you have to be excellent. Efficiency breeds excellence. When you are excellent, you are successful. Look at Rob Dyrdek, Travis Pastrana, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg, Warren Buffett, and Bill Gates. All of them are excellent in their own entity. I'll say it again, efficiency breeds excellence, which ultimately breeds success.

Call them what you want, the '3 E's' are what you need to follow to get you to where you want to be. That's really all I have for this one. I don't think I'll update for at least a week because I have a busy week coming up, so hopefully there is enough here to last.

I'll end it with a quote...

"Desire is the key to motivation, but its determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal- a commitment to excellence- that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

July 30, 2010

One crazy little thought

So far in my 20 years of life, there has been one thing and one thing only guys have let control their mind. This thing, it's tangible. In our mind, it's beautiful. No matter how much we try to not think about it, every time we do. I have seen this in about every guy I know. This thought I'm talking about is a girl.

I kind of had a little bit of a revelation this morning about this topic. I say revelation because I had a thought this morning during a conversation that I previously had not known. Well, I had known, but I just didn't acknowledge it. The fact is, there is only thing in the world guys let control their mind. I think this is what sets guys apart from girls. Other thoughts run through our mind, but only one thought stays there. The thought isn't about girls, it's about a single girl. That thought controls how we act really. Even when you try to not think about her, you do.

This thought about that girl makes you do things you don't do. For instance, driving an hour and twenty minutes to go see her or trying to do something special for her by taking her out or taking her soup when she is sick. This thought gives us doubts too though. It's really pretty crazy this one thought can control our lives.

One thing that should be addressed though, and this is more for the ladies. When a guy drives to come see you, or tells you how he feels about you, show some love. C'mon! We know you play games, we get that, we don't necessarily understand that, but we know you do it. Just give us a little something back. At least let him know you appreciate it. The guys try so hard in some cases, and it would be nice to see a little effort in return.

I think one of the craziest things about relationships is the 'chase.' The thrill lies within the 'chase.' Personally, I think it's kind of fun. All the games, the talks, etc. I think you have found the right one when the thrill of being with her far outweighs the thrill of the 'chase.'

I don't know about any of this. I could be wrong, but probably not because I am always right. I know I'm sticking to what I think, you can stick to what you think. I know you get to a point and you think it's not worth it. Just play the game. You live to die another day. Follow your heart and everything should work out. If it doesn't work out, you have found the wrong person and it's time to move on. Let the 'chase' begin again!

July 29, 2010

Live the Regrets

So I do not normally do this. By this I mean writing consecutive posts in consecutive days. Something caught me today though. Something actually that I had all wrong from the beginning. I'm talking about 'regrets' in this post, so bear with me here.

What is life without regrets? I don't really have the answer to that, but I can tell you life would be different. I saw a movie today. The movie I watched was called "Tuesdays with Morrie." I haven't read the book yet, but you know what they say. If there is a great book, watch the movie first, and then read the book. The book is always better. For me, the movie was good. I learned a lot, although the book will probably teach me more. What I like about "Tuesdays with Morrie," is that it's real. It's based on a true story. I'm not going to tell you about the movie or the book because I won't do it justice. You need to go check it out for yourself. This movie really got me thinking.

What is life without regrets? I still don't have this answer. Here is something I learned from the movie. "Death ends a life, not a relationship." So many people look at death and they think, 'I wish I would have done this or that.' 'I wish we would have talked more, or hung out more, or something along those lines.' People see death as the end of that relationship. Someone you loved is gone, and you will never be able to talk to them again. Is that true? That person lives on through your thoughts and memories. That is all you have left of that particular person. Use those thoughts and memories to continue your relationship with that person. I guess you could say it's your turn to talk, and their turn to listen. Remember, "Death ends a life, not a relationship."

What is life without regrets? I don't really have this answer, but I will share my thoughts on regrets. Here is what I got wrong. I always thought I should live life without regrets. Sounds like a great idea. Why in the world would anyone want to have regrets? I don't want regrets, but I know I'm going to have them. It's impossible to live life without regrets! No matter the situation, you will always think twice about something. What if I would have said it in a different tone? What if I said this, instead of that? See that's regret. That's where I got it wrong.

What is life without regrets? Life without regrets is not life. It's a fantasy world. Having regret is life. In some situations, it may not be good to have regret, but you will learn from that, and the next time it happens, you will know what to do. That's what it's all about, using regrets to further your life. Use the regrets to make the right choice next time. As you grow up, you use past experiences to enhance your being in the future. Is that regrets? Possibly. So, don't live life without any regrets, you may not learn anything. Now, for the harder question...

What is the meaning of life? I know I don't have the answer to that one. Morrie Schwartz may...

July 27, 2010

TO and Trust... Interesting

I ended the last post talking about trust, and if that is what you are here for, I will get there I promise I just have to get through a little bit before I get there.


The is for Erika...
Today the Cincinnati Bengals signed Terrell Owens to a 1-year contract worth $2 million dollars. My first impression was... I don't think I really had a first impression. For laziness sake, I'll refer to him as TO. For me, TO is like the person who you were best friends with but as the years go by, you just lose touch with them and they aren't even your friend anymore. I used to be a big San Francisco 49ers fan when Jerry Rice played. TO was opposite Rice and therefore I grew to like TO. He was a great football player. As the years went on, I grew to not like TO. He went from my friend, to an enemy of sorts. As an Eagle, he was a joke, and he was a joke in Dallas. In Buffalo, he didn't produce, but that can also be attributed to his team, or lack there of. I think TO has potential in Cincinnati. Their receiving core is overcrowded, which makes me question the move, but he can add something to the team. Am I happy he is in Cincinnati now? Ask me after the season and I'll let you know. Am I mad he is in Cincinnati now? See the answer above. Here is what I will say. In my opinion, TO needs to come in and work hard, and not be a fool. The Bengals already have a jokester on the team in Ochocinco. If TO comes in and accepts his role, and works hard, he should be able to survive in Cincy. From what I have heard, most Bengals fans are happy he is there, as for my reaction, ask me after the season.


Now for the trust part...

Trust is an unbelievable phenomena of sorts. I say phenomena because trust is visible everywhere you look and it really is unbelievable. When you drive, you have trust. You trust yourself to make the right decisions about when to turn and when to slow down. You trust the other people on the road to do the exact same thing. But trust is so much more than that. I don't know what the most important thing in a relationship is, but I know that trust is up there. For me, trust is a HUGE factor. Not necessarily trust in the sense of being able to trust a partner to be faithful, but for me, it's about confidentiality. Outside of family, only one person really knows everything about me. And even in that case, there is still more to know, and I don't know if that person will know EVERYTHING about me. But for me, trust is built. It isn't something that is given out. That one person, I have complete trust in that person. In this case, I have left myself vulnerable, but it's the trust that I have in that person that makes it okay.

I would even goes as far to say that the only people who will truly know everything about me are my best friend, and the girl I decide to marry. It's trust. Those two people have earned/ or will earn my complete trust. I know with my best friend that I can tell him anything, and yeah I may be judged, but I know that person isn't going to tell everyone. I would hope that I can find a girl who I can share the same thing with. It's a crazy thing, but at the same time it's pretty cool. I would encourage you to really think about trust, and then think about when someone tells you something. There is a reason that person is telling you that. Look at who that person is, and then look at who you are. Once you have done that, do something to reassure that person of the trust they have instilled in you. Thank them, kiss them, do whatever it is you do, just let them know you care.

July 19, 2010

2 Questions and No Answers

I don't really understand why I am writing right now. Coming off of writing the longest paper I have ever written in my life, I can't seem to stop writing. My paper: 32 pages. I was stating a case on why Major League Baseball should move a team to Portland, Oregon. Do I really think it can happen, yes, it is only a matter of time.

You ever have thoughts about knowing something, but refusing to accept it? For example, you know nothing will happen between you and this girl, but you just will not accept 'no' for an answer. It could be something like knowing you are not going to get your mom to buy you that new pair of shoes you want, but you need to try, and be persistent. Why? Because there is that .01% chance that you will get that thing. If you are a good salesperson, you can get that pair of shoes somehow. It is that .01% that keeps people going, especially in terms of the opposite sex. For guys, I think it is one of things that starts off as... "Okay, well I will try because I know I will be thinking about this later and then I will get mad at myself if I don't." But, this slowly turns into... "I do not know what it is about this girl, but I do not want to accept the fact she does not like me." There is always something making a guy feel this way. Whether it is a text message, a word, or something random happening one night, there is always something. It could even be something the girl told to the guy's friend who obviously told his buddy because that is what friends do. No matter the case, there is one thing the guy always gets caught up in making him feel that way. Is there a cure? Time. At this point, it is hard, but only time will heel you guys. That is, time away from her. Go out, live your life, and be free!

My other big thought for the night is about opening up.

When is it acceptable to open up? It is very common to have the one person who you can literally tell everything to, and if you do not, you at least are trying to establish that with someone. My thing is, when can you open up? You cannot establish your "go to" person and then the next day open up. I would think you start with little things, you know, things that do not really matter, but it is worth letting someone know. So, when do you open up? I am no expert so I do not have the answer to this question. For me, I do not open up to people. It is really hard to open up, and everyone wants to believe there is someone on the other end of the conversation who actually cares about you. It may be true there are things no one has ever shared with anyone else, and those things kind of eat away at people. Opening up is hard! Friends are the big X-factor on this one. Everyone has that friend who thinks they know everything about you, and really that friend knows nothing about you. Everyone also has that friend you want to have know everything about you. How do you get the latter friend to know? Trust? Trust is tough. You think you can trust someone, but you give them the deepest information about yourself and they run away. All this, only to find yourself alone again. Trust. That word is deep. I will talk about it more next time, but just realize if someone wants to open up to you, they want you to be there for some reason. Do not run away, or turn your back. Be there.

Every day I carry these things with me everywhere I go:

Phone, keys, wallet, chap stick, and a 3 X 5 index card that reads three things. If you are lucky, you will get to know what those three things say.

Until next time... Life is too short to let great opportunities pass you by.

July 8, 2010

The King of....?

Here is my buddy's view on the whole Lebron James situation. When you read this, keep in mind he is a die hard Browns, Indians, and Cavaliers fan. He is one who likes/liked LBJ... it starts with the title he gave it, and then writes about how he feels about Lebron...Enjoy!

Why LeBron James is the biggest disappointment in professional sports

Let me just start by saying that two years ago, I disagreed with Skip Bayless on almost everything that he said concerning LeBron James. My how things have changed. This whole situation has been building up for the last two years, so I figure that I might as well say it.

LeBron James, GET THE HELL OUT OF CLEVELAND.

When LBJ came into the league as an 18 year old phenom from Akron, he was expected to resurrect the city of Cleveland from the furthest depths of sports failure. He was even called "the Chosen One", which is a ridiculous coronation for a kid who had proved nothing at that point of his career. And he has still not proven that he has deserved all the attention that he has gotten. For all the endorsements, the publicity, the individual awards, he has still not won a championship. And I'm not saying that LeBron is a failure because he didn't win a championship in Cleveland; its all about the way he handled himself within the last two seasons. It has everything to do with his attitude toward his team, his city, and most of all, his attitude about himself.

For a long time, even as recently as last year, I considered LBJ to be a great leader. And I still believe that he was for the first five years of his career. They had no buisness taking the Pistons or Celtics to seven games in 2006 and 2008 or going to the NBA Finals in 2007. But he made his teammates better. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. When he disappeared in those last three games vs Boston, I finally realized that a truly great leader would not have quit on his team. Ever. Unlike Dwayne Wade, who won 47 games this year with Michael Beasley as his next best player, LeBron did nothing to make his team better when it really mattered. He also would not put a stop to the questions about his upcoming free agency, which any good leader would have done in order to keep his teammates focused.

The attitude LeBron had toward the city of Cleveland has been awful. Dan Gilbert gave him the best facilities, a ton of money, and a GM who, despite what people may think, did an overall damn good job. So what does he do? He puts his fans and the Cavaliers through the circus because he cares more about his recruitment than about keeping the best interests of the team who has been so good to him for seven years in mind. This man is supposedly so loyal to his only team and his hometown area, but he can't keep his free agency experience quiet and simple. Not to mention that he has pretty much held the city hostage while pointing a gun to it's head.

Which leads me to my biggest reason the LeBron is such a huge disappointment. He has let his ego get completely out of control. Forgive me if I rant on and on about this one.

First off, he allows reporters to ask questions about when he would become a free agent. TWO YEARS AGO. Does that seem normal to any of you? Then he makes teams come to Cleveland to woo him because he wants to be "courted" by certain teams. LeBron James, you are a bigger tease than just about any college female. I feel like I have been watching some crappy dating show instead of ESPN for the past week. Not only that, he ASKS ESPN for a one hour special to announce his decision. Seriously? He just wants the whole world to have their eyes on him. He is definitely "The King", not because he has won anything significant, but because he is just as needy as one. If you asked him, I bet LeBron would tell you that he was given a "divine right". What happened to the humble kid from just down the road in Akron? The only thing that Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Dwyane Wade or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ever wanted attention for was winning. LBJ has become too worried about being a global icon and not enough about becoming a champion. Oh don't worry LeBron, you will become globally known. But if anyone else who cares about basketball can see through you, about 95% of them will hate you.

Which leads me to my conclusion. I don't know about anybody reading this note, but I do know that I have completely lost respect for LeBron James. According to speculation (and a good buddy of mine), he is almost guaranteed heading to Miami to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Well, thats just fine with me. I don't care how many championships he wins in his career, whether it is one or five. He will always be a selfish disappointing loser in my book because he lost what no one with his fame and fortune can afford to lose: his humility.

So LeBron, enjoy wherever it is you are going. I just hope now that its not Cleveland. While the city does desperately need a championship, it also deserves a true sports hero. Myself personally, I can wait as long as it takes for one to show up.
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