I tried to solve a problem, and my problem was, "Why is that person better than me at a given thing"
Let me explain, how come someone can write a better essay than me, how can someone run faster than me, how can a person have a better anything than me? I found a hint to my problem in New York City, when I was sitting on a bench with my family, I was only six years old. I saw this man walking by, he had everything it looked like, he had these really defined muscles in his arms and in his legs, an expensive watch, super handsome face, and this beautiful girl who was walking next to him; with whom he was having a fully engaged conversation with. Meaning no phones in their hands, nothing, just a real conversation.
I said to my mom, "wow, I want to be just like him, but better, I wonder how he did it." Of course being six it came out like "That guy is cool, how is he so cool?" And my mother jokingly questioned "why don't you ask?" I responded "But I'm scared." So my mom just said "Of what?" So I hopped off the bench, ran up behind him and tugged his shirt, then asked "Why are you so cool?" He simply answered me with the word "focus." I ran back to the bench and just thought "focus, focus, focus, focus, focus, I don't know what that word means." So again I turned to my mom and asked her what focus meant. She told me the definition, still didn't get it. I went and asked my teacher the next day at school, still didn't get it. I sat and sat thinking alone in my room, still didn't get it. Then I matured, around age nine I started to think a new way. Then suddenly I got it. Focus to me means- whatever you believe, whatever you're doing, you've got to be all in for it. An excuse to me is not "A reason or explanation put forward to justify a fault." It is a distraction from the focus you are fixated on, meaning it takes you away from the thing you want. Now in everything that I do, for example in school, if it's not my best work, it's not worth turning in. In sports, if it's not my best effort, I pull myself out of the game. I spend my life giving my all. If that means lazy people don't like me because they are my group partners and I push them to be the best, fine. Please get out of my group, because people in my group don't give excuses, they stay focused. Same in sports, if you're not willing to improve at whatever cost, you're not worth the spot on the team.
So many times I hear "I can't because..." with a little motivation and focus, then you CAN. After I found the answer to this question I realized that if it was easy everyone would do it. If having a beautiful face, perfect muscles, a 4.0 GPA, and a beautiful woman, was easy, everyone would have it, but it's not easy it requires focus. There are 86400 seconds in a day, 28800 of those seconds are spent sleeping, 3600 are spent eating, that leaves you 54000 seconds a day to be who you want to be. Focus, because every second counts.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Blog Post 4; Failure
A brief insight into my 7th grade year.
Alright, so, during my 7th grade year I was transitioning from this chubby kid, who smelled funny, and wasn't very good at anything; to a kid who recently found a treadmill and a shower. All my new friends were trying out for the basketball team, Mike Kenney, Mike Krebs, Matt Barbari, Grant Harlow, we were all trying out. And to make it very clear I was in no way an athlete, in fact you could say I was the opposite, I didn't have any muscle on me and I couldn't run for my life. I was tall, yes, but very unaware of how big I was and was unable to control my body.
So we all tried out, whenever the ball was passed to me I blushed, got scared, made a bad pass that usually got stolen, and got made fun of because of how bad I was. This made me so angry, I hated that people were so much better than me at something. So cuts came around and I didn't even make it past first cuts, the coach had no interest in keeping me.
This rejection crushed me. I got home and asked my brothers how to be good at basketball, yes this is an origin story, and they said "do everything I do." And of course I was so upset I did everything that they did. Days past, weeks past, months past, until the full year had past. In 525960 minutes I transformed from this chubby kid who couldn't control their body, to a kid who did pull-ups instead of flexed arm hang. To a kid who took his shirt off at the pool with confidence. Of course this all came with a price, no one had heard of me since the end of the year, it was all basketball, and I became isolated. My transformation turned heads, no one knew or saw the work I had to put into my craft, all they saw was this polished product. People can admit they didn't expect it, especially the coach.
Try-outs my 8th grade year rolled around, and this time I knew what I wanted, I wanted to take the spot that was rightfully mine in the starting line up of the team that cut me. That's what I did, I went out and there is one play I'll never forget- Brendan/Brandan Morrison was going up for a lay-up, and as this was happening the Varsity coach walked into the gym, and as Morrison went up for this lay-up I jumped as high as I possibly could and smashed his lay-up down. I hit the ball so hard, and it smashed into the wall right next to the varsity coach's head. The modified coach said "you're cut" to me jokingly, and this time I knew I got what I wanted. All this preparation, all the working, all this time spent on this one activity paid off. Of course I made that team, then the next year I made the JV team, then I made the Varsity team my sophomore year. Then here we are. Every summer I work harder than the last. My failure is what drives me, I'll never be cut from any team for the rest of my life, I will never feel that pain again. If that means I have to work till exhaustion..... So be it.
Alright, so, during my 7th grade year I was transitioning from this chubby kid, who smelled funny, and wasn't very good at anything; to a kid who recently found a treadmill and a shower. All my new friends were trying out for the basketball team, Mike Kenney, Mike Krebs, Matt Barbari, Grant Harlow, we were all trying out. And to make it very clear I was in no way an athlete, in fact you could say I was the opposite, I didn't have any muscle on me and I couldn't run for my life. I was tall, yes, but very unaware of how big I was and was unable to control my body.
So we all tried out, whenever the ball was passed to me I blushed, got scared, made a bad pass that usually got stolen, and got made fun of because of how bad I was. This made me so angry, I hated that people were so much better than me at something. So cuts came around and I didn't even make it past first cuts, the coach had no interest in keeping me.
This rejection crushed me. I got home and asked my brothers how to be good at basketball, yes this is an origin story, and they said "do everything I do." And of course I was so upset I did everything that they did. Days past, weeks past, months past, until the full year had past. In 525960 minutes I transformed from this chubby kid who couldn't control their body, to a kid who did pull-ups instead of flexed arm hang. To a kid who took his shirt off at the pool with confidence. Of course this all came with a price, no one had heard of me since the end of the year, it was all basketball, and I became isolated. My transformation turned heads, no one knew or saw the work I had to put into my craft, all they saw was this polished product. People can admit they didn't expect it, especially the coach.
Try-outs my 8th grade year rolled around, and this time I knew what I wanted, I wanted to take the spot that was rightfully mine in the starting line up of the team that cut me. That's what I did, I went out and there is one play I'll never forget- Brendan/Brandan Morrison was going up for a lay-up, and as this was happening the Varsity coach walked into the gym, and as Morrison went up for this lay-up I jumped as high as I possibly could and smashed his lay-up down. I hit the ball so hard, and it smashed into the wall right next to the varsity coach's head. The modified coach said "you're cut" to me jokingly, and this time I knew I got what I wanted. All this preparation, all the working, all this time spent on this one activity paid off. Of course I made that team, then the next year I made the JV team, then I made the Varsity team my sophomore year. Then here we are. Every summer I work harder than the last. My failure is what drives me, I'll never be cut from any team for the rest of my life, I will never feel that pain again. If that means I have to work till exhaustion..... So be it.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Blog Post 3 ADVENTURES IN LIFE LESSONS... THE PRE-PRESEQUAL
Life lessons from places you wouldn't expect
NUMBER 1
Shrek 1- When Shrek and Donkey cross the bridge over lava
This little clip shows how sometimes in life you may be scared or intimidated by challenges that may face you. AND YEAH IT'S SCARY but once it's over it's over. Once Donkey crossed the bridge he wasn't scared anymore. In fact he was happy. THINK ABOUT IT.
NUMBER 2
Shrek 1- Ogres are like onions
This clip represents not just ogres, but a lot of people. Not everyone is all "Willie-Nillie" with all of their feelings. Some people hide how they feel, you never really know what's going on in someone's head. You can see in this clip that Donkey doesn't understand this and Shrek gets very upset. Therefore Shrek as taught me to never judge anyone whom doesn't deserve it. Based on looks or upbringing, you should never judge someone.
NUMBER 3
Ratatouille- Change is Nature
This clip is all about how the Dad wants Remy to come home, but of course Remy doesn't want to because he is living his dream, of becoming a Chef, so they have this little talk. Where this clip seems odd if you have never seen the movie, its message is still there. If you want come thing to change in your life, you can't wait for it to just happen, you have to be the catalyst for change. Do what you can to get what you want.
NUMBER 4
Kung Fu Panda- Believe
This clip is about how Shifu doesn't believe that Po can become the dragon warrior, and to me, this clip is a real depiction of how believing in something, and really working on it can lead to it happening. If your mind can imagine it, its possible.
NUMBER 5- THE FINAL SCREEN
Kung Fu Panda- The Present
In this, Po is afraid of what he has done, he is regretful, and he is also concerned with what will happen in the future. So Oogway says this saying to him and it made him realize that its not about what has happened or what will happen, but what you do now that will shape your future and solidify your past.
NUMBER 1
This little clip shows how sometimes in life you may be scared or intimidated by challenges that may face you. AND YEAH IT'S SCARY but once it's over it's over. Once Donkey crossed the bridge he wasn't scared anymore. In fact he was happy. THINK ABOUT IT.
NUMBER 2
Shrek 1- Ogres are like onions
This clip represents not just ogres, but a lot of people. Not everyone is all "Willie-Nillie" with all of their feelings. Some people hide how they feel, you never really know what's going on in someone's head. You can see in this clip that Donkey doesn't understand this and Shrek gets very upset. Therefore Shrek as taught me to never judge anyone whom doesn't deserve it. Based on looks or upbringing, you should never judge someone.
NUMBER 3
This clip is all about how the Dad wants Remy to come home, but of course Remy doesn't want to because he is living his dream, of becoming a Chef, so they have this little talk. Where this clip seems odd if you have never seen the movie, its message is still there. If you want come thing to change in your life, you can't wait for it to just happen, you have to be the catalyst for change. Do what you can to get what you want.
NUMBER 4
Kung Fu Panda- Believe
This clip is about how Shifu doesn't believe that Po can become the dragon warrior, and to me, this clip is a real depiction of how believing in something, and really working on it can lead to it happening. If your mind can imagine it, its possible.
NUMBER 5- THE FINAL SCREEN
In this, Po is afraid of what he has done, he is regretful, and he is also concerned with what will happen in the future. So Oogway says this saying to him and it made him realize that its not about what has happened or what will happen, but what you do now that will shape your future and solidify your past.
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